Fitting a Dimma rear bumper skin...

The Dimma bodykit is very good quality and is made out of flexible plastic. The downside to the bumpers is that they fit over your standard bumpers.

The rear Dimma bumper fits over the original bumper very well, however you need to cut away a large section of the standard bumper in order to fit the Dimma item.

You must first remove your rear bumper from the car. Open the boot and remove the screw holding each of the rear light clusters in place.

Unplug the wiring and remove the light clusters from the car. Underneath each light you should see two fixing screws. Remove one screw from under each light, making sure that the screws placed nearest the front of the car are left in place.

You must then remove the 10mm bolt situated under the rear wheel arch... If you have fitted large wheels you may have already removed this bolt, or even the complete bracket. Remove the two metal spring clips also and keep them safe.

There are now only two more 10mm bolts securing the bumper in place. These can be accessed by looking under the rear of the car. They point vertcally upwards, one is located next to the towing eye...

With all six 10mm bolts removed, you should place a flat bladed screw driver into the lip at the centre of the bumper. This will allow you to release the bumper skin form the ridge at the rear of the car. Pull the bumper horizontally backwards to remove.

With the bumper placed on a suitable surface you should lay the Dimma bumper over the original bumper, so that you get an idea of the way in which it will fit...

Using a Jig-saw, cut along the entire length of the original bumper, just above the ridge where the towing eye would poke through the bumper. At first I left the corner pieces at the bottom of the bumper intact, however I later cut these off too, so that the bumper was more flexible.

You should now be able to place the Dimma bumper over the original bumper properly. Some fine adjustments must now be made so that the Dimma bumper fits correctly.

Trim the edge of the bumper closest to where the wheel arch would be. You will also need to trim the top edge of this section, near to the black bumper strip and the side fixing bracket. This should allow the two bumpers to fit together snugly.

Now do a "dry-fit" of the two bumpers, using G-clamps to hold the two panels together. If you are happy with the way in which the bumpers fit you should now bond the two skins together. You must use the correct adhesive, otherwise the Dimma bumper may not stick to the original bumper.

used "Q-Flex" adhesive to fit my bumper, however another good alternative is "Tiger-Seal". Apply the adhesive to the original bumper liberally then place the Dimma bumper over it. This is best done with two people.

You should use a number of G-clamps to apply sufficient pressure across the face of the bumper. Once you have the full area of the bumper bonded in place, leave it in a dry area for atleast 18hours.

After the adhesive has cured you should refit the bumper to ensure that it fits correctly...

When you are happy with the fitment, the bumper should be primered and sprayed, preferably at a professional bodyshop. Job done!

Simo'