I took my car to a performance shop that specializes on LS1s to buy and have them install a cutout. Anyways, after installation I paid and left but when I got home (after driving over an hour) I noticed that the right front fender piece (right under the Z28 emblem) was sticking out. I felt under and noticed that the metal strip (which is bolted to part of the fender and connected to the frame was bent and pushed out. Irate, I called this place and the one of guys over there immediately apologized and said its not serious and that they can fix it ("bend it back"). So I'm going to bring it back there Monday.

I don't much about this kind of stuff, I just want to know if this is serious. I showed my friend with an LS1 TransAm and he said he didn't know if it is serious or not but that he heard that it happens a lot to newer f-bodies at dealerships.

So from my understanding, the front lift wasn't placed right were it was supposed to be. So is my frame is bent, is this is serious?

I don't want to name the performance shop (unless they don
t fix it) because I don't want to give them a bad reputation. It seemed like a legitimate place, I mean there must have been 30 4th generation f-bodies there so.....

So what do you guys think? Has this ever happened to your f-body? Should I be worried?

 

maybe I am just more paranoid than most.. but I would get pics..

And be sure you are there while they "fix" it..

Find out if they know what happened.. Then ask them why no one told you before you left.. Shouldnt they have someone look over the car to be sure its done and ready?

(I am always getting ready for legal battles.. I think thats what keeps me from getting into one.. hehe)

 

Oh man, I sure hope this is nothing serious. The one time I take my car to a performance shop to have something installed, this happens. And I'm like the most paranoid person too. The guy at the shop said its no big deal, and that they can fix it. Either way, this is all unnecessary...now I to drive an hour + to get this fixed and worry that they are actually going to do it right.

I'm pretty ticked off. I just hope its nothing.

 

Well, I know the piece you're talking about - it's like a "seam" that runs the length of the car down either side underneath, right?? Well, stupid me flattened down those pieces (on both sides) near the front when I was going to do my last oil change.......................wanna know how???.............................well, I was in a bit of a hurry, cause I wanted to get the oil change done, and I had to go out right after, so I got out the ramps and drove the car up onto them (but didn't have anyone around to guide me) and when the car got to "the top" of the ramps, I set the e-brake, put the car in park, shut it off, opened the door...............and boom!! The front wheels slipped over the edge of the ramps!!!! Oh, I was pi$$ed! So, I walked around the car to survey the damage, and the ground effects on the right side had popped right off at the front!!!!!!!!!

Long story short, I had to jack up either side to get the ramps back out, find 2 new clips for my GFX, and try again. I felt like a f'ing tool. Oh yeah, and those seams underneath were both bent completely flat underneath - except facing inward, so I didn't notice the fenders being flared out, thank goodness.

 

For your sake i hope it's nothing major... but i agree with psychocabbage.... take pics of the car before they touch it again.. and watch them while they're fixing it, and grill them to find out just exactly what happened.. it wouldn't be a bad idea to take your car somewhere else, before u take it back to the shop to have it fixed, and have someone else look at it and see what they say....

 

I think it is a somewhat common problem. I had a similar thing happen to me a while back (and I've heard of it a few times). The seam there is a jack point on a lot of cars, so sometimes people will try to use that as a jack point on ours also. When they do that, the weight of the car will cause that seam to bend over, often bending "out" instead of "in," and causing the fender to stick out. When it happened to me, they just bent it back straight and it looks fine again - it depends on how severely they bent it originally, but it'll probably work out ok since you caught it right away. Definitely watch them while they are "fixing" it though, to be sure that they don't tear anything underneath there though (heard of that happening too).

Nate

 

It depends. Both mine were bent over one the front fender. The fenders are plastic and it crack the plastic on both sides where they were bent over. So it needs more than just bending back. Climb under there and see if the fender is broken or not. If not it should be OK.

 

I don't think that the seem is what your talking about right?It's like the fender is "popped out" at the bottom?If that's the case then it isn't a serious biggie.There is a small square plastic piece right under the fender.If you look under there you'll see it hanging down.That's where the bottom of the fender attatches.If you look closely,you'll see DON NOT JACK stenciled right on the side,yet shops LOVE to jack the car by this pad I "think" you can bend this back in.If not,then I'd make them buy a new little plastic pad thing.Good luck.
Kevin

 

exact thing happened to me. i took it to a shop and the bent them outward, causing the finder to stick out about 1 inch. When i got home i noticed it and look under the car. its just a little tab, bend it back and the fender will tighten back up and become flush again. You said it was bent a little? and not flattened right? the only damage that can be done if it was flatten is have the fender lip crack and then you would need to reattach it back. If this happened [cracked] make them buy you a new fender. but most likly it didnt not crack.