I got in a wreck about two months ago (not my fault) and now I need a new bumper. I have a 92 and wanted to put a 97 + on it. In order to save $ , a friend of mine that works at a body shop said that he would do it for free. I went to the dealership to ask them and they played the "dumb card" saying that they had no idea if this would work and said that I should go to a junk yard and ask them to cross reference the part numbers to see if the bumper would fit. When my friend called up at the dealership, he said that they told him that the bolt patterns were different and that it couldn't be done. I then considered a fiberglass bumper, but they break too easily and it wouldn't look right unless i got the full kit.
So now I'm at the point where I just want my car fixed. My bumper isn't badly damaged, just a few scraps and scratches, except where I broke the little thin piece that is b/t the gap, in order to recieve money for a new bumper. So would it be a better idea to cut out all of that strip that goes all the way across the grill that fills in the gap, and put aluminum mesh stuff in it, or would the bottom of the bumper sag from lack of support? Or is it possible to put the 97+ bumper on my car without too much difficulty. The (absorber, impact) is a different shape but my friend said that he could shave it or something to make it fit. And are the hi-beams different too? Thanks for your help

 

I've heard of people doing this swap w/o major problems here on the forum. Wait around and someone will post thier process.


Keith