is this supposed to be this way

[BigBlockSam]

hey guys

 there is a gap between the rear bumper and the rear of my challenger . i think it looks terrible but i was told thats how they are . is that true? what can i do to fix that? thanks Rene

[MEK-Dangerfield]

On the later year Challenger's there was a gap there. There is a filler panel to cover the gap, but it looks like your's is there. 

The 70-72 Challengers didn't have that gap, but you would need to find a 70-72 bumper, and bumper brackets.


  Mike

[Bullitt-]

No...may be an optical illusion but the bumper appears to be pulled out around the center...otherwise the rubber fillers tend to shrink/distort a little with age..

[Super Blue 72]

No...may be an optical illusion but the bumper appears to be pulled out around the center...otherwise the rubber fillers tend to shrink/distort a little with age..

   Looks like the center of the bumper is out a little bit.  I don't think there is supposed to be a gap. 

Was the bumper ever drilled for a bumper hitch?  Tow damge from the 70's? 

[BigBlockSam]

this car is a 73 . i looked under there and nothing seems bent . 

[360 'CUDA]

They all shrink   

[FM3V6M]

I think a new filler panel will do the trick.

[torredcuda]

Does the left end look pushed in closer than the right?Hard to tell from that pic. 

[Street_Challenged73]

While the '73-'74 Challengers had that aweful gap between the bumper and body that's filled with the plastic filler pieces, it looks like your bumper is pulled out towards the center as suggested.  Let me see if I can find one of my car as it didn't have such a large gap between the filler piece and the bumper.

Sorry, but I don't have any good side shots of that area prior to disassembling it.

[Super Blue 72]

Here's a '73 tailend.  It looks like there's no gap.  Look around at cardomain.com for '73 Challengers and you'll find some pics to compare to.

[ChallengerHK]

While the '73-'74 Challengers had that aweful gap between the bumper and body that's filled with the plastic filler pieces, it looks like your bumper is pulled out towards the center as suggested. 

  There should be a gap, but it's even all the way across the bumper.  The gap on yours is a lot bigger near the center.  Because it's not bent doesn't mean that it's not distorted somehow.

[BigBlockSam]

maybe i should back it up against a wall some where. backyard body work 

[whitesatinmopar]

It sure does appear to be some problem with the bumper. As has been said the soft plastic filler strips shrink with age and to my knowledge there is no after market source to replace them. I'm facing the same situation with our 73, the strip is shrinking and cracking too, starting to look pretty bad. I think the best (current) solution is a 72 bumper with the 72 brackets, that's what I'm going to look into this winter, that will eleminate the need of the filler strip.

[BigBlockSam]

  a 72 bumper with the 72   

   thats what Jack the shop owner told me to do but i wasn't sure . Rene

[BigBlockSam]

hi guys
 i still haven't got the car home . waiting for Jack to take the old engine out. i did go out to his shop and crawled under the car and the rear bumper is bent. thats the problem.  thanks for all your help . Rene