Euro Bumper Installation on a Scorp???

[John O]

Hey Everyone,

I need some help from anyone who's installed Montecarlo (Euro) bumpers on a Scorpion.

I have a set of Monte bumpers from the Monte Hospital to install on my Scorpion. I have two issues I'd like to know how others have handled.

1) On the MH front bumper there appears to be too much meat on the upper flat (horizontal) surface. I haven't tried the rear bumper yet. Also on my copy of the front bumper, the same upper flat surface appears to have what looks to be a very subtle mold parting line (perhaps from the piece the mold was taken from) which I've devined as a "cut here" line. It corresponds a bit to some of what the Scorpion's lower front valance does. Am I interpreting all this correctly?

2) The front bumper has steel threaded inserts molded in for the side mounting positions, but there is nothing in the front. In looking through the parts book, the Monte appears to use two (left/right) bumper mounts. The rear is a bit different but same idea with four pieces making up two left & right mounts. I can fabricate something front and rear that will work, but I'm very interested to know what solutions others have found/made.

Thanks in advance for any help.

John O.

[Will]

John, I'd love to help you out but mine are not MH brand. The one thing I can tell you that might be an issue is that you may need to cut or grind divots to clear stock Scorpion headlights if it's really a Monte bumper mold, i.e. a stock Monte bumper will not fit on a stock scorpion and clear the lights. The bottom of the flip up lights is slightly below the bumper surface line. Just a heads-up so you don't accidentally damage anything. Mine had no mountings of any sort and it appears you already have the Monte fische, which is all I could refer to myself.

[John O]

The one thing I can tell you that might be an issue is that you may need to cut or grind divots to clear stock Scorpion headlights if it's really a Monte bumper mold, i.e. a stock Monte bumper will not fit on a stock scorpion and clear the lights.

I know what you're saying, Will, but my Scorp will never have the flip-ups again - It looks like this right now: http://picasaweb.google.com/roadbox128/ScorpionRenovation/photo#5210012736802356594

Among the pieces on the shop floor in front of the car, you'll note a Montecarlo nose band support. Once that's in, it won't even be possible to revert without some serious cutting and pasting, not to mention sourcing all the flip up pieces that were destroyed in the accident.

Over-all I'm pretty happy to be up-dating to brand new fiberglass pieces - far more robust in a 60 mph wind than 30 year old plastic.

John O.

[Will]

I forgot about your fender-bender, it makes sense now. What are you doing for lights?

[John O]

Quad Beta units with Marchal h-1/h-4 combo as I'd planned all along, just with a little more advanced time-table.

[sprintcarfan]

I bought a Monte front bumper off of ebay a while back which I think was molded by MH. Not sure about the parting line on the upper horizontal surface, but it does need trimmed a bit, maybe 5-10mm, to sit correctly.

The front mounts (on the front bumper) are just simple flat brackets with one end bent at 90degrees. I'll grab one and measure it. They just mount to the same holes the bumpers shocks mount to. You'll have to drill holes in the bumper to line up with the brackets. The bolts/holes get covered up by the little mesh grilles that are on either side of the front license plate.

No idea about the rear bumper, I have a Rodger Grantham 037 bumper with no mounting provisions to speak of.

[John O]

I posted some pictures so I could better illustrate what seems to me to be "extra" material molded in to the bumpers.

I've marked in chalk (with dimensions from front edge) on the top of the bumper the molded-in parting line I was talking about.
http://picasaweb.google.com/roadbox128/ScorpionRenovation/photo#5211338348934167074

This shot compares the Monte bumper edge to the Scorpion valance which mount to the same point on the body. I don't see any way the Monte bumper will fit without trimming back to the chalk line.
http://picasaweb.google.com/roadbox128/ScorpionRenovation/photo#5211338353220944642

John O.

[DJ]

Does all that extra surface not just "tuck under", John? That seems like a lot of additional "fitting".

[John O]

Does all that extra surface not just "tuck under", John? That seems like a lot of additional "fitting".

That's what I first thought, that all that extra surface would simply tuck. But there's no way. A good example is in the picture comparing the side surfaces of the Monte v. Scorp. The monte Bumber can't be any thicker than the Scorp's valance at that point or it would foul on the bodywork.

[Frezer]

I posted some pictures so I could better illustrate what seems to me to be "extra" material molded in to the bumpers.

I've marked in chalk (with dimensions from front edge) on the top of the bumper the molded-in parting line I was talking about.
http://picasaweb.google.com/roadbox128/ScorpionRenovation/photo#5211338348934167074

This shot compares the Monte bumper edge to the Scorpion valance which mount to the same point on the body. I don't see any way the Monte bumper will fit without trimming back to the chalk line.
http://picasaweb.google.com/roadbox128/ScorpionRenovation/photo#5211338353220944642

John O.
An original Montecarlo bumper definitely does not have all that extra material. It follows exactly the shape of your chalk line, although I can't verify the measures that you have noted on the bumper.

[Timo04]

Great thread, I am thinking of installing euro bumpers on my Scorp as well. What about the front and rear side marker lights? Where do they fit on the euro bumper (or do they fit at all?)?

Thanks in advance,

[Frezer]

We don't have those in Europe, so there is no provision made. Maybe you can convert at the front the side blinker lights for this purpose? For the rear you have to drill in the bumpers anyway I'm afraid.

[Will]

Great thread, I am thinking of installing euro bumpers on my Scorp as well. What about the front and rear side marker lights? Where do they fit on the euro bumper (or do they fit at all?)?

Thanks in advance,

The Monte has the side marker lights in the (steel) fender. I wasn't keen on doing that to my car, and putting them in the bumper makes them IMO dangerously low.

We have a lot of SUV's around here, so what I ended up doing is adding tuirn signals to my mirrors- I cut in trailer lights to fit the mirror housings. This puts the turn signal about as high as you can get them, and directly facing the folks it needs to. I'm not sure what the DOT position on this is, but it seems more practical than the alternative locations. It also leaves the body of the car unmolested- a mirror is cheaper to replace than a bumper or a fender.