Need a little help here on front bumper placement. Anyone with an original 68 to 72 front bumper willing to post some pics for alignment. My main issues are the ears that wrap around to the front fenders. Also the nose position in relation to body height. Gap as well as height are my main concerns. Would someone be willing to shoot some closeup shots in this area? It would be a big relief to see if I am anywhere near what the general had in mind.
Thanks to all for any assistance,
Norm

 

Does this help?

 

I posted these pics in this thread, not sure how much they help but all I got at the moment. If you click the link you can see the other pics of what it shouldn't look like.

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Found these too if they help.

 

The lower bumperet's and grills will have some affect as to where your bumper lies after adjusting all the pieces together. my body man Mike put ALOT of effort into getting all the pieces lined up

we left the lower bumperet's attached



















in the pics you can see how much of the body line is revealed behind the bumper.
if the bumper looks centered and you have the same finger spacing on the sides between the bumper and body..........your at a good starting point



Hammadown

 

I couldn't get my bumperettes and grill trim to line up properly, I eventually had to walk away and leave it as is, but I plan to retry after I get them rechromed. Between that and the hood alignment it will drive a man crazy.

 

Man, you guys were all over top of this one. Can not believe the quick response and all pictures are great. I now feel more comfortable with what mine may look like when finished. To all the members that answered the call, a great big thank you!!! This forum and the members have never let me down, be it parts or knowledge.
Thanks again,
Norm

 

Hi HD, 1AR and DA,
The next time you change the color on a car you ought to think about taking a couple of pictures along the way.
NICE INFORMATION!
Same to 1AR and DA... GOOD information in those pictures!
Regards,
Alan

 

Looking again at the other pic's and mine I think my bumper needs to go up and in a little as mine seems a bit off compared to others. So not sure how helpful my pictures were, but I tried.

What does the AIM say the gaps are supposed to be? Mines at the shop atm.

 

I don't think there are specific gap specs in the AIM if I remember correctly. The bumper & grill alignment on the 70-72 vettes is a PITA at best. I have yet to see one vette where BOTH grills are perfectly level with the bumper and align with the bottom of the bumperettes. The examples shown are very good but you can see that both grills are not perfectly level with the bumper. Often you'll get one but not the other. I've spent lots of time trying to get this alignment correct and can't. Also getting the bumper closer to the body (on mine) is impossible because of the nut housings welded to the bumper and how far they stick out will determine that space. The AIM shows shims at the corners and I think I can't even get mine close never mind adding shims which will push it out further from the body.
Good luck!
Glenn

Edit:
Here's 2 pics of mine and a few other's i've taken at cruises etc.. just so I would have comparison pics. Being a Art Director/Graphic designer, my eye notices misalignments and it bugs the crap out of me.




Notice how close the bumper is to the body on this 69.

 

Well i'm glad I'm not the only one, but I been thinking more about this, so I checked back through all my pictures to see if I had one before I took it apart and found one...and it's actually level. So what I don't understand is how/why I can't get it aligned how it was before.

Only thing I can think of is I used POR-15 on the parts, but I wouldn't think it would be that far off, would it? Like you I pissed around with trying to get it level for hours and it just wasn't having it; up until today I 'thought' it was like that before I took it apart, but apparently not. This is frustrating me now.

[IMG][/IMG]

 

Dang!!! Looks like I opened a big can of worms on this one. Every picture shows something a little different. I don't feel so bad now with the gaps on mine. I am very much in agreement with GD70 on the spacers. Bought a set from Zip but boy was that a waste of money. No way would I be able to add a spacer anywhere on mine. Have already cut the fiberglass to get nut housings further in. Now is not a good time for glass work after car has been painted. Oh the joys of working on a C3.
Merry Christmas to all and I could care less about being politically correct when I say it.
God bless,
Norm

 

Let me add......

Agree with Glenn, what a PAIN... getting it all to line up. I put spacers (ss washers from Ace) under the lower end of my bumper guards, and under the 2 front bumper mount bolts to move the bumper out slightly.

I called Willcox and asked on the forum if there were rubber (or like mat'l) washers between the steel bumper brackets and the fiberglass body, since I couldnt see tightening up that steel bumper against my nice new paint. As I recall, everybody said no.. SO I went to ACE again and bought rubber 1" washers and installed them anyway. Put them on the corner through bolts for the bumper, and also on the lower attachment points for the bumper guards where they contact the fiberglass lower valence. Also used the rubber washers on the rear bumpers.

I later found this listing on Willcox website...

http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...ducts_id=12552

...which I THINK are rubber or neoprene washers for that very purpose. They are about .30 at Ace I think (or less).

Good luck with it all. I think my bumper is still a little on the low side, though it fits fine on the sides, and mine is an aftermarket bumper. I cant really raise it any further, as I am out of "hole" on the corners, and unwilling to grind it out any further with the new paint job. Should have fitted it all beforehand....Oh well, next time!!!


Rob

 

Wow, your headlights and hood gaps are perfect. Very nice.

Gary

 

I ran into the same thing with mine, I think the fiberglass panel warps through age . How I solved the problem for a perfect fit , was to make some hidden bolt adjusters that hide behind the bumperettes and either push down on the fiberglass panel or pull up on it , depending on the problem that you have. I can't remember the details, it's been a while and everything is hidden behind the bumperettes but it wasn't difficult.

 

I later found this listing on Willcox website...

http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...ducts_id=12552

...which I THINK are rubber or neoprene washers for that very purpose. They are about .30 at Ace I think (or less).

Hey Rob, those washers are ribbed on the outside to get a good grab onto the frame horns where the bumper brackets go.

Rob

 

 

Thanks to all the members and seriously, the photos were great. Some of the alignment I saw was really awesome. Serious work involved to bring about that type of perfection. OK, I spent three weeks on just the front bumper and this is all an old man can handle. I know it is not perfect but for now, time to move on. Pictures below tell the story, hope you approve.
Thanks ,
















Norm

 

That install looks great Norm. 3 weeks though?!!? How many beer?

 

BEER HELL! Crown Royal, two bottles*** Car is going to make an alcoholic out of me and I hate going to those dam meetings!
Norm

 

I was wondering Norm, is that an aftermarket front bumper you got? Or is it the original?