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Thread: Front and rear fascia gap. Can it be fixed?

  1. #1
    Member
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    Front and rear fascia gap. Can it be fixed?

    Ok so I've had this issue for awhile and am wondering if anything can be done to fix it. On the rear, I can push up against the rear and it will go flush like it should be but won't stay. Of course I've adjusted the brackets to go as close to the body as possible, but STILL have the gap Any thoughts or ideas on how to fix it? IMG_1237.jpgIMG_1238.jpgIMG_1239.jpgIMG_1240.jpg

    Thanks for any suggestions or help!!!
    81 DeLorean w 4.3 Chevy Vortec engine mated to Porsche 915 transaxle

  2. #2
    Senior Member Drive Stainless's Avatar
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    In my experience, when the front and rear fascias look like this, it's because they're not sitting correctly on the fiberglass reinforcing structure underneath.

    In the case of the front fascia, the only way to fix it is to remove the front fascia entirely and then re-adjust the position of the fiberglass reinforcement underneath. You do this by loosening a series of nuts that are found horizontally along the top of the rear fascia. After doing that, you will find that you can easily close the quarter panel-fascia gaps when you push the front fascia toward the rear of the car.


    On the rear fascia, you loosen 3 nuts on each side inside of the taillight area, then push the rear fascia toward the fiberglass reinforcing structure as far as possible and retighten. Then put the rear fascia & fiberglass structure back on the car. Attach the "L" bracket to the underbody as far toward the front of the car as possible. Then attach the other side of the "L" bracket to the rear fascia fiberglass reinforcement and tighten the bolts until the rear fascia is pulled flush against the stainless quarter panels (and no more than that).

    Here's my prior writeup for the front fascia alignment fix:
    1. Remove the grill.
    2. Remove the front fascia from the car and set it down on a large carpeted area. Place the fascia "face down."
    3. Ensure that the three 3/16" rivets connecting the stiffener to the fascia are still in place and holding tightly. These are located behind where the grill would be. If they are not, drill as needed and replace them.
    4. Completely loosen the (12?) nuts and washers holding the stiffener to the top of the fascia. Also loosen the two nuts (one on each side) on the side of the fascia.
    5. Using a hammer and a small screwdriver, tap one end of the steel reinforcement panel (#11021 into the pocket in the fascia.
    6. Pushing the stiffener into the ground (toward the front of the fascia), tighten a nut and 1" fender washer at one end of the stiffener. The 1" washer may seem like overklll, but the extra diameter will reduce the likelihood of leaving depressions in the top of the fascia.
    7. Repeat step 4 and 5 for the opposite end of the stiffener/fascia.
    8. Now repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remainder of the stiffener nuts.
    9. Reinstall front fascia. You should now be able to achieve a very tight gap between the fascia and the fenders.
    9a. If you cannot achieve a tight gap at this point, look at the center front edge of the hood. Is it touching the fascia? If so, you need to push the hood back. On the underside of the hood, loosen the 4 hinge nuts, lift up on the hood, and then retighten. Do the same for the other side.
    9b. You should now have a noticeable gap between the center front edge of the hood and the fascia. Try again to push the fascia against the fender. It should align nicely with very little pushing to keep it tightly against the fascia.
    Last edited by Drive Stainless; 09-15-2017 at 10:05 PM.

  3. #3
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    I have the same problem with my front fascia.. other than drilling some new holes in the fiberglass I haven't found a decent way to fix it yet


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  4. #4
    Senior Member
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    lots of work..

    to get the rear to line up nicely on mine.. i had to egg the holes out on the angle brackets and also on the fiberglass reinforcement to allow more inward and upward movement... and on the front since my fascia had shrunken a bit i actually cut the metal bar in half ... that way it allows it to be pushed all teh way back on each side and lets the middle of the bumper sit more naturally .. its a easily replaceable piece anyways and this way i have almost zero gap on front and rear.. i will try to take a pic at some point this weekend..

  5. #5
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    Wow!!! Thanks for the replies!! I REALLY appreciate it!
    81 DeLorean w 4.3 Chevy Vortec engine mated to Porsche 915 transaxle

  6. #6
    Senior Member Gregadeth's Avatar
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    Adjusting front fascia gap while fixing eyebrows?

    I'm planning on fixing the eyebrows soon, and I'd also like to tackle the front fascia gap while I'm in there. Without removing the fascia itself, if possible. Matt mentioned in a post above that there are nuts running along the top of the fascia. If I remove the headlight brackets, will I have access to these nuts? And if so, can I just loosen the ones near the edges, push the fascia back into position, and re-tighten?

  7. #7
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    The nuts that hold that peice on the fascia along the top dont look like there is much adjustment to them. You'd have to remove the front plastic grille thing to get the ones behind it most likely.
    Rob Depew
    Tacoma, Wa
    '81 DeLorean 4877 Grey, Auto, 4 wheels
    The Ressurection of 4877......
    Website
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  8. #8
    Senior Member Gregadeth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lwanmtr View Post
    The nuts that hold that peice on the fascia along the top dont look like there is much adjustment to them. You'd have to remove the front plastic grille thing to get the ones behind it most likely.
    I was already planning on removing the center grille. But you're saying that even with access to the nuts, there still isn't much adjustment available?

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    It doesnt look like there is very much adjustment. I could be wrong, since I havent actually taken mine apart.

    20180214_220128.jpg
    Rob Depew
    Tacoma, Wa
    '81 DeLorean 4877 Grey, Auto, 4 wheels
    The Ressurection of 4877......
    Website
    YouTube
    My Patreon

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