F355 rear bumper cooling vents / cut out

Why not go with the Challenge grill, it looks awesome.

 

Those slots started very late production 95 and continued the rest of the model.

 

That’s not ex factory, that’s factory. Almost all 355s had those openings in the rear bumper only the very early cars didn’t. The much easier route would to be to just pick up a later style bumper and get it painted to match your car.

 

I agree. Get a later model bumper that already has holes and sell your old one.

I have a '96 and there are no holes. The holes you refer to are not just holes. They are inner and outer slots in an inner and outer layer of fiberglass about 1" apart connected together with matching fiberglass collars. It would be exceedingly difficult to convert a bumper without the slots to one with. I was going to do just that until I realized what would be involved. Not practical or cost effective so I bought a later model bumper and will have it repainted and sell my old one.

 

Jerry, if your 96 has no slots, I'd say it's not original to the car.

 

That's interesting. That never occurred to me. Is it possible that an early '96 may not have slots? There are some other differences in the bumpers as well, namely in several, of the heat shields, bottom connections and the newer has a recess across the bottom edge between the exhaust slots that the older one does not.

Anyone else out there with an early '96 without slots?

 

The change to slots was made late 95 and some late 95's have them - IIRC, it's on the parts diagram

 

Yup

 

OK, thanks Dave. Then the slotted rear bumper I bought actually returns my car to OEM. Great!

 

I checked the parts diagram and the photo does not show any difference between any of the 355's regardless of year, 5.2 or 2.7. The photo is the same for all. However, the 5.2 descriptions list only one valid for the USA but the 2.7 descriptions list two, one valid until assembly #20189 and the other valid from 20190 on. It doesn't state what the difference s are.

 

Not sure those holes are for cooling as opposed to relieving air flow pressure along the bottom of the valance.

 

Right. They don't update the drawings for slight variances on parts - they simply update the part number.

 

Mine is August 1995 (assembly 20182-seven before the supposed change) and I have the earlier style without the holes.