C1 - Attaching front bumpers - QUESTIONS???

[firstgear]

ok...slowly but surely I am getting through various items....but now I am putting the front bumpers on and I need to drill the hole in the side fender for the bolt that goes through there (I replaced the front surround and lower valence so the holes are not in there).

The bumper edge near the wheel well should be flush is that correct? I need to set the side hole so that the bumper follows the contour of the wheel opening...correct?

Should I set that first then attach the front bracket to the bumper from the rear or should I attach it to the bumper and slide it in from the front? With nice paint on the car it is a different matter than when I was taking this apart and didn't care about scratching anything.....anyone got some good techniques for doing this? I am sure there is an easy way with lower risk of damage to the car versus trying to go about it a wrong way....

Help???????

thanks, Herb

[studiog]

Here is the best shot I could find of the bumper to wheel well area. This is from a 61.





If I remember correctly you have to mount the grill center crossbar to the right and left front bumper and then mount as a single component. I remember this being a bit difficult as the holes in the new (repro) center bar were not a good fit to the original bolt holes in the bumpers. Surprise surprise. You should definitely protect the paint with some sort of covering or you will wind up scratching it. I think I used low tack painters masking tape (3M blue color) as a base on the paint then duct tape on top of that for more protection. Maybe someone else has a better method.

One more reference photo:




Good luck.

[IH2LOSE]

I got nothing for as I fought mine the hole way and for sure there had to be an easeyer way .

Definately not a one person job, Mine went on and off several times

Definatley use the blue tape,

Best of luck

[firstgear]

I can see already that the front bracket needs to come back off and be bent to the center of the car as it is out of whack by 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch.

This would have also been much better to have done with someone that was doing a C1 to see the issues ahead of time, would save a lot more time for sure....the photo helps for sure, and I need to get more tape on as well as some duck tape....this is not a job for the faint of heart for sure....

thanks all......

Herb

[firstgear]

one more thing, did you put that funky seal in around the opening? That is also a PIA!!!

[studiog]

Originally Posted by firstgear

one more thing, did you put that funky seal in around the opening? That is also a PIA!!!

Yes I did but I'm not sure why, as well as the spacers (so you don't pinch or CRACK THE FIBERGLASS when you tighten the bolt between the bumper and the bumper bracket.)

It took allot of massaging to get these parts to fit decent. If you try to be too much of a perfectionist it will drive you mad!



I'm not sure what Larry did on his.

[firstgear]

Originally Posted by studiog

Yes I did but I'm not sure why, as well as the spacers (so you don't pinch or CRACK THE FIBERGLASS when you tighten the bolt between the bumper and the bumper bracket.)

It took allot of massaging to get these parts to fit decent. If you try to be too much of a perfectionist it will drive you mad!



I'm not sure what Larry did on his.

yes, I got those black rubber spacers too, but had to cut them in half in order to get the bumper to go over the body, when it was a full rubber piece, no way was it going.....

[studiog]

Originally Posted by firstgear

yes, I got those black rubber spacers too, but had to cut them in half in order to get the bumper to go over the body, when it was a full rubber piece, no way was it going.....

I think my spacers were metal and they passed through the rubber "pads".

[firstgear]

Originally Posted by studiog

I think my spacers were metal and they passed through the rubber "pads".

yes, I have those metal round tube spacers as well....you are right...got it all....