Bumper oddity - anyone help?

[thebluepotato]

So replaced my Mk4 bumpers with some new repro ones from MiniSpares.  Finny thing is that the rear one is not quite aligning to the mounting holes on the body seam.  In this case I can get the left side and center hole in fine, but the right side is about .25" short of the getting in the hole - no matter how I angle the bumper. 

Knowing that this my simply be a manufacturing/quality issue (my old bumper mounts fine back in place) - any suggestions to what works here before I start to drill or bend things?  9.gif

Many thanks.

[BruceK]

...this may simply be a manufacturing/quality issue (my old bumper mounts fine back in place)...

That's my thought, just a variation in how stuff was built.  Perhaps consider enlarging each opposite hole 1/8" to make up with the 1/4" total difference across the bumper width?

[thebluepotato]

Got them on with no issues.  Seems it was variances in the production.

[BruceK]

yeah, if you've ever seen videos of Minis as they were being built at the factory -- either in the early years, or especially the later years -- you can see there were not exactly built with the precision of a Swiss watch.   

[John Gervais]

Hyacinth once helped me install a new MSC stainless bumper.  She broke a stud off of the bumper and now there's a bolt.