I have a '97 Legacy Wagon that hit a snow bank before I bought it. The front bumper cover was replaced. Private sale.

The mech is a dealer mech and did the work on the car at the dealership.

Its been measured out and is straight. My hood however sits cockeyed -one side higher than the other and kinda crooked. Does anyone know how these parts (left\right fenders, hood, headlights, bumper cover) fit and are adjusted

so I could try to at least get my hood straight? Also does the front bumper have "shock absorbers" and could they be misaligned leading to this problem?

Thanx,

kdub

The front clip and hood are aligned on any car as follows...The doors are fitted to the body to ensure an even door gap at top, bottom and at the rear. The front fenders are then fitted to gap properly with the front of the doors, and loosely with the gaps of the hood and front bumper cover. It can take quite a bit of fiddling and shimming to get everything correctly fitting, before bolts are all tightened down. Your best bet is to find a good body shop and have them align everything for you, because they are used to doing it and can analyze where shims are needed, how many, and do it in very short order. If you try it on your own, you could spend a whole day and get nowhere, or even damage an edge of a fender or the hood. I'd pay to have the professionals do it. As far as shocks behing the bumper cover...I'm not sure. Maybe some else has the answer to that one. The best of luck!

The hood has a bump-stop at each front corner to align it with the fender leading edge. They are basically rubber screws, that move down when you turn them clockwise and up if turned counter-clockwise. Not sure if there is enough play to solve your problem, but give it a shot!

 

No shock absorbing foam in European models.