1976 Trans Am Front Bumper HELP!
 

I am currently near the end on the restoration of a 76 TA, I tried for an entire day to get the front bumper lined up and there has got to be some obvious thing I am missing. The sides of the bumper stick out like bat wings, and are 1/2 inch from the bottom edge of the header panel leaving an eyesore of a gap.. I am ready to bludgeon nthis thing with sharp objects. Am I missing something? Is there a filler panel between the headlamp area and the bumper? I got the car in a basket, already dismantled. I am usually pretty good with situations like that but this one is killing me! Any help would be appreciated. -Scott

Yikes! My 76 had no filler panel between the fiberglass upper header/headlight section and the urethane bumper. Sounds like you need to take a break and call it a day. Revisit another day and you will prevail with patience.
Are you using the 76 fenders? I seem to remember an factory add-on that was a place to attach the bumper "wings" as you call them.

All of these second gen birds require patience and alot of adjusting to get the front ends right. The frame brackets typically need frequent adjustments as the process proceeds, tightening the gaps and lining things up more with each attempt. A factory shop manual (GM-Pontiac, not Chiltons, Haynes etc.) helps tremendously, ESPECIALLY when you are dealing with a car that you didn't take apart in the first place!

Don't get frustrated, REJOICE! You are almost done your car!

This makes 2 days I have wrapped up in not getting the bumper lined up :censored: Actually if it were my car I would have bonded the things to the fenders an hour into it LOL! I restore cars professionaly and work for a private collector in Dearborn Michigan. After 25 years in this business you would think I have run into just about all of it - but this thing has been a trip. I have great lines everywhere else on the car - the brackets appear to be bent and I am considering the options. I will say this - virtually everything else on the car came off without a hitch, so I guess I was due a little grief lol.