Rampage front end swap/removal

[Nemesismachine]

This has been posted before, I'm sure of it. Ive spent the last 15 minutes looking, with no luck.

I have taken out about all the bolts I can see from the front of my 82, how the fork do you guys take these apart? Are they as big a b1tch to you as they are being to me? Is heat the answer here? Makes me want to scrap the rest of it, too.

[DOHCRT]

Make sure you get the very top nut up inside the leading edge of the front fender, hard to see and tight with a ratchet.

[83scamp]

What isn't coming off? The nose or fenders? I know on my Scamp, there was a bead of adhesive right at the strut tower. It was tough to break loose, but doable. There is a couple of bolts that are inside the front inners that are tough to see.

[minigts]

The only things holding the front clip of my car on are 3-4 nuts on each fender along the side edge, 4 bolts attached to the brackets by the headlights (single bucket headlight per side style) and 2 bolts that attach to the support bracket where the hood latch is. Unless you have the Shelby front end on it, there shouldn't be anything else holding it on. As Vic mentioned, the one nut at the very top is extremely tight and getting to it isn't easy.

[Jetmugg]

First things first - like the first response - what are you trying to remove? The flexible nose, or the fenders?

[Nemesismachine]

Im swapping from the 84 4 light front end to the 82 2 light. I just need the nose off. It looks like more of a rust issue at this point...

[DOHCRT]

If rust is an issue, alot of times the nuts at the fender leading edge may not come loose, but they will still spin. The spinning is the result of the stud spinning in the GRP headlight support. The studs have a coarse (wood screw like) thread into the headlight support and metric machine threads on the other end, to attact to the fender. When this happens it can be a real pain to get the nose piece off. Patience is the key here...

[Jetmugg]

Definitely a PITA when those studs don't want to cooperate. I pulled the nose piece off a Rampage in a junkyard a couple of years ago that didn't want to play nice. I ended up using a tie rod pickle fork and hammer to break the studs once I got a little gap started. I mangled the fender, but saved the nose, which was in much better shape than the one on my Rampage at the time.If you are in more controlled conditions, you "might" be able to use an air powered body saw to cut the stud if you can get a little gap started between the fender and the nose piece.Steve.

[83scamp]

If rust is an issue, alot of times the nuts at the fender leading edge may not come loose, but they will still spin. The spinning is the result of the stud spinning in the GRP headlight support. The studs have a coarse (wood screw like) thread into the headlight support and metric machine threads on the other end, to attact to the fender. When this happens it can be a real pain to get the nose piece off. Patience is the key here...

+1. When I took my Scamp apart last year, I had a couple that decided to be difficult. I ended up spinning them out of the GRP reinforcement and then removing them from the fender once I took them off. The very top ones are a real pain to get out. Not much room to work with. Luckily, I only ruined two of them. I had three of the stud stashed away from years ago when I had a ready source for them. I've not had any luck finding replacements recently...

[johnl]

I'll take pics when I get into it.

I am about to pull my nose off to replace the steel bumper with an aluminum one from a Shelby Charger.

[johnl]

Here's a pic of corner of fascia/nose cone, so you can see exactly where the fasteners are. As you look at it, it is upside down, of course.

[GLHS60]

I'm pretty sure the fender/cowl area was changed approx. Jan, 20, 1983, so the fenders probably won't fit. The nose and hood will.

Thanks
Randy

- - - Updated - - -

[Nemesismachine]

Maybe i'll look into brake ducts if it wont swap...

Johnl thanks for the reference photo! That will come in handy. It is the tops that are a pain, gotta get the sawzall in there.

[minigts]

Dude, please don't do that. Just get a 10mm socket and start turning. Worst case, you'll back out the stud from the headlight bar and then you can get a pair of vice grips on the stud and the socket on the nut. Something will give between the two, don't make the sawzall the solution unless you don't want the fender anymore.

[Nemesismachine]

Ok, so after a lot of PB and swearing the front of both cars came off. One thing I like about these is they came off all together, like old cars used to. Top of the fenders, 2 in the door jambs, and 2 at the front of the fenders (behind the battery and headlight respectively). I also see the 82 has a more angular A-pillar, so the fenders won't swap. Only the noses. If anyone needs 82 rampage fenders, I have 2 unmolested dent free gray/silver available.