Challenger Rear Bumper

[PLUM72]

While at various car shows over the summer I noted something off about the Challenger rear bumper.  It seems there is a misalignment on the left vs right side on how far it sticks out from the tail panel trim.  Sometimes one side is even with the tail panel trim, while the other side the bumper sticks out a good 1/2 inch from the trim.  I've noticed it on most all Challengers and wondered what causes the misalignment?  Sometimes its on the left, sometimes on the right.  The picture attached is from the MCACN show in Chicago. (note the yellow circles)

Any ideas?

[RJChallenger]

Some were bumped on the left side and the others were bumped on the right side??

[Brads70]

Likely a repop bumper, they are by no means perfect, kind of a pet peeve with me. I bought a new one and was not happy with the fit. Here are a couple pictures of my car, notice how bumper drops off about 12" from the edges. The original bumper did not do that. I might send it out one day to get rechromed but that is crazy money.

[Dmod1974]

Likely a repop bumper, they are by no means perfect, kind of a pet peeve with me. I bought a new one and was not happy with the fit. Here are a couple pictures of my car, notice how bumper drops off about 12" from the edges. The original bumper did not do that. I might send it out one day to get rechromed but that is crazy money.

Agreed.  My AMD bumper was that way and I modded the brackets during the metalwork phase on my car to make sure they tuck up tight and even side to side.

[jimynick]

Leave us not forget the part played by the non-existent quality control at the factory. I've never seen a perfect non-restored ebody and I'm 98% sure neither has anybody else. The guy in the next stall to me had a nice little tool that was about 1.5" wide, 3.5" long, about 3/16" thick with a nice curved end that would fit in a tight space and with care was non marking, that we used to use to roll the edges of bumpers that had twists in them. 

[NigelTufnel]

Ditto and ditto... put my 'new' bumper on and struggled to get it even side to side.  Drivers side is a good 1/2" further out than the pretty flush passenger side.. My original bumper has a small bend and needs rechromed so I'm gonna have to live with the new junk. 

[anlauto]

Never perfect from new

[jimynick]

This may cause you to wince, but we used to use a 6" chunk of 2X4 and a nice 2lb hammer to "adjust" those nasty stick out ends. It works, just be gentle as it's easier to give 'er another one than try to pull it back. 

[71vert340]

Here's the bumpers on the 71 Challengers I have. Both have original bumpers (not repros)

[blown motor]

This may cause you to wince, but we used to use a 6" chunk of 2X4 and a nice 2lb hammer to "adjust" those nasty stick out ends. It works, just be gentle as it's easier to give 'er another one than try to pull it back. 

Wince! Wince! Are you from Bruce County?

[RUNCHARGER]

They dealt with this when the cars were new on the line too. I've pulled apart original cars that had large washers spacing the brackets rearward in the distant past. The repop bumpers are still hit and miss on fitting though. The ends can be tweaked but getting a nice even space to the taillights left to right can be impossible with alot of the repop bumpers.