Monaro CV8 Front Bumper alignment issues

[jpetrou]

Hi all, I need some help in regards to the front bumper on my Monaro CV8. Being similar to the VT design, I figured someone out there might be able to help.

A few months back, I accidentally got the front bumper "hooked" on a car park concrete block (the ones that stop you from going too far forward or back). Anyway one of the bolts/pins that hold these concrete blocks down was sticking out way above the height of the block and subsequently hooked under the front bar. Without realising this, when I backed out, the bumper was pulled away from the car. Whilst the damage was minimal, the bumper cracked underneath and required a brand new bar.

I took it to my local panel shop whom I trust and has always done good work in the past for me. They had trouble getting a decent brand new genuine front bar from Holden, as the first two were either damaged or poorly finished. After a few weeks Holden finally sent a bumper that was of a decent quality and subsequently was painted and fitted.

This is where the dramas started, they couldn't get the front corners to align properly and despite their best efforts they got it to a stage where it wasnt perfect but passable. Plus I got tired of not having my car at home after nearly a month.

They checked the body alignments and all the mounting areas for correct measurements and found that all the measurements were spot on.

After driving it for a few short drives and the weather warming up, I noticed last weekend that the gaps have gotten worse and now they stick out like the proverbial.

I took it back to the panel shop and the owner agreed it was worse and it was unacceptable. He said that he will look into it and contact Holden. He is totally stumped, as he has never had this issue before.

He doesnt want to mess around with bending guards and panels to "fit the bumper", as he thinks there may be another quality control issue with their bars.

I have attached photos for your comments, my apologies for the long winded story.

Thank you in advance.

 

[dirty hands]

newer after market parts meeting up with older original parts

too late now its all been painted

was the bar put under heat lights or a heat booth to quicken the paint dry


to make it all correct

would take lots of time /labour to undo the bar and re fit it .... every correction

after shape to fit and align work ...

 

[mpower]

VT-VX bars are famous for being difficult to align, I call bs he's never seen it before. If he hasn't he's never seen one before.

Just make him fix it.

 

[hi_ryder]

did they replace the bar guides?

 

[Jxfwsf]

+1 for the guides.
That one in the pic above is broken.
2 horizontal and 1 vertical clip point, once they start messing up they'll never retain the bar.
Pic 6 it's clearly not held by it.

 

[jpetrou]

Genuine bar, as far as I was told, there was no heat applied to speed dry the paint.

 

[jpetrou]

did they replace the bar guides?

The guide was replaced on the right hand side, left side was ok when old bumper removed.

The panel shop owner has offered to get it right, so he is going back to Holden to verify if the bumper is of a faulty batch.

He also has two VT loan cars and their bumpers fit nice and snug.

 

[uniacidz]

Bumpers on these cars suck

Some cars after removal are fine to put back on, others no

Easiest way to put.on bumper is to place rubber raises on the bumper reinforcement bar of about 15cm strips.in.length and 1 inch high

Then place bumper in place so that the side clip catch in place
Then push in either side.and tighten top screw and then.other side.using your.knee to push in the side that pops out which is near the headlight

Then pull forward the top area near middle screw then tighten

Should get it nice

Can also drill secondary placement holes near original for tighter placement

All else fails, dremel tool into bumper near where bumper sticks out (when bumper is off) and when placing back on, use somee wire to pull it tight against car body

Shouldn't have to do it, but does work

Welcome to shifty bumpers

 

[Aussie XB12SS]

Bumpers on these cars suck

All else fails, dremel tool into bumper near where bumper sticks out (when bumper is off) and when placing back on, use somee wire to pull it tight against car body

Shouldn't have to do it, but does work

Welcome to shifty bumpers

Sorry to bring up an old post but had a new bumper put on my VU ute by a professional that left the bar looking worse than the OP's photos on both sides on the car. All brand new parts but I believe the baking when painted didnt help.
When I picked up my ute and commented about it it he said to me " I thought you were going to be a fussy prick". He tried to fix it but still bugged me.

So today I thought I would give uniacidz instructions a go. No luck until I got to the "use some wire trick" and now she looks like a new bar should.:beer chug:

 

["poss"]

All else fails, dremel tool into bumper near where bumper sticks out (when bumper is off) and when placing back on, use some wire to pull it tight against car body

Can anyone provide more detail on the above. I own a Dremel, but what attachment? exactly where do you Dremel? and wire to what?

Any help appreciated