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New to me ‘03 C5 that seems to have a mid-alignment on the front bumper where it meets the center of the hood, all other panel gaps and alignment seem fine, no known accidents, but the front bumper was resprayed.
looking at the attached pictures, maybe when the front bumper was re-installed, it wasn’t lined up properly? Any thoughts or suggestions?
I just went to my garage and looked at mine. I remember my C4 had metal ribs to prevent the bumper from distorting but I see nothing like that here. Maybe try some small spacers under the pushpins in the center?
looking at the attached pictures, maybe when the front bumper was re-installed, it wasn’t lined up properly? Any thoughts or suggestions?
seems to be quite common once the front bumper cover is removed, mine fit perfect, needed to take it off and now looks like that, and I know of others, same thing, there is no where to put any kind of spacers in there, I have tried many different things, nothing seems to work..
Last edited by Vetteman Jack; Mar 23, 2024 at 10:53 AM.
Here are the rear bolt holes and then metal plates go between the bumper and the quarter. They let you move the bumper to make it line up.
I have a similar set up on the Fiero front bumper. I am not sure on the Vette as I have not had the bumper off yet. But I would suspect there is a plate or way to adjust the bumper. These are thin bumpers and adjustment is in small areas in distance normally.
Not the holes are where the plate mounts and the slots are where the plate adjusts.
Checked out this Video at 5:55. There is a silver metal strip at the top of the foam under the bumper that has a number of slotted screws. I suspect that this is the adjustment you may need. It would move that edge up and down across the front of the hood. Very similar to how the rear works on the quarters.
UPDATE: I recently brought my car to a local shop to address the misalignment issue with the bumper. They took it off for a realignment and a fresh coat of paint. However, even after the work, the bumper's alignment remains askew. Disappointingly, the shop mentioned they couldn't rectify the alignment, which I wish they had communicated before proceeding with the paint job. Their current belief is that the bumper might have been replaced previously with a potentially lower-quality aftermarket model, leading to these persistent alignment challenges.
My next step involves ordering a new OEM bumper directly from GM to ensure a precise fit. I'm open to any additional insights or suggestions regarding this matter. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Update: I ordered a new GM bumper from my local dealer I found another shop in my area that understands my issue and seems confident to resolve. In addition to the bumper, I am also looking to paint the headlight covers and the hood.
Sunday AM bump, any comments on the written estimate before I pull the trigger? TIA.
Morning sir.. I am not sure of pricing in your area. but, I would make sure they use OEM parts, When I replaced mine there were many off brands for cheap, not happening on my shift, I purchased OEM to be sure of the fitment. Mine is off a bit in the center like yours, but have the aftermarket hood, so could be something there, but in the same token, when replaced mine, it fit fine before.. JMO.. gl
My suggestion would be to have them mount that new bumper cover first before the paint prep and spray is executed. It would be a real kick in the pants to shell out the $$$ to end up right back where you were as far as alignment.
Otherwise seems about right on price to get the hood, light covers, bumper cover and mirrors repainted. I paid about that for just the nose, hood and headlights when I had it done 17 years ago. Which it’s due again now.
Front Bumper Alignment
