Flush the Front Bumper? 87 TC. Push it in a few inches?

[87stars_stripes]

Looking at the nose of my car I was thinking that I could make the front bumper more flush with the grill and headlights by moving it back a few inches. Underneath I see the bumper reinforcement and what appear to be mounts that are collapsable. Everything appears to be clear of obstruction. Can anybody shed some light on this before i try it? It looks like I could literally pound the bumper mounts in with a mallet, some heat and some WD40.

This shows the amount of overhang currently.

This shows the distance from the center to the grill. I would section the bottom of the grill to recess the bumper if necessary.

Another Bumper to grill clearance photo.

Looks like the bumper mounts are collapsable.

This shows that if the bumper (far right) was pushed in towards the left of the photo, it would have plenty of room.

If I need to trim these back I will.

[87gtVIC]

Bumper shocks (thing you want to heat and beat on) are there for a reason.....to give during a collision so you don't feel as much of the brunt.

But yeah. you have to loosen the pinch nuts on them and see how much more they move back.

[87stars_stripes]

Pinch nuts huhh? Wonder where those are?

[87gtVIC]

There are around the front of the frame there....loosen those to relieve tension on those bumper shocks. They bolt through the side of the frame.

[gadget73]

Towncar bumper shocks weld into the front end of the frame if I'm not mistaken. I think the Ford ones bolt in or something. Pounding the bumper in would probably not keep it in permanantly, either that or it would just destroy the shock and it would move around. Better to modify the front of the frame to move the mounts back a few inches or modify the inner bumper where those mounts actually connect, though modding the bumper support to be thinner would also involve weakening it somewhat. If you're very careful about how you modify the inner support, it wouldn't weaken it much though. I'm thinking a square cut through it for the flange, then a new piece fabricated to tie across where you cut it and provide a new flange mount point thats recessed from the rest of the support. Limited how much movement is possible with that since you have to account for bolt heads and such to clear the back side of the front bumper.

[miamibob]

Maybe the bigger question is: Why bother?? Estectics? With the way folks drive I would want all the cushion I could get! Not trying to read anyone's mind but it is probably not worth the effort and may cause more grief than it is worth.

[87stars_stripes]

There is a large bolt upstream from the bumper shocks. I think the bumpershocks are collapsable as well. I believe they can be compressed and or chopped/sectioned and welded back. It would tuck the bumper up under a little. That's all. Make it look a little less like a 28 foot limo and a little more like a crown vic. We'll see when I get the front lowered a few inches. Then I'll re assess the bumper.

[gadget73]

Make it look a little less like a 28 foot limo and a little more like a crown vic.

why on earth would you want to make it look like one of those? Thats the cheaper cut.

[grandpaslincoln]

Should of bought a Crown Vic then. Pushing the bumper in two inches isn't going to make the car look any shorter.

[87stars_stripes]

No, I love my Lincoln. I'm just attempting to improve appearance. Prob wouldn't look right anyway.

[atlantic3000]

I for one would replace the bumper with the bigger better one off an 80 to 84. Those were stronger and protected the fenders if you hit the corner. I hated the narrow bumpers on my 88 and because they were cut off on the corners I had to replace the fenders and header multiple times. The earlier bumpers are so much better.

[slack]

Why are you crashing into stuff so much?

My bumper on my car actually sticks out too far as well (compared to my friends '83). I'm guessing the shock spacing is set different on the 88-91 compared to the 87 and down. So I can just loosen those bolts and the frame and slide it back a little?

[87gtVIC]

You could try it. Chances are you would have better luck removing the bumper and pounding in each side one at a time. Unlikely for both to willingly slid further back after all of these years.

[sly]

plus, they will slide back out eventually unless you weld them in place. It would be better to remove the stock style shock mounts and create a spacer bar or just compress the stock mounts and weld them together.

[gadget73]

I for one would replace the bumper with the bigger better one off an 80 to 84. Those were stronger and protected the fenders if you hit the corner. I hated the narrow bumpers on my 88 and because they were cut off on the corners I had to replace the fenders and header multiple times. The earlier bumpers are so much better.

better fix is to stop crashing into things. Those calf catcher bumpers on the early ones don't add much extra protection honestly. You might guard the front ditch light a little more, but thats about it. Personally I hate those big bumpers. Looks like someone f'd up on a metric to standard conversion and made the things a foot too wide by accident.