Front bumper cover 88GT

[wooddy]

I bought a new bumper reinforcment so I can put fog lights back on my GT. I look under there and it looks like the only way to get the bolts out are to take off the entire bumper cover.

Can someone tell me if this is the case or is there another way?

If I do have to take the cover off, can someone tell me how to get that thing off?

Thanks

 

[BADPONYsc]

You mean you're foglight reinforcment is off and you're tring to put it back on? I put mine back on with the bumper cover on. It's kind of awkward laying down and getting up in there, but it's do-able. It shouldn't be nessesary to remove the bumper cover to install it.
Or do you mean that you're trying to replace the actual bumper, under the bumper cover? That would require removing the bumper cover.
Sorry if I'm misunderstanding.

 

[wooddy]

You mean you're foglight reinforcment is off and you're tring to put it back on? I put mine back on with the bumper cover on. It's kind of awkward laying down and getting up in there, but it's do-able. It shouldn't be nessesary to remove the bumper cover to install it.
Or do you mean that you're trying to replace the actual bumper, under the bumper cover? That would require removing the bumper cover.
Sorry if I'm misunderstanding.

Yes, Sorry for the confusion. I do have to remove the old bumper (white fiberglass) and install a new one. I guess the cover is held on by a set of rivets.

How tuff is it to get that cover off? It looks like it does have to come off to get to the bolts on the bumper. The bumper itself looks easy.

Any tips on the best way to remove the cover? How about reinstalling the cover? Any tips or tricks to that?

Thanks

 

[BADPONYsc]

Oh, ok... yeah the main bumper is just 4 big bolts, but the cover will have to come off to do it. Removing the bumper cover isn't that hard really though. I've done it several times. First thing is that you'll have to remove all six lights...headlights, corners, inners. Then there are rivets on top, like right above the headlights... you'll have to drill them out, there's like 16 or 17 of them. You'll need a rivet gun and rivets to re-install the cover later. Then there are nuts, that attach the bumper cover to the fenders, to remove on the inside of the sides. If you reach your hand (with wrench) through the cracks on the sides, like where the air-filter is on a CAI kit, you can get most of them from the top. The lower ones you'll have to lay on the ground and get them from the bottom. I can't remember how many exactly, maybe 6 or 7 per side. That's pretty much it, the cover should just pull away from the car now. If you're not painting the cover, be really careful with it while it's off the car. Don't bend it around too much and be careful where you lay it down. Last time I did mine, I was going to paint it afterwards so I didn't care about the paint, but I layed it down in a part of my driveway that has gravel in it and it got all scratched up.
Like I said, the bumper it'self is just 4 big bolts and it will come right off. The foglight bracing bar installs in holes in the bumper that are on both GT and LX bumpers, no drilling required. I installed mine after the bumper cover was back on, but maybe doing it before installing the cover would be easier.
To re-install the cover, do the side nuts first. Tighten them finger tight, or loosely tightened, and then you can shift it and bump it around until it lines up with the fenders. Then tighten them. THEN do the rivets. If you do the rivets first, the cover can't be adjusted with the fenders afterwards. After all that, install the six lights and fog lights. If the car was originally a GT, the fog lights should be a "plug-and-play" type deal.
I think that's it. Hope this helps and good luck with it!

 

[wooddy]

Oh, ok... yeah the main bumper is just 4 big bolts, but the cover will have to come off to do it. Removing the bumper cover isn't that hard really though. I've done it several times. First thing is that you'll have to remove all six lights...headlights, corners, inners. Then there are rivets on top, like right above the headlights... you'll have to drill them out, there's like 16 or 17 of them. You'll need a rivet gun and rivets to re-install the cover later. Then there are nuts, that attach the bumper cover to the fenders, to remove on the inside of the sides. If you reach your hand (with wrench) through the cracks on the sides, like where the air-filter is on a CAI kit, you can get most of them from the top. The lower ones you'll have to lay on the ground and get them from the bottom. I can't remember how many exactly, maybe 6 or 7 per side. That's pretty much it, the cover should just pull away from the car now. If you're not painting the cover, be really careful with it while it's off the car. Don't bend it around too much and be careful where you lay it down. Last time I did mine, I was going to paint it afterwards so I didn't care about the paint, but I layed it down in a part of my driveway that has gravel in it and it got all scratched up.
Like I said, the bumper it'self is just 4 big bolts and it will come right off. The foglight bracing bar installs in holes in the bumper that are on both GT and LX bumpers, no drilling required. I installed mine after the bumper cover was back on, but maybe doing it before installing the cover would be easier.
To re-install the cover, do the side nuts first. Tighten them finger tight, or loosely tightened, and then you can shift it and bump it around until it lines up with the fenders. Then tighten them. THEN do the rivets. If you do the rivets first, the cover can't be adjusted with the fenders afterwards. After all that, install the six lights and fog lights. If the car was originally a GT, the fog lights should be a "plug-and-play" type deal.
I think that's it. Hope this helps and good luck with it!

Thanks alot BADPONYsc for the lengthy replie. This will help BIG TIME!
That is exactly what I needed. I'm looking forward to having those fogs back on my GT vert sometime soon.