When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey, I'm Matt. New here but I've been lurking for months while planning and starting on my build. I may start a build thread, but long story short I'm going to build my 92 Camaro into a nice summer daily/occasional trackday car. Hoping to put down around 400-450whp through an LQ9, T56, 9" rear, etc. Bought the car about 6 months ago and finally got it into the garage to start cleaning everything and doing all the stuff I need to do prior to prep for bodywork & paint.
During the disassembly I noticed the car had definitely been in an minor accident before. All the body panel alignment looked good, but the core support/bumper/bumper cover/front spoiler had definitely been replaced. No other signs of the car not being straight and the hood and fenders “looked” factory so I assumed maybe just something that took out the front end components during a low speed impact (like a truck hitch backing into it). From what I researched, all 92 cars should have the vents in the front spoiler? The bumper cover and front spoiler were fairly rough and the front lip did not have the side vents so I had assumed that was replaced from an older model with the rest of the front bumper parts (bumper had Z28 stamped into it). So I bought new 91-91 Z28 bumper cover and front spoiler from OER. The bumper cover fit like any typical aftermarket body panel and needed plenty of massaging but fit fine once it was worked over (still needs a bit more but its fairly close now).
Vents I'm Talking About:
The problem came when I mocked up the front spoiler. I noticed that the vents cut inboard and they wouldn’t fit flush like the previous one did because the fender was in the way. From what I’ve seen there are only 2 different fenders for hard top 3rd gens but people say they swap parts of all different model years regularly. I come from a fabrication background so I’m not opposed to re-working stuff to make it work but is there something I’m missing? Are the fenders maybe not from the original car either and all 92 cars have indentations to account for the vents in the front lip? It’s definitely a mix of different parts so any help identifying what may be happening is appreciated.
Sorry if this has been posted before, I searched and couldn't find anything.
You ever get this fitted up yet? Im looking to get a new chin spoiler for my 92 is oer the only ones making them?
I did finally get it to fit. It took a ton of trimming get it in and I'm still tweaking it. I had to shave down the back side of the lip where it meets the front quarter panels. I also had to trim down the tabs that slot into the fenders. Die grinders helped quite a bit between sanding discs and a carbide bit.
Cool man post up a pic when get a chance. Who did you go threw to buy the lip from?
Right now it's only mounted with the back 3 fasteners on each side and then the rest is held together with clamps for the time being. I'll get the rest of the holes drilled this week and fix the rest of the fitment.
I got the bumper cover and front lip from classic industries. With their 25% off sales it was cheaper than anywhere else I looked. I'm in Reno, NV and they ship out of So Cal so the shipping is fairly quick for me too.
Motomatt, that sounds like a nice build. Good luck with it. I am almost done with an LS swap myself. This site has been a great source of information.
Question for you on chin spoiler fitment. I bought an OER replacement spoiler for my 92 camaro. Annoying that they ship folded up in a box instead of using a bigger box. I had to let spoiler unfold over long time and use heat gun. I got spoiler painted and went to install it. OER piece is a lot thicker than stock. This made it difficult to bolt up. I had to grind a lot of material from the rear inside, by tires. This included tabs that go through fender. More test fitting that I would have expected for a $300 piece.
My problem is that I cannot get rear ends by tire to fit smooth against the lower fender. See attached pics that shows about 1/4-1/2 inch gap. To me it seems that OER unit is not molded properly in this area for a smooth fit. Don't think I can grind any more away that would make it fit better. I see in your pics that chin spoiler fits smooth. Did you have any issues like this? In next few days I will try readjusting fender and bumper to see if that will help.
Sounds like you had a lot of the same problems I had. I let mind sit inside on the dining room table for a few days to straighten out. I had the same problems with the tabs and varying thickness of the part in different locations. I spent a few days with a die grinder and carbide bit removing material. I then hit it with a flap disc on the die grinder then used an orbital sander to smooth it out. Mine stuck out exactly like that and after cleaning up the backside and "rotating" the bottom of it up a bit it fits much better.
It still needs quite a bit of work to get it to fit better, but I got it "close enough" for right now and will take out more material when I start on body work this summer or fall. A really good friend of mine is a body guy so I'm going to have him help me with the final fit & finish before it goes to paint. Definitely a little disappointing on the fitment. Aftermarket body panels never fit correctly, but it definitely needed way more massaging than I had expected.
Hey, I'm Matt. New here but I've been lurking for months while planning and starting on my build. I may start a build thread, but long story short I'm going to build my 92 Camaro into a nice summer daily/occasional trackday car. Hoping to put down around 400-450whp through an LQ9, T56, 9" rear, etc. Bought the car about 6 months ago and finally got it into the garage to start cleaning everything and doing all the stuff I need to do prior to prep for bodywork & paint.
During the disassembly I noticed the car had definitely been in an minor accident before. All the body panel alignment looked good, but the core support/bumper/bumper cover/front spoiler had definitely been replaced. No other signs of the car not being straight and the hood and fenders “looked” factory so I assumed maybe just something that took out the front end components during a low speed impact (like a truck hitch backing into it). From what I researched, all 92 cars should have the vents in the front spoiler? The bumper cover and front spoiler were fairly rough and the front lip did not have the side vents so I had assumed that was replaced from an older model with the rest of the front bumper parts (bumper had Z28 stamped into it). So I bought new 91-91 Z28 bumper cover and front spoiler from OER. The bumper cover fit like any typical aftermarket body panel and needed plenty of massaging but fit fine once it was worked over (still needs a bit more but its fairly close now).
Vents I'm Talking About:
The problem came when I mocked up the front spoiler. I noticed that the vents cut inboard and they wouldn’t fit flush like the previous one did because the fender was in the way. From what I’ve seen there are only 2 different fenders for hard top 3rd gens but people say they swap parts of all different model years regularly. I come from a fabrication background so I’m not opposed to re-working stuff to make it work but is there something I’m missing? Are the fenders maybe not from the original car either and all 92 cars have indentations to account for the vents in the front lip? It’s definitely a mix of different parts so any help identifying what may be happening is appreciated.
Sorry if this has been posted before, I searched and couldn't find anything.
Hello I was wondering if you could take pictures of what kind of bolts are used for side vent parts of the splitter I’m doing the same thing with my 1982 iroc massaging the crap out of it to fit and I do know I’m going to have to grind slots so the side vent part fits but I just need to know how that section is bolted on
For the fitment gaps you are seeing, try to adjust the lower part of the fender. You might be able to loosen the hardware and pull the fender out to meet the lower trim panel.
Hello I was wondering if you could take pictures of what kind of bolts are used for side vent parts of the splitter I’m doing the same thing with my 1982 iroc massaging the crap out of it to fit and I do know I’m going to have to grind slots so the side vent part fits but I just need to know how that section is bolted on
Sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately the whole front bumper/splitter is off the car and being prepped for paint right now. If you’re still having fitment problems I’ll try to get more pictures when I start reassembling those pieces. No guarantee on when because progress has been slow for a number of reasons.
So this is an issue I am having with the front bumper and spoiler. The car is an 85, the white bumper was taken off because there was damage to the driver side (see photo) not sure it can be fixed being fiberglass and all. The white bumper and spoiler was from an 92 Camaro. The black bumper and spoiler are from an 86. The front spoiler seems to be a bit short on both ends. Any and all help would be appreciated.
That white bumper is VERY repairable, and it's not fiberglass. Minimal time, not too costly in the grand scheme of things. The other one looks plug and play. Does the white spoiler fit the black bumper? Looks like your fastest solution, if so...
Heat. Backside and front. Heat it and push it. hold the position as close as possible while it cools. Repeat the process until the bumper is back in shape. It would be easier if you could bolt the fender to it. (without it being on the car.) That way you know you have fitment prior to the actual repair. once you have the shape, remove the finish, clean, sand and prep the area and skim coat with a good two-part plastic repair material.
02-03-2021, 08:59 PM
