Stevey629

I can't figure out how to do it. I know u have to take the interior panels out to get to some 4 of the screws thanks to the diagram in the manuals, but I can't get the stupid panels themselves out, and after removing the bose system, and trying to pry the wiper fluid panel up, I've had it. Can someone give me the basic idea behind getting the panels out? Do they even have to come out?

dubcaps

they dont have to come all the way out, when i pulled my bumper off i just moved the rubber trim stuff up. popped the center panel off. lifted the carpet, un bolted the panels, moved them over to the side, felt around for the 4 nuts and removed them. then i removed the tail lights and the bolts under them and that was pretty much it. sorry i dont have any pics, i didnt think to take any.
-stephen

AcidShock

iTrader: (49)

You do not have to remove the tail lights to get the rear bumper off. You have to unclip the bottom of the bumper from the supports directly underneath. There are two nuts on each side that have to be accessed from underneath the car. Liberal amounts of PB blaster help with these.

Then you have about six bolts you can readily access inside the hatch and one on each side that you will have to use a combination wrench for and blind feel them out. Make sure that when you pull the bumper off that you do not catch the top lip on the bolts that hold the fiberglass bumper support on.

Stevey629

I removed some of the screws that are under the carpet, (actually all that I figured would be holding the panels down anyway) and couldn't budge the side panels. The "washer fluid" panel moves up and down easily, but something seems to hold the top portions of the panels in that are beyond me. I pulled the weather stripping up a bit to see if that would help, but it didn't. I noticed plastic clasp type things on the back of the washer panel, and pulled those up. Are there similar ones for the side pieces? And from what I could see, you have to pull both tailights off, and the center brake light assembly to access the torx screws which hold the top portion of the back bumper on. I saw the two on the very bottom of the bumper, thx for the tip. They both came out fine. its just those inside ones that are the real killer. So, presumably, once this bumper comes off, is putting the difficult "blind screws" back in a PITA? I gotta figure out the paneling thing that dubcaps is talking about. I can't seem to move those mother f'in things! Thx for the help, I was trying this at 2 in the morning, so maybe a good nights rest and energy to even hold myself up might be a better idea.

r0t0r-rooter

Ah yes... I remember trying to remove my rear bumperskin with Batmobile a while back. It took the two of us ~ 5 hrs before we gave up; we practically disassembled the whole rear
If you are trying to install the rear diffuser (the instructions say to remove the bumper skin to get to the under-bumper plastic) it turns out it's not necessary.

RedRx00

i didnt think it was very hard at all, i just took mine off last week and it only took about a hour if that. First i took the taillights out, took off the center brake light, then removed the bose stuff and carpet. Took the one bolt out on each side that is under the car goin into the quarter panel, then took the side markers out and reverse lights out. Took the 4 nuts off(2 on each side) that were behind the reverse lights. Unscrewed all the star lookin screws goin across the top that are under the taillights. Then there is 2 10mm bolts well there not exactly bolts but i dont know what you would call them but you need a 10mm to get them out but they are in the very corner of the car, inside behind the interior stuff. And i think that was it but it didnt take me took long, the only thing that sucked was tryin to get those two 10mm things off that were on the drivers side cause right now my drivers quarter panel is smashed in right there and they were kinda hard to get to.

Stevey629

thx for that help, I finally learned how to get it off. After getting all the screws out, it felt like it was still being held on by more. I just needed to yank on it pretty hard in order to remove the plastic retaining clips.

I found this out after getting fet up with it, giving up and just pulling on it not caring what would happen, because my bumper is fried as it is. And, after 5 hours and two nights of no success, putting everything back, and taking it out twice, I think of just giving up. Amazingly, just as things seemed to look completely hopeless, the bumper comes right off into my arms with a frustrated tug. Peh. I feel like this is the trend with nearly every aspect of this vehicle. Just when you wanna give up on her, she comes right back at you telling you to stick it out.

Anyhow, the reason for this follow up post is for the bodywork guru's. What EXACTLY is the back bumper made out of? Seems like straight urethane to me, but the way it burned it seems like its "fibery", as the burn hole that I have resembles a paper mache if it gets wet. I know there is no hope for this bumper.

However, FDNewbie found me on the forums and has some bumpers that need a bit of work, mostly surface scratching and dings here and there. Is urethane possible to refurbish? And as far as that little black plastic under piece, is it possible to rework raw plastic like that? warping, to completely removed or melted sections to whitening or fading of the plastic, weakened areas, etc.

Again, I am not trying to fix my completely ruined one. I'm trying to find out what is/isn't repairable as far as the material goes on the bumpers. It has the upper painted half, and black lower plastic. Please specify what and to what extent could be done.

Thx for any help, as Im sick and tired of people pulling up next to me and saying, "What happened to your bumper?" and my reply involves explaining the fuel injector on a ROTARY motor, and all becomes lost. Laughs, or serious confusion are the usual responses. I'd like to reduce those ASAP. Confusion as to why their V6 would lose because they seemingly have more "Cylinders" is a confusion that I enjoy.

Stevey629

anyone read the bottom half of my post above? Sorry I rambled a bit, no one probably bothered reading the rest of it.