Geo Metro Front Bumper Swap - How to
 

This is a write-up I did on another forum (TeamSwift • Index page) for how to swap the front bumpers on an early 90s Geo Metro.

Hope it helps someone. The more aerodynamic front bumpers can be had for not much at all at most junkyards.

TeamSwift • View topic - Front Bumper Swap - How To

Thanks for posting that, Jonathan. What do you think about reposting that teamswift thread over here, in addition to the link back to the original?

I got a 'vert too this year - http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...o-12660-3.html - and can vouch for the PITA those front bolts were that attach the upper bumper to the quarter panel!

Oh - and are you planning to paint the "aero" bumper, or leave it black? I see a lot of peeling paint on plastic bumpers, so I assume it's not easy to do.

honestly, I prefer the black plastic look. Add a little Armor-all and they look really spiffy. Plus, it matches the rest of my color scheme (yellow/black)

I don't see how any paint job could adhere very well to that sruface. It has itty-bitty pits which would make a decent paint job more trouble than it's worth.

I'll physically swap the how-to here as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

So I always felt like the sharper, pointed, nose of my '91 vert felt like a teenage overbite on the front of the car. And remembering the smoother flow of the lines that my '94 had, I sat out in search for the more squared off front bumper. 30 minutes on Ebay and $70 dollars later, I had one sitting in my garage wrapped in plastic.

Disassembly and dismount of your bumper is pretty straight forward. There are a maybe 10 bolts just under the lip of the hood holding down the top painted section. There are also 4 bolts under the headlights. (2 on each side) In front of the car, as if you were laying down on the ground looking right into your grille, there are three bolts. Two in the outer corners of the openings and one attached to a center support. If you just take a look, they are easy to see. Also, under the car, just in front of the wheels, there is a lower fender support bracket on each side. Mine were completely rusted and simply pulled away from the bumper and broke off. I am going to replace these with simple aluminum stock. You can assess yours when you get down there.

And finally, there are 2 bolts (one on each side) holding the top painted bumper top to the front quarter panels. These can be seen by looking slightly under and behind your corner marker lights.
{PITA bolts} They are installed in such a way that you cannot get a socket or wrench to turn by coming at them from the front of the car. The only success I had was by going through the wheel well with a small socket wrench and slowly but surely cranking them off. If it wasn't for this part of the job, the whole job would have been done in about 45 minutes. I had to take a break and come back because I got so mad at the design.

You can now pull away your front bumper.

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19631

So, once the front bumper is pulled away, disconnect the blinker wires and swap out the blinker housings into your new front bumper. At this time you will also be taking the styrofoam support out of your own bumper and transplanting it into your new bumper cover. (Again, this stuff takes maybe 5 minutes.) Just be careful not to break the foam. the middle section might be stuck on there pretty good, given how many years it has sat in the same position. Use force but, use it wisely.

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19632

Now pop the painted top section off your old bumper and attach it to the new one. This is held simply with pressure on the plastic tabs. In my case, they weren't brittle or anything. Just pull and pop until it separates. Reinstallation onto the new bumper is even easier than removal. Press and wedge until you get a solid one-piece bumper.

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19634

At this point, you should have a complete front bumper ready to isntall.
"Installation is the reverse of removal"

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19633

Since I never want to deal with those fender bolts again, I opted for two heavy duty zip ties on each side. If I ever need to do another face lift, then all I have to do is reach my snips back there and clip it off. On that note, having the bumper off is a good opportunity to clean up a little surface rust or perhaps reattach a few wires or other things that have come loose over the years. I used several zip-ties during this time simply resecuring things to the front end. I also used them when reinstalling my wheel well arches. I LOVE ZIP-TIES! I would also suggest this as a good time to install fog lights if you have thought about going that route. There is no easier way to cleanly route your wiring than while the bumper is off the car.

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19635

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19637

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19639

http://teamswift.net/gallery/image.p...image_id=19638



THINGS YOU'LL NEED
10mm socket
Screwdrivers (Phillips and Flat)
Pliers
Zip-Ties
Patience & about 1 hour

*Remove headlights and corner markers

Woohoo - thanks for pasting that here.

I hate the 92-94 Metro bumpers so much that I can't make myself use them. I'd like to think I can make the older bumper more aerodynamic. I have a few 92-94 bumpers (front and rear) I'd give away for free, but I'm not shipping them.

Fumes: Why do you hate 'em?

No doubt you can mod the older style to be more aero than the '92-'94, but if you're set on the OEM look, it's likely the best option of the 3 styles.

I just think they're ugly. I'm actually going to use 1990 Swift (non-GTi) bumpers, slightly different front bumper than the early Metro. There are four different front bumpers made for these cars. And I think three different rear bumpers.

Hey Gas, where do you live?
I'd love to have a matching black rear bumper but my scrap yard can't seem to source one.

I'd be willing to drive a bit if you're serious about the giving it away part. :)