Technical Panel gap (boot-rear bumper)

[ZaphodB]

So I've noticed there is zero panel gap between the bottom of the hatchback bootlid and the top of the rear bumper panel section....... the bottom of the hatchback actually touches the bumper in the middle.

I took a look at another abarth and there is a decent gap, and if I push down slightly in the middle of the bumper I can create a panel gap.

The hatchback appears to be hung in the right place (as indicated by the rear lamps in the pics..)

So what could be wrong?.... anyone removed their bumper before ?.... is it not clipped in somewhere internally?

 

[A3jeroen]

Take the bumper off and check if it slots into the "rail" in the middle.
Love500 on youtube has video's of how to.

gr J

 

[ZaphodB]

Having looked at Love500's video and seen how it's attached , I'm guessing it's sitting on top of that centre rail rather than clipped into it

Thanks so much for the pointers, I'll report back when I get round to it

 

[ZaphodB]

Bingo !

The bumper was indeed sitting on top of the slit on the rail rather than in the slit.

Thank you so much for the heads-up

 

[ZaphodB]

Like chalk and cheese

 

[A3jeroen]

Nema problema!

gr J

 

[ZaphodB]

So I had a mobile paint guy come and sort the line/scuff (near the boot rubber) the tailgate bottom had "created" in the top of the bumper (due to no panel gap, due to the root cause), and fix another little scuff on bumper (inherited from purchase.

So now the bumper section is all good - as new, amazing what these mobile paint guys can do... he even gave me the dregs of the paint in a little pot to use a touch-up.
£240 all in, but it's fixed the problem that had to stare at each time I opened the tailgate.