Installing a New Bumper

When I bought my 99 back in December 2024, it didn't have a bumper. That was because the previous, previous owner removed it when they converted the car to a rally tribute. I always thought the car looked a bit strange with no bumper, so I sought a new one out. Fortunately, Sean Pollitt at RedAero Saab Parts had one in stock. I traveled down to his shop in Athol, MA, and picked it up along with a set of Shadow louvres. Here, I will outline the process of reinstalling the bumper. 

1. Refinishing the inner bumper: When I bought the bumper, the inside metal liner (the mounting hardware) was very corroded. I sanded the crap out of it, and resprayed it with Rustoleum Satin black. Masking the rubber areas of the bumper with news paper, I sprayed it once, and let it sit in the sun to dry.

2. Fitting the Bumper: There are four (4) mounting brackets built into the body of the car, with two (2) mounting holes where the bumper's mounting bolts line up. This ensures the bumper is properly installed. 

There are two spacers for the outer mounting brackets. Make sure you have them installed properly, or the bumper will screw on incorrectly. 

3. Installing the Trim: Because my bumper came with trim for a 1973-77 99, I needed to source the correct trim. Fortunately, a reproduction was available on eBay. This trim was not made to fit, so I had to cut it to fit the bumper correctly. 

3A. Marking where to cut. Measure twice!

3B. First cut was not short enough. Better to be safe than sorry!

3C. Back to the cutting board...

3D. Finally installing the trim with the appropriate length. Use some 3M Trim adhesive to help.

4. Voila! It looks as good as new!