Fender gap

[PTRobert]

This seems as good as place as any to post my question. My PT currently sits a stock height. I must have parked in a lot with exceptionally tall parking blocks (I live in Texas, so they must be larger to keep the SUV owners from driving straight over them, like speed bumps... [)]) and when I backed up, I felt something tugging on the car - I figured it was the little black skirt-thingy (isn't that the technical term?) and tried not to worry about it. This was probably 3 to 4 weeks ago.

Yesterday, I notice in the reflections on the passenger-side fender, where the seam meets the fascia, is odd-looking. Upon closer inspection, there is a gap that is approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide and it looks like a small pin or rivet has been pulled out from the fender. I'll post a picture later to show you all what I'm talking about.

Anyway - how does one go about fixing this? Is this a DIY fix? I'm bummed out right now that I wasn't more careful when parking[xx(]and figured I'd learned my lesson early-on when I first bought the car, nearly 3 years ago.

Thanks.

[CREWZIN]

Robert,

Without seeing the picture, a guess would be that that parking block has pulled the facia away from the rest of the body and the pin/bolt that holds it together is missing. Doesn't sound too bad but it also doesn't sound like a do-it-yourself project. Most body shops give free estimates. Just drop by one and see what they say.

[Espresso]

Are you refering to teh plastic push fasterners that hold the inner fender skirt to the fender/bumper? If so then you DID pull teh bumper apart.
There is also what looks like a rubber rivet that connects teh bumper to the fender.
On most cars i've had this happen to, The outer bolts that attach the bumper to the fender had a metal clip with thread the the bolt tightened to. If the bumper ripped in that location you can just take a nut & bolt with big flat washers & bolt it back together.
I'm sure I know what you are refering to, but right now this is about the best way that I can explain it.

[Hooligan]

Expresso sounds like he has the right fix for the fender/fasiz fix.

[PTRobert]

As promised, a couple pictures. They're not too clear, but I think you guys will get the idea. I'm wondering if something else under the fender or bumper is bent because I can't even get the gap to close using my hands with substantial force. This is just what my budget needs... another repair that should have been completely avoidable. [xx(]





It does appear to be a rivet of some sort that holds this part of the bumper to the vehicle...

[Espresso]

Yeah, there is a plastic rivet there( with I believe a thin plate of metal inbwtween). Just go to the local hardware store & get yourself some 10mm bolts, a few nuts & the biggest washers they have that will fit on the bolt( it isnt hard to figure out once you realize ho weasy it is to fix). As for the force needed, yeah it will be hard to pull them together with your hands.

BUT remember to throughly check your bumper for anything else that may have came loose. I highly doubt anything else did. They make those like that for a reason believe it or not. better the rivets break, than ripping a hole on each side of your bumper.

Replace the rivets with the bolt & watch how you drive next time .

Oh yeah...take off as much as the fender liner as you can..it makes it soo much easier.
I have fixed this type of damage more times than I can count or care to think. It is very common.

[PTRobert]

Thanks Espresso! Yeah, I was parking and just got too close to the parking block. Normally I watch for that... I've been fooled by the short-hood before, and thought I had more room. I'm trying not to replace the front bumper/fascia yet since I just fixed the tape marks and I kind of like the unpainted bumper with my steel blue pearl.

[PTRobert]

Espresso,

I was going through my service manual and it looks like the front bumper fascia is supposed to come off, thought the service manual doesn't supply adequate information about the pins or rivets that hold the fender/bumper together.

Do you know of any other way of reattaching this piece? I'm going to stop by the dealership later, since I need my annual safety inspection, and I'll see if they stock the parts. If so, I'll post here. I think this might be the excuse I need to buy some PTeazer parts... But I'd rather not use bolts & screws in the event I get a case of stupid-driver syndrome again and pull up too close to the parking block... then I'd really have a problem with the PT.