ZL1 front bumper gap - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

unstable vic · 03-30-2015, 06:55 AM

Weird. Especially with the paint protection film possibly helping to add to the problem. I'd have a good body shop look at it before the dealer if it were my car. Production line cars will have variances in body panel tolerance but that looks excessive imho. Was the car ever in an accident? What did it look like before you took your bumper off? Good body shops have tricks to align things properly. Sometimes it's not just an unbolt then bolt process. Just my two cents.

ZL1-PA · 03-30-2015, 09:15 AM

Nope - the car was never in an accident.
The gaps seemed to widen on their own over time, and the only thing that really changed was the paint protection film...
I took the bumper cover off to see if there was anything preventing it from going together as it should and there is nothing there.

KaBoom1701 · 03-30-2015, 09:27 AM

Gap do seem excessive.

I agree with Vic, take it into a good body shop and I'll bet $20 they'll figure it out.

AMMUSCLE · 03-30-2015, 10:02 PM

I have had my front bumper off and on 10 times.
The same for my fenders too.
I install new vented fenders and that was a learning lesson.
If your fenders are back to far then the bumper bottoms out leaving a gap when fully tightened.
But before you even try to move your fenders.
Try tightening the side where the biggest gap is and tighten the bolts that have the biggest gap first. Snug them and work in that order before fully torqueing them all the way down.
This can help.

But if this does not work take it to a body shop.
They can move your fenders forward and still have the door gap look good, this will take care of the gap.

ZL1-PA · 03-30-2015, 10:44 PM

Thanks,
I wasn't aware the fenders would move much at all due to the one bolt at the top of the door jam.
I'll have to give that a try if you think they will slide forward a bit.

At th very least, I want to get both sides the same.

Many thanks !

Mike

polarisiq93 · 03-31-2015, 07:23 AM

sorry to go off topic on you, but what side markers are those ? are they the showstopper ones ? and what is that considered ghosted or tinted ?

sbubbaklein · 03-31-2015, 08:31 AM

looking at the pictures, the outside tabs to the headlights appear to overhang the fender lip where the front bumper seats, you may want to trim those tabs back or the front bumper at that spot.

The area to be modified is concealed from view and sure looks like the culprit

bobby35ny · 04-01-2015, 12:52 AM

I have a bra but the gap was already there before the bra.

ZL1-PA · 04-01-2015, 09:06 PM

I loosened the fender and slid it as far forward as it could go.
I loosened all the bolts attaching the front bumper.
I then pushed it together tight, tightening the widest gaps first.
Now both sides of the bumper are close to the same.
It seems that the gaps widened over time as the front bumper seems to stretch from being pulled tight.
The gap on the doors is now not the same from one side to the other, but I can live with that.
It all seems to be from a defect in manufacturing of the front bumper cover.

Mike

JD-ZL1 · 04-02-2015, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbubbaklein

looking at the pictures, the outside tabs to the headlights appear to overhang the fender lip where the front bumper seats, you may want to trim those tabs back or the front bumper at that spot.

The area to be modified is concealed from view and sure looks like the culprit

the tabs mentioned on the previous post on the headlight bezels should be behind the fender, not on the outside, this is what is causing the gap.

el ess A · 04-02-2015, 08:43 AM

The tabs are normal on the outside of the fenders as shown. I can't see that being the issue.

JD-ZL1 · 04-02-2015, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el ess A

The tabs are normal on the outside of the fenders as shown. I can't see that being the issue.

yeah, you are right, I was thinking they were supposed to be on the inside. I found an old picture with my cover off.

ZL1-PA · 04-19-2015, 07:17 PM

I attended the Cars N Coffee event today in Bethlehem, PA and there was a 2015 ZL1 there.
This one had gaps as big or greater than mine - you could actually see in through.
This car was new - only 300 miles on the odometer.
No mods at all.

Atomic Zl1 · 04-19-2015, 07:23 PM

Mine is the same way!.

03-30-2015, 09:27 AM	#17
KaBoom1701 KaBoom1701 Drives: 13' ZL1 Red M6 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: I.E. SoCal (Yucaipa) Posts: 8,630	Gap do seem excessive. I agree with Vic, take it into a good body shop and I'll bet $20 they'll figure it out. __________________ Mods: Roto-Fab Intake, WW Res. kit & Big Gulp Air Scoop, Elite Catch Can, ATI Super Damper & 18% OD Pulley, LF Idler pulley bracket, Metco CC breather, ID850 Injectors, Stainless Power Headers w/ ceramic coating, TR71X Spark Plugs, JMS Fuel Pump Booster, Bo White TB, Tuned by Ted @ Jannetty Racing, Ron Davis HX, D3 Reservoir, Pfadt 1" Springs, Moreno Camber Plates, ZL1 Addons Splitter guard washers, Tow Hook kit & rock guards, Hurst Shifter Billet Plus 6 Speed Short Shifter, ZL1 DRL lighting harness, ZL1 Recaro Seats.

03-30-2015, 10:02 PM	#18
AMMUSCLE Drives: 2013 ZL1 VERT M6 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Portland, Maine Posts: 346	I have had my front bumper off and on 10 times. The same for my fenders too. I install new vented fenders and that was a learning lesson. If your fenders are back to far then the bumper bottoms out leaving a gap when fully tightened. But before you even try to move your fenders. Try tightening the side where the biggest gap is and tighten the bolts that have the biggest gap first. Snug them and work in that order before fully torqueing them all the way down. This can help. But if this does not work take it to a body shop. They can move your fenders forward and still have the door gap look good, this will take care of the gap. __________________ JANNETTY RACING 750 ROUGH IDLE CAM PACKAGE (681 RWHP & 643 RWTQ) = 783 CRANK HP & 740 CRANK TQ

03-30-2015, 10:44 PM	#19
ZL1-PA Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: PA Posts: 151	Thanks, I wasn't aware the fenders would move much at all due to the one bolt at the top of the door jam. I'll have to give that a try if you think they will slide forward a bit. At th very least, I want to get both sides the same. Many thanks ! Mike Last edited by ZL1-PA; 03-31-2015 at 12:38 AM.

03-31-2015, 08:31 AM	#21
sbubbaklein Drives: early 2011 Camaro convertible Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: House Springs, Mo Posts: 2,002 View My Garage	looking at the pictures, the outside tabs to the headlights appear to overhang the fender lip where the front bumper seats, you may want to trim those tabs back or the front bumper at that spot. The area to be modified is concealed from view and sure looks like the culprit __________________ Early 2011 LT Convertible, ZL1 bumper, hood, side skirts, belly pan and wheels, Truecarbon ECF hood extractor, K&N CAI, Elite catch can, Big Worm Bow Tie emblems, Jacfab bracket, Vitesse TC, BMR strut brace, BMR tunnel brace, NPP exhaust

04-01-2015, 12:52 AM	#22
bobby35ny Drives: 18 ZL1 A10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: South East, FL Posts: 3,024	I have a bra but the gap was already there before the bra. __________________ 2017 ZL1 M6 Bog City, 2013 ZL1 M6, 2010 2SS M6 ZL1::J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS

03-30-2015, 06:55 AM	#15
unstable vic Account Suspended Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 342	Weird. Especially with the paint protection film possibly helping to add to the problem. I'd have a good body shop look at it before the dealer if it were my car. Production line cars will have variances in body panel tolerance but that looks excessive imho. Was the car ever in an accident? What did it look like before you took your bumper off? Good body shops have tricks to align things properly. Sometimes it's not just an unbolt then bolt process. Just my two cents.

03-30-2015, 09:15 AM	#16
ZL1-PA Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: PA Posts: 151	Nope - the car was never in an accident. The gaps seemed to widen on their own over time, and the only thing that really changed was the paint protection film... I took the bumper cover off to see if there was anything preventing it from going together as it should and there is nothing there.

03-31-2015, 07:23 AM	#20
polarisiq93 Drives: 2013 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Ontario Posts: 217	sorry to go off topic on you, but what side markers are those ? are they the showstopper ones ? and what is that considered ghosted or tinted ?

04-01-2015, 09:06 PM	#23
ZL1-PA Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: PA Posts: 151	I loosened the fender and slid it as far forward as it could go. I loosened all the bolts attaching the front bumper. I then pushed it together tight, tightening the widest gaps first. Now both sides of the bumper are close to the same. It seems that the gaps widened over time as the front bumper seems to stretch from being pulled tight. The gap on the doors is now not the same from one side to the other, but I can live with that. It all seems to be from a defect in manufacturing of the front bumper cover. Mike

04-02-2015, 08:43 AM	#25
el ess A Older Than Dirt Drives: 2010 & 2013 Camaros Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 4,563	The tabs are normal on the outside of the fenders as shown. I can't see that being the issue. __________________ 2010 2SS TE, 1 of 822/2013 Camaro ZL1 vert, 1 of 54

04-19-2015, 07:17 PM	#27
ZL1-PA Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: PA Posts: 151	I attended the Cars N Coffee event today in Bethlehem, PA and there was a 2015 ZL1 there. This one had gaps as big or greater than mine - you could actually see in through. This car was new - only 300 miles on the odometer. No mods at all. Attached Images

04-19-2015, 07:23 PM	#28
Atomic Zl1 Drives: 2013 ZL1-Clean one owner Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 86	Mine is the same way!.