Front Bumper - Removal

Begin by undoing the 5 screws across the top of the bumper on the slam panel and then remove the indicator using a flat bladed screwdriver (gently, the plastic retaining clip is very easy to break!) to gain access to the main retaining bolts. More details on how to remove the indicators can be found on Scarlet's Web
The front bumper is secured with 5 screws across the top, a pair of screws to each wheel arch lining, a pair of screws to the underside of the front wings and behind each indicator a 17mm bolt. More details on how to remove the front bumper can be found on Scarlet's Web"
The front bumper is fixed to an armature that is designed to deform in a progressive manner in an impact. The picture shows that it has been 'crumpled' on the right hand side and in doing so has protected the radiator.

This photograph shows the armature from a different angle, it also shows the lower rad panel which has also been deformed in the impact. The armature is fixed with 4 bolts each end and only the top two are accessible (under the headlamp) at this end. The bottom two have been covered by the bent armature and I suspect this will cause me some grief later on in the rebuild. We shall see...
With the bumper removed it is easy to strip out the grilles by undoing the philips head retaining screws. Scarlet has laser cut stainless steel grilles which were salvageable and will be re-used. I am also thinking of having them powder coated.		  


Rear Bumper - Removal


In the boot there are three bolts that retain the rear bumper. To remove the retaining nuts you will need a 13mm spanner and a lot of patience! As you can see from the picture the central one is a pain to get to, furthermore, the length of the bolt precludes the use of a socket.
The rear bumper houses a pair of lamps to illuminate the rear numberplate - these need disconnecting before the bumper can be removed. It is as simple as unclipping the two multiplugs in the boot and feeding the gromet and wiring through the hole in the rear panel.
In addition to the three 'boot bolts' and the pair of 17mm main bolts, the bumper is retained with a further three screws in each wheel arch, 2 that join the wheelarch liner to the bumper (these were the tricky ones) and a further screw that fixes upwards into the underside of the rear wing. All are Philips head and I was able to undo Scarlet's with a 'dumpy' screwdriver and a bit of brute force! More details on removing the rear bumper can be found on Scarlet's Web"

Although disconnected last week, the wiring was still through to the boot compartment. I pushed the rubber grommets through the hole in the bodywork (shown in the picture) and then fed the wiring out so that it wouldn't become damaged when the bumper was removed
The main bolts that secure the bumper to the car fix to a pair of box sections that perform the same job as the front armature in an impact, i.e. progressive collapse. They have captive nuts in the underside to take the 17mm bolts fixed to a small metal plate that I managed to completely shear off of both box setions. Actually this made the job of removing the bumper easier as I didn't need to undo the bolts! The picture shows one of the bolts and the sheared plate still attached to the bumper. It also shows the rear grille I fitted to the bumper a few years back, this has survived and will be re-used.
Each of the 2 box sections is fixed through the rear boot wall with 4 bolts. The bolts have a 10mm head but the nuts inside the boot compartment are 13mm. I used a 10mm spanner on the outside to hold the bolt steady and a 13mm socket inside the boot to undo the nuts. The picture shows the nuts inside the boot - personally I am amazed this photo came out as I took it 'blind' :-)

his is the companion photo to the last one and shows the 10mm spanner being used to hold the bolt steady whilst I undo the 13mm nut inside the boot with the ratchet.
This photo shows one of the rear box sections and the 4 retaining bolts after it had been removed from the car. Once I had taken it off I found some surface rust on the bodywork where the box section was mounted, this is a little worrying as it was completely hidden until I removed it.
The final picture of the day, a shot of the back of Scarlet sans bumper and both box sections. Need to add them to the 'Parts required' section of this site now as they are both beyond repair.