how are the rears not the same? lips from a 00 civic can fit a 96 civic. only thing different is that 99-00 rears have that little 'indention' at the edge while 96-98's are rounded. in my experience they've always fitted fine... and the rear lips say 96-00...
the knock-off lips might be universal, but we all know how those fit.
my OEM 96-98 rear lip won't fit 99-00 without moddification. mudflaps won't fit, etc.
yeah, the lower portion on 99-00 rear bumpers comes out a little, almost looks like a molded-in lip.