V8 to V12 Bumper upgrade installation
Discussion
I've got the front half of that kit sitting in my garage. Might put it on my grey V8V, still on the fence with it. I've had my front bumper fascia off a few times, it's not difficult. I have a video on YouTube. The rear bumper is a little trickier but still doable. Making a video of that when I get the time, want to do it tomorrow but not sure if that's actually going to happen with everything on my plate at the moment.
Ah, here's this:
http://www.redpants.lol/front-bumper-removal/
Use a plastic trim tool instead of a flat-head screwdriver if you have one that works for it. If you're careful, the screwdriver will be fine, but use the thinnest one you have, prep the area with painters tape, and be careful.
http://www.redpants.lol/front-bumper-removal/
Use a plastic trim tool instead of a flat-head screwdriver if you have one that works for it. If you're careful, the screwdriver will be fine, but use the thinnest one you have, prep the area with painters tape, and be careful.
leerandle said:
Has anyone tried fitting the V8 to V12 bumper upgrade kit by themselves ?
I've just ordered the kit and wondered whether someone with reasonable skills could fit it by themselves.
I've been given a quote to paint and fit, but just wanted to see if its possible to do over a weekend.
It's a big job, I wouldn't recommend trying to do it over a weekend. I've just ordered the kit and wondered whether someone with reasonable skills could fit it by themselves.
I've been given a quote to paint and fit, but just wanted to see if its possible to do over a weekend.
I can't speak for the front, but you will need someone to help you lift off the rear once you have all the screws and clips along with the wiring off, as well as to lift the new one in place. You will need to remove the tail lights to get at a few screws. Once the bumper is loose make sure you tape the edges of the upper body well so nothing gets scratched when removing or reinstalling. The upper edge of the bumper is held on with Velcro, that is the last thing you will need to pull away to remove the bumper.
You will need to remove the rear wheels and drop the inner fender liners to get at all the screws. Be careful so you don't chip the lip of the fenders when dropping or reinstalling the liners, you don't have to totally remove them, just unbolt from the rear and top so the can be pulled down and away.
You will need to remove the exhaust tips too. Once unbolted (3 small nuts) you can remove them it just takes some angling them around to remove. The can be installed last, but make sure you tape well around the openings and be patient because they are frustrating. You might want to get a new set of the ceramic insulators that are between the exhaust tips and the diffuser, they are ridiculously fragile.
You install the bumper first and then install the lower diffuser (the painted one below the carbon fiber) after the bumper otherwise you won't be able to reinstall the wiring and the screws. Actually it's better to have a friend or two hold the bumper loosely in place while you replace all the wiring clips and lights. Hopefully you don't have huge hands.
The job kind of sucks to be honest.
Edited by AstonV on Saturday 24th March 05:16
I've got a ton of work to do on my red Vantage today - full maintenance plus a few other things - buy I'll try to get the rear bumper of my grey Vantage done today. I need to fix a few issues the last body shop left on it and swap out the exhaust tips. The tips are the last bit of chrome on my grey car, the rest has been swapped out for black or carbon fiber at this point lol. I have an event tomorrow so I'll have to have all of this stuff done tonight and I don't want to start on anything I won't be sober enough to finish.
The tail lights are a super easy job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNUgU7xT9s
Hardest part about the tail lights is realigning them when you put them back in the car. It's not difficult, per se, just tedious as it may take a few attempts to get them just right. Take a close-up pic of each tail light to use as reference of how they're aligned before disassembly and it'll help quite a bit during reassembly.
Also, it's very likely that the tail light bolt seals will be damaged or destroyed during removal. I'd highly suggest you get some new ones in advance. You need six of them and they aren't expensive.
Having an extra pair of hands when you remove the bumper fascia and for when you put it back in place is a very big help because of the size of the panels, but otherwise this isn't really a two-person job.
The tail lights are a super easy job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNUgU7xT9s
Hardest part about the tail lights is realigning them when you put them back in the car. It's not difficult, per se, just tedious as it may take a few attempts to get them just right. Take a close-up pic of each tail light to use as reference of how they're aligned before disassembly and it'll help quite a bit during reassembly.
Also, it's very likely that the tail light bolt seals will be damaged or destroyed during removal. I'd highly suggest you get some new ones in advance. You need six of them and they aren't expensive.
Having an extra pair of hands when you remove the bumper fascia and for when you put it back in place is a very big help because of the size of the panels, but otherwise this isn't really a two-person job.
telum01 said:
I've got a ton of work to do on my red Vantage today - full maintenance plus a few other things - buy I'll try to get the rear bumper of my grey Vantage done today. I need to fix a few issues the last body shop left on it and swap out the exhaust tips. The tips are the last bit of chrome on my grey car, the rest has been swapped out for black or carbon fiber at this point lol. I have an event tomorrow so I'll have to have all of this stuff done tonight and I don't want to start on anything I won't be sober enough to finish.
The tail lights are a super easy job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNUgU7xT9s
Hardest part about the tail lights is realigning them when you put them back in the car. It's not difficult, per se, just tedious as it may take a few attempts to get them just right. Take a close-up pic of each tail light to use as reference of how they're aligned before disassembly and it'll help quite a bit during reassembly.
Also, it's very likely that the tail light bolt seals will be damaged or destroyed during removal. I'd highly suggest you get some new ones in advance. You need six of them and they aren't expensive.
Having an extra pair of hands when you remove the bumper fascia and for when you put it back in place is a very big help because of the size of the panels, but otherwise this isn't really a two-person job.
Let me know how you get on with the rear bumper. I’ll order some seals for the lights. I changed over the rear lights myself and have just completed my own little air box deletion, so getting more experience of how these cars are put together. Always great to know that others have done this and their advice is invaluable. The tail lights are a super easy job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNUgU7xT9s
Hardest part about the tail lights is realigning them when you put them back in the car. It's not difficult, per se, just tedious as it may take a few attempts to get them just right. Take a close-up pic of each tail light to use as reference of how they're aligned before disassembly and it'll help quite a bit during reassembly.
Also, it's very likely that the tail light bolt seals will be damaged or destroyed during removal. I'd highly suggest you get some new ones in advance. You need six of them and they aren't expensive.
Having an extra pair of hands when you remove the bumper fascia and for when you put it back in place is a very big help because of the size of the panels, but otherwise this isn't really a two-person job.
It's been awhile, but I believe there is 1 bolt each side into the bumper from inside the trunk, so you will need to pull the carpet back. Have a trim tool thats made to pry off the plastic dorman clips that hold the wiring harness. There are quite a few, and not much extra wire, so until these are out, the bumper will move maybe an inch away from the body. Using a screwdriver could break the clips and won't work well. This is where smaller hands come in handy. Yes the seals around the tail light bolts are crap, thin fragile foam, basically a single use item. When aligning the tail lights, be gentle, just snug the bolts up, don't over tighten. I believe this may be one of the reasons they can leak. Over tightening could crack and weaken the glue that holds them together. It's really a poor design for a high end car, there is no reason Aston couldn't have designed the to require little or no adjustment.
Not yet as I've been tied up with a bunch of other stuff, and today is my girlfriend's birthday so I doubt I'll get a chance to touch the car today or tomorrow. But I'm likely to start tearing it apart this week, next weekend at the latest. I need to fix a few issues, rear bumper included, and it's been gnawing at me every day that goes by!
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