Straightening the front fascia - going overboard

[Kenny_Z]

I fixed the eyebrows in Red awhile back but they weren't completely gone. Plus she always had that center-line sag that annoyed me. I wanted to try to get the fascia as straight as possible while I had it off and before I painted it.

This was my first attempt.




This did a decent job but it wasn't perfect. I can still see it in this photo.


This is what it looked like at the start of my project. Noticeably raised eyebrows and that dip in the center. Red always looked angry or surprised depending on the angle I saw her from. It drove me nuts.


I thought about running a piece of aluminum across nose but it just proved to be too cumbersome. It really didn't help the dip in the center too much either. So I went with 18 inches of aluminum stock above either light and a piece of angled stock in the center. The piece in the center really helped my grill catches as well. They were pulling out of the fascia. I've got to pick up some washers to back up the remaining rivets.



The clamps across the top are just to keep tension as the glue dries. There isn't anything glued there. The fiberglass support still fits with that aluminum there. It didn't have to be thick to be supportive. The cutouts around the grill catches clears the longer rivets with room to spare. I used a two part epoxy adhesive this time around. It seems to be holding well but I'm going to test it a little better after it's cured a few days in the sun.



I'm a lot happier. It's not laser straight like I've seen some DeLoreans but it's a hell of a lot better than before.

[Michael]

Looks great. I took mine off and used a heat gun to carefully reshape the fascia(I have a lot of expereince doing this though...be careful). Afterward, I used alum. bar stock and 3M bumper repair epoxy which is a lot like JB Weld, but made for semi-rigid plastcis. Clamped into place and let sit overnight. 3 years later and she is still straight.

Now if I were in your shoes and going as far as repainting, then like you I would strive to get them as straight as possible, but more importantly get the high/low out as much as possible, let the filler do the rest. Use flexible putty(Evercoat is good, expensive but good) and block,... putty, and block again. You want that top to be like a sheet of glass. Now here is the important thing, after your final block and prime, spray the edges only with your color, then reinstall on the car. You will finish the paint job with the fascia on the car. The reasoning is you have to tug, push, and pull a lot on the fascia to get it back on and aligned. This is why I say to use flexible putty, the chances of it breaking are much lower, but if it does crack, then you are only out a hour or so of work, and not and entire paint job.

[pezzonovante88]

I agree with Michael. Try to get that fascia as straight as possible before repainting. I'm sure you'll be glad you did.
My "eyebrows" were fairly well repaired by a PO, but there is still that sagging section in the middle which drives me crazy, too.
DeLoreanFront.jpg

[Kenny_Z]

I've used evercoat on my Nova. Very good stuff. It sands well. I used a heat gun to try to work some of the waves back. I let the sun and clamps do the rest. I'm thinking of putting it on the car like it is and let it sit for awhile to see if it develops any issues. I have plenty of other parts that need attention so this can sit for a week or so. Plus sanding is a lot easier when the entire car is supporting the fascia and keeping it still.

[Exolis]

Thank you for this. I have my Front off and have some distortion. Will defiantly try this out to get it straight.

[ALEXAKOS]

Great work!

Now given the facia gets this from the headlight heat, hasn't anybody tried to isolate the heat by placing any type of heat shield between the headlights and the inner facia gap?
Or use new GEN headlights of some type with less heat generation. Eg HID lights.

[Michael]

I've used evercoat on my Nova. Very good stuff. It sands well. I used a heat gun to try to work some of the waves back. I let the sun and clamps do the rest. I'm thinking of putting it on the car like it is and let it sit for awhile to see if it develops any issues. I have plenty of other parts that need attention so this can sit for a week or so. Plus sanding is a lot easier when the entire car is supporting the fascia and keeping it still.

That's a good idea about letting it sit to make sure its ok before painting however, I can tell you for a fact if you keep your car outside and uncovered, the fascia will warp.

Great work!

Now given the facia gets this from the headlight heat, hasn't anybody tried to isolate the heat by placing any type of heat shield between the headlights and the inner facia gap?
Or use new GEN headlights of some type with less heat generation. Eg HID lights.

I know there is a general consensus that the headlights warp the fascias but I don't buy it. The sun and heat warp them and it just so happens that the eyebrows form over the headlights....after all why do the eyebrows appear over the high beams only? This warping also pulls the gap between the hood and fascia as well as sinks the center closer to the gills. Like I said I have a lot of experience repairing plastic bumper covers. If you have a garage if even a carport you are fine, but if you leave it outside make sure that you take measures to keep it protected.

[cpear760]

I've got my fascia torn down to where there's still something attaching it at the top. What should I be looking for or where in the manual(s) can I find the procedure?

Thanks for any assistance.
Clint
04739

[MrChocky]

I've got my fascia torn down to where there's still something attaching it at the top. What should I be looking for or where in the manual(s) can I find the procedure?

Thanks for any assistance.
Clint
04739

There are screws between the fascia and the hood on top. If you remove the hood struts and carefully balance it vertically, you can get to those screws with a regular screwdriver.

[cpear760]

There are screws between the fascia and the hood on top. If you remove the hood struts and carefully balance it vertically, you can get to those screws with a regular screwdriver.

Ok, thanks! I will advise my helper and try that.