Adjusting Front Bumber Cover on '76

[redman76]

Hey guys, I live in the C3 section but wanted to ask the body experts how to properly align the front bumper cover on my '76. It's already painted and mounted, so I don't not want to do anything requiring a cover repaint. When I replaced the cover (pulled and had repainted because of large paint chip), I removed all the bubba'd rusted bolts holding it on. I tried using the proper t-bolts, but they were not long enough, so I used longer stainless hardware to fasten. Seems like I remember there were rusty washers/spacers that I removed too. The bumper never fit very well to begin with. The body lines do not match up well and the cover seems to be spreading out so it is not flush with the body surface. What is the trick? Do I use spacers to get the gaps consistant? Do I make the holes bigger to give me wiggle room and push cover even with surface and tighten? Am I going to need to pull to cover off a hundred times until I get everything lined up properly? Any advice would be greatly apprecaited . . . what are your tricks? I'll try and post some pics tonight.

[redman76]

Anybody?

[markids77]

I just finished installing my 77 bumper yesterday. If it is like your 76 there should have been formed sheet metal stiffeners with 10-24 screws sticking out of them at each hole location. The stiffeners apply more even pressure between the screws and help keep the lines at the joint straighter and tighter. I started in the center and worked the fitment out to each end one section at a time. I have my headlight buckets out, so access is easier... it's worth the time to drop them if they're in place on your car! My fit is not exact either but I did get it OK in about an hour's worth of playing around. If you no longer have the OE stiffeners I would invest in a set for sure.