Help! I've just got round to fitting new front bumper after setting all the gaps from the windshield/birdcage forward, my problem is a horse shoe bracket to bumper gap of 3/4 inch, looking at the bracket there is just under half an inch of adjustment, will I be able to get the rest from the crossmember? Looking at the crossmember it is not level front to rear, it has a slight up tilt at front but the horseshoe bracket bumper mounting face is parallel with the nose though if I move the bracket forward it will be slightly higher. The car does not seem to have any front end repairs but poor reassembly after a paint job. Thanks in advance

 

Hi gj,
The front crossmember is at the mercy of the frame extensions.
How those extensions are mounted has an effect on how far forward the cross member ends up, and since the extensions can be tipped/angled they effect the angle of the crossmember and thus the horseshoe bracket too.
I'd install ALL the brackets, the crossmember, and the extensions very loosely, and see where things are acting like they want to be.
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks Alan I'll drop the crossmember it will make getting the final bolt out of the horseshoe easier.
Is it best to set the nose with the radiator support rod and the set and shim if necessary everything else?
Graham

 

Not a lot of instruction in the aim on this one. I've spent the last few days doing exactly this. Fitting the front bumper and grills. A lot of trial and error. I made new shims as necessary after I was happy with the fit.

 

Yes 43 years of errors after small repairs etc grow! Trouble is someone cut the centre of the nose brace riveted to the fibreglass and made a shim between the bumper and the horseshoe also left out the nose brace rod and the twisted brackets fitted at each end, presumably to get a cheap replacement bumper to fit which has started to start small stress fractures on the front of the fenders.
Thankfully from the radiator support back all appears original and only 1 repaint

 

It's even harder if your PO did a slight front end alignment. I've got fender washers stacked 3/4 inch high to shim the left side of my bumper.

 

Hi Graham,
I think you need to set everything without relying on the bumper to core support rod…. but you do need to check that the rod will slip into place.
I think the rod is there to stabilize that long and heavy overhang, not actually support the weight in any way.
I think it's a 'brace', not a 'bracket'.
Regards,
Alan

 

Ok I'm sure you'r right but how do work out how high the nose should be as I don't think I can rely on anything forward of the rad support. I've fitted a new nose reinforcement all lined up nicely and am ready to fit the twisted brackets but I think I need the bumper loosely mounted first
Graham

 

From my very recent experience, this is where the trial and error comes in. My car had a front end collision as well at some point in its life. The moron who put it back together deleted an extension bracket and extension reinforcement bracket. I had stripped the car of all previous repairs and performed my own. Also I had the body off during my restoration.
So I was at square 1. I loosened all bolts and removed the lower core support bolts, installed the bumper and started moving things around until I felt satisfied I had achieved a reasonably good alignment. I have studied numerous close up photos of various chrome bumper cars and have come to the conclusion that no 2 are alike. Some fit better than others. 1 of the worst fitting was a 71 lt-1 in a GM display, I swear the bumper was shifted 3/8" to the left. Horrible. Im still fine tuning the front end, as I want it perfect. I'm final fitting all trim in preperation for final paint. I'll pull all the trim but leave the brackets as is.
As for that brace rod I just pulled the lower bolt and left it out until I was done then shimmed it too, the aim shows a shim at that location.

 

The new bumper should line-up and fit well when placed in position in its 'free state'. If it doesn't, you will just end up trying to 'bend' it into position with the mounting bolts/shims. If it won't fit close to the existing nose fiberglass as it sits loose, you need to get a different bumper.

If the angle of the bumper and the body are off just a bit, you may be able to get it better with some 'bolt adjustment'. Otherwise, you just run the risk of cracking the chrome when you tighten it up to make it fit.

 

And here lies the problem of working on 40+ yr old cars. Without too many exceptions somewhere at some time, ole bubba the body man got a hold of our cars. Add to the fact that these were hand assembled bodys. Yes, trying to force a bumber into submission isn't kosher. But just ordering 1 $500 bumper after another isn't practical. At least for me. Maybe others have deeper pockets. I have assembled quite a photo gallery of chrome bumper cars, close examination of bumper fit confirms what I said. Very few are exactly the same. A little flexing does not crack the chrome. Loosening all bolts before beginning installation was my solution. Shims are the correct procedure for filling of gaps. Even our beloved aim shows them.

 

Oh the joys of corvettes, seriously I thought this was going to be relatively simple before I started! but at least there's nowhare to go forward after the bumper

 

I really hope so, I can't really do any more till the new bumper arrives, just in case it's slightly different than the existing one .
I'm getting a GM approved heritage one I hope it's worth the extra.
Graham

 

If the bumper is a 'bad fit', just call the vendor. Paying $500 for a bumper that doesn't fit the body is abominable. I would be raising he!! with the seller if he wasn't willing to swap it for a "good" one.

 

I think the existing bumper is not a good fit so That's why I'm going straight for the restoration part, also living in the UK As shipping is so expensive the cheaper ones don't seem good value.

 

I'm not saying you need to go to this extent but it is a method of resolution depending how much your bumper is out of what can be considered a "reasonable" tolerance. I have followed this build every step of the way. in fact when I replaced the front clip on my 69, I had to do the same thing Tim (forum member in this link) had to do to get correct alignment. again, not saying you have to do this but after following Tim's problem and seeing I had the exact same issue with mine, I opted to do the same thing he did. looks a lot better now.

Terry

http://www.corvette-restoration.com/...stallation.htm

Mine before the adjustment


After the adjustment


After final tweeking

 

No hit body on a one owner 68





Very tight fit, roughly 1/4 inch all over and no shims

 

I also had a hard time fitting the front bumper, I couldn`t get the gap right on the ends. I followed Alan`s advice, and put in all the bolts, tightened everything up, and it pulled it in and it looks fine. On the center brace, I had to use a longer bolt on one side to help pull it in, and the correct shorter bolt then fit the other side. Then I replaced the longer one with the correct one.

 

Thank you everyone for your help.I've been beavering away this weekend realigning the front end the frame extensions brackets at each side were a major problem ( wrong bolts with non captured rusted nuts behind the extension ) and the front 2 bolts on the horseshoe bracket again wrong bolts and no washers rusted in. Anyway loosely mounted everything with old bumper and set everything and it all lines up!!! When the new bumper arrives will do the final fit I might have drill and reset a few of the rivets in the nose reinforcement for the centre nose line.
Anyway thanks again