Right as some of u may know. I have just had a new bumper for me zed. Well i have neva had anything to do with fiberglass bumpers before . So i fitted it last night and the drivers side is spot on the the passanger side is about 1 inch in towards the inner wing at the end of the bumper. It lines up fine round buy the front of the wing just more towards the wheel were the problem is. I have messured the wings to see if they r level and they r ok. I can pull the bumper out and fits ok but its putting stress on the bumper. Has anyone got any tips?????

This is common with aftermarket fibreglass bumpers, bad fitting, probably just needs a bit shaving off here and there.

 

My advice is let someone experienced in bodykit fitting take a look at it.

This is common with aftermarket fibreglass bumpers, bad fitting, probably just needs a bit shaving off here and there.

 

My advice is let someone experienced in bodykit fitting take a look at it.

 

I dont need shave some off mate, what i am trying to say it the bumper needs to be pulled out to meet the wing. If i shave some of it will be worse. I carnt send the wing in cus it will then look odd with the other side of the car.

Hi your best warming it up with a hair dryer this will help take the stress out the bumper and help it mould to the right shape

Ah right, so you're saying it's not wide enough where it joins the wing?

 

Sounds like this could probably turn out to be more trouble than it's worth.

Before you start fitting this bumper, you really need to bake it in a paint oven. The reason for this is there maybe air pockets in the grp from bad consolidation when made. When you bake it the air will expand and blow out through the gelcoat, then you can fill the blow holes, and be sure it wont happen after you have payed a lot of money to have it painted on a hot day.

It is really worth doing this beleve me

 

Allan

^Now that sounds like the kind of advice you want^

Hi your best warming it up with a hair dryer this will help take the stress out the bumper and help it mould to the right shape

 

Heating will not get the grp to flex as grp does not react like thermo plastics, it will just crack if put under too much stress.

Hi your best warming it up with a hair dryer this will help take the stress out the bumper and help it mould to the right shape

 

Well i did warm it up last night but i will try again cheers mate. I was not sure if u warm up fiberglass it would make it more flexible? I can pull out the bumper hand and its fine but i need it to stay there. What if i cut slats in the bumper then fit it, then put fiberglass in the slats? If u no what i mean?

Edited February 13, 201114 yr by lees300zx

So how do i just bend out the corner of the bumper then?

You cant bend it, it will break if you put too much pressure on it, GRP is designed to flex and return to its molded shape. You can flex it to the position you want and fix it but if you go too far CRACK!

If the fit is that bad I sugest you send it back and get a refund. The only other option is centre the bumber flex as much as you dare and build up with choped strand and filler. BUT remember when you take it off the fixings it will want to go back to the original shape it was molded at.

I have to say it does not sound too good, unfortunatly there are lots of very poor GRP body parts out there.

CarMad might have some suggestions about going about this problem.

 

Allan

 

Allan

Edited February 13, 201114 yr by gruntpa64

You will need to cut it mate get it it too fit then re fiberglass it ,I had the same prob with a bumper from poland not worth the hastle

Suggest you return it and get one from carmad I got a 99 spec from carmads dad and it fits perfect

 

Jim

where did you buy it from?

Was this from Luke?-his stuff is pretty good usually!-I have had skirts,rear bumper from him and no probs (you do HAVE to fettle F/glass tho')

Ya had it from luke. Its not that far off its only just that one area. I have spoken to him today and he just said put slits in it just to get it to pull round that bit more then refiberglass the slits. So I hope it should be ok. I will post a picky later. Its not a bad fit at all its just that little bit. But as u know u carnt move fiberglass.

sounds silly but what if i wrap the bumper in cling film get it in to shape and fill it with foam then when it sets it will stay in place also making the bumper stronger??? am i stupid or is it a good idea.

So you want to fill it with expanding foam, fit it which will flex it from it's original state, then when the foam sets it will keep it in it's new state and reinforce it?

 

It's that daft it might just work.

Ya had it from luke. Its not that far off its only just that one area. I have spoken to him today and he just said put slits in it just to get it to pull round that bit more then refiberglass the slits. So I hope it should be ok. I will post a picky later. Its not a bad fit at all its just that little bit. But as u know u carnt move fiberglass.

 

Not being funny, and i have no experience of buying anything from zcentre, but if i bought a bumper for circa £200 from a zed specialist, and then had to cut it and refibreglass it, just so that it fitted - i think that i would have grounds to say that the item was not fit for purpose (ie needing to cut and redo) I would ask for another that fits or get my money back. I have heard people talk highly of Luke and Zcentre so i am sure he would sort it one way or the other.

 

Also speak to CarMad, i have had skirts and rear bumper from him and they have all fitted perfectly.

The bumper is not that bad so i dont need to get my money back. I am not slagging luke of its just a small area that needs be pulled out. I can just pust a nut and bolt on it and it will be ok. But if I paint the bumper and fit it it then i willcrack the paint. So if I can just get it into shape just a bit better it will be sound. If i do fill it with foam i think it will sort out the problem. I will post a picture laters. It is a good fit its just the corner needs pulling round put a pin in it jobs a gooden but like i said if i take it off paint it then i might crack the paint putting it back on. So lets go and get some foam.

So you want to fill it with expanding foam, fit it which will flex it from it's original state, then when the foam sets it will keep it in it's new state and reinforce it?

 

It's that daft it might just work.

 

It dus sound silly but ya i thinks i will try it mate i am sure it will cure me problem. I dont really want to cut. So a trip down b and q mate. Lol

The bumper is not that bad so i dont need to get my money back. I am not slagging luke of its just a small area that needs be pulled out. I can just pust a nut and bolt on it and it will be ok. But if I paint the bumper and fit it it then i willcrack the paint. So if I can just get it into shape just a bit better it will be sound. If i do fill it with foam i think it will sort out the problem. I will post a picture laters. It is a good fit its just the corner needs pulling round put a pin in it jobs a gooden but like i said if i take it off paint it then i might crack the paint putting it back on. So lets go and get some foam.

 

MIght it be worth sticking some flexible additive in the paint (as if it was a flexible polyurathane bumper?)

It dus sound silly but ya i thinks i will try it mate i am sure it will cure me problem. I dont really want to cut. So a trip down b and q mate. Lol

 

Right well let us know how you get on, oh and I think we definately need some pics of this job mister!

why don`t you ask luke to fit it as he has a body shop ,i would be a bit pi--ed if i bought a bumper then had all this hastle especially as zcentre are made for the z its not as if you paid £1 on ebay it should be a direct fit !

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here is a picky so u no what i mean. see i told u it was not that bad. its just if i pull it its stressing the bumper and i just want it to stay were it should do!

ive fitted a few f/g bumpers in my time on zeds and not once did i not have to get a file out to fettle the fit..common problem is like yours the inside corners need digging down a bit to pull it in. better doing the prep work now before its painted.

btw..that does look a paticular bad fit in the pics mate

Must confess maybe a wee bit of elongating fixing holes, maybe a wee sand here and there, maybe a wee bit of filler for the odd blemish and as Znut says a small bit of sanding in the corner. But in all these cases literally a very small amount, anything more, it don't fit!!

A bodyshop would charge more than the bleedin bumpers cost to sort out problems otherwise.

smithy