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finally getting around to looking at the front bumper, just wondering what you good people think, should the bar be up level with the panel edge and closer or is it ok as is?
there looks to be a million and one bolts connecting it to the chassis, which bolts are the lateral and vertical adjustments if it needs adjusting?
The red ‘72 is as close to perfection as I’ve seen.
Yours is fairly tight and well centered. If you can move it closer, I would. Mine is slightly out of alignment, but I don’t want to start moving the brackets around.
The next post are photos I took or dealers or owners sent to me, of cars I considered buying, except for the 1 photo of a Riverside Gold and War Bonnet Yellow owned by a CF owner and posted here on the forum.
Last edited by Coronette; Oct 22, 2023 at 01:06 AM.
Bumper alignment did not seem to be a major concern beck when these cars were being assembled. This is a picture of mine taken by the original owner right after he picked it up from the factory in St. Louis.
The bumper alignment is not bad, but it isn't perfect either. Its a little better now, but I had to have the nose repaired after a close encounter with a tree. That happened before I bought the car.
There are 4 bolts that directly attach the bumper but several ancillary fasteners that are interconnected to the brackets and related structure that support the surround at the forewardmost point of the frame. Whenever making any adjustments to the bumper gaps, be sure you understand the implications of loosening/adjusting any of the bolts. The bumperette bolts should be loosened to facilitate adjustment but should not be relied upon as a primary means.
The main influencer for the gap is the position of the forward most portion of the large u-shaped bracket (#1 in the illustration). The second determinant is the shims (item #25) at the outer attach points.
The frame horn extension brackets (item #22) will influence the ultimate position of the u-bracket but, as mentioned, any change in their positioning will also affect the position of the surround. The front outer brackets (#18) and the companion #17s, while providing the support for the bumper, serve primarily to support the surround so, again, any movements there will result in a change to the loads on the fiberglass and, therefore, should be avoided.
The front holes in the U-bracket are elongated to afford vertical alignment at the center. However, the diameter (and location) of the holes in the fiberglass at the outer attach points are the only determinate for vertical positioning there. Typically, there will be some “room” for movement but not a lot.
These cars were mass produced and the quality standards in effect back in the day weren’t the best. If your car was ever hit in the front will only add to the challenge. I have seen some pretty extreme modifications to the u-bracket so look it over carefully to see where you are starting from.
Not shown in the illustration, but very important, are the “twist” brackets that connect the metal reinforcement that is riveted to the front of the surround to the outer mount bolts. These are sometimes left off due to lack of familiarity by repair shops so look for them before you undertake any adjustments.
........ the diameter (and location) of the holes in the fiberglass at the outer attach points are the only determinate for vertical positioning there. Typically, there will be some “room” for movement but not a lot.
To add to that statement, do not tighten the bolts there to pull in the corners, you will crack the fiberglass! Leave room for the bolts to move around
Found a crack in the corner where the side part of the bumper attaches , think it may have been over tightened after the accident repair job. so in the end took the bumper and bumperette asemblies off fixed the crack and put it all back together. Its not perfect but heaps better than where we were before. Thanks once again to all who chimed in with help.
72 front bumper adjustment
