tips or tricks to removing the front bumper and lower valances

[Zedyone_kenobi]

I will be taking off the front bumper this weekend to get better access to my lower air dam so I can get ready to install my lower valance panels. Is there a trick to removing the front bumper? Should I have two people there? There seems to be the 2 large bolts on each side that hold the bumper supports to the front end of the car, and then a few smaller bolts on the sides under the headlight bezels.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[MikeW]

Yes, it's quite simple. I would advise having another person help as it's easy to scratch the paint accidentally. The bumpers are obviously quite light but can be slightly unwieldy. I'd remove the end bolts first and then perhaps wrap some bubble wrap or a towel around each end. Then remove the center brackets from the car itself, leaving the brackets attached to the bumper. The whole assembly will then slide forward and out.

[psdenno]

Sometimes the end bolts are the hardest part to remove. Go easy on them as it's quite easy to break them off......he said from experience. After removing them, I just undo the nuts holding the bumper to the bumper brackets and off it comes. Can be done solo, but an extra pair of hands makes it easier and prevents scratches.

Dennis

[george71z]

Get an old pair of athletic type socks and slip them over the ends of the bumper to prevent inadvertent scratches. This is even advised with two people handling the bumper. Cheap insurance.

[regularjoe]

OK, I will admit that I am not as smart as I look.... or is it that I am not as dumb as I look...Well whichever,

How do I get to the bolts at the ends of the front bumper? There does not seem to be anything there when I reach in from the front wheelwell, am I just missing it or do I need to take out the lights?

Thanks,

Regular Joe

[MikeW]

You don't need to take out the lights; the bolts are not that far forward. The only reason that you shouldn't be able to find the bolts on the inside is if they're already missing but in that case the ends up the bumper would be free to move up and down. I'd turn the steering wheel all the way to one side or the other and use a light to get a good view instead of trying to feel for them.

[regularjoe]

Thanks.

I'll get down there and look a little closer. When I checked the other night I was probably just being lazy.

Regular Joe

[mlc240z]

they're behind the inner fender "liner". don't know the correct name for this piece of thin metal but it goes from in front the tire to the top and is held in by a few screws. BTW (trying to find replacements if anybody can help direct me)

remove the bottom screws and you should be able to see the bumper end fasteners.

[MikeW]

Interesting. I must not have inner fender liners. Even though I bought the car 25 years ago I still occasionally find missing items I never knew I was missing.

[EScanlon]

Inner Fender Liner (Protector, Front Fender, Front per the CD) in a 71? Nope.

Your car may have had one added later in it's life, but not from the factory.

There IS a REAR Front Fender Protector, but that's on the back side and nowhere near the bumper.

(It's what hides the Cowl Drain Tube, and helps cause the problem with rust on the fender.)

FWIW

E

[mlc240z]

huh, that's weird.

both sides, attached to thin welded (original looking) brackets.

always seemed like real thin cheesy metal. maybe PO added.

[EScanlon]

Bart,

Take a picture, but according to various early cars I've seen, and worked on, the inner fender liner just was not there.

That's not to say that it wasn't added by someone later... whether by swapping fenders (don't recall if the 260 fenders would have worked) or by using mounting points that were already on the car in it's 240 incarnation.

There ARE items that were projected for use on the initial 240's that didn't arrive till later years, and there were also items added to the later years that could be retrofitted onto the earlier ones.

FWIW

E