About 5 or 6 years ago, I got the front clip on my Camaro replaced, but something always bugged me about it. The area below the headlights is wavy and warped. At the time, I thought my bumper was just defective (even though it was supposedly new OEM). I've since read on here though, that this is actually a result of the bumper being installed incorrectly.

I'm about to go to the bodyshop to fix a crack and some other scratches i've since gotten, so I have a simple question. Does anyone here know exactly how to fix that and install the front clip correctly, or more specifically, what I can tell the shop to help them figure out the problem and correct it?

This bumper has been giving me OCD for far too long, it's time to get it straightened out!

 

With all due respect, and I'm NOT being sarcastic here, , , , , any body shop worth it's name should already know how to straighten that out.

I'd be kinda nervous of any shop that I had to tell how to fix my car. Show them the problem, sure. But to have to tell them how to fix it? Nope, no thank you......

 

I know exactly what the problem is.

Under your headlights, there is supposed to be two, 7mm head screws that hold your headlight bucket area to the fiberglass front headlight/nose support. (2 per side, that is) Those screws go in from the BOTTOM, UP. There is supposed to be clips on the bumper cover that the screws go up into. They pretty much have to be installed with the nose OFF the car. When your nose was changed, I can pretty much guarantee you that they forgot about those screws. Without them holding the nose down to the fiberglass support, the headlight buckets will warp and get all funky looking. They are HORRIBLE to install with the nose on....well.....almost impossible. And, if you're unfamiliar with third gen Camaro's, they'd be super easy to overlook.

So basically, when you remove the front bumper cover from the car...the fiberglass support will come off with it, with the headlights and everything still in place. You can't remove just the bumper cover from the car without taking the fiberglass support because of those 4 screws that you can't get access to.