2002 Galant (not VR4) front end replcement. Help required.

[the mad hat man]

hello again folks.

Had a front end shunt on my sons Galant 2.0 and need to replace the bumper, headlight, sidelight, slam panel and bonnet. Are there any instructions anywhere? I have hunted for a repair manual without any luck and all the threads I have seen on here refer to the VR4. Is the bumper removal the same?
Does anyone have a manual that covers removal of the front end body panels, or know where I can download it. 90% of the threads on the interweb seem to be advertisements .

[Wobble]

the parts you have mentioned are all straight forward to remove and replace. literally a 10mm spanner and a screw driver will take the lights and bumper off from there you can get access to the slam panel , is a matter of starting at the top and work your way down ,

release the grill , take out lights , remove splash guards from around wheels will give you full access to all clips and bolts for bumper . to remove the bonnet again only a spanner/socket is needed.

[Davezj]

please bear in mind, i am only commenting from a VR4 point of view, as i never owned anything other than a VR4 in the mitsi family
The only thing i am not sure you can remove is the slam panel, i don't think there are any screws for it i. the slam panel is the first bit of mtal the does not get a full copsure you can cut it out and replace it.
just some info here mitsi are quite cheap when it comes to paint, the slam panel is one of the frist palces that does not get any kind of top coat of paint. the silver VR4 only get a weak gery/silver dull undercoat lloking finis and the black cars get a simplar dull base black paint job. which does look cheap.

[MarkSanne]

As said: very straigtforward. Only things somewhat hidden are 2 bolts that hold the front side panels. You'll need to open de front door to find 1 of those 2 hidden bolts. The other one is behind the side skirt (which you'll need to remove in order to get access to the bolt).

Everything can be done with a 10mm & 12mm wrench, plus a screwdriver to push the lips of the grille clips front their 6/7 mounting points.

Just this morning I took of my front bumper in 15 minutes max: remove the front grille first, then unbolt 2 bolts that also mount the headlights, then the 2 that go into lower parts of the slam panel, then unbolt 2 bolts (each side) that hold the front bumper on each side. Wiggle your hand behind the black plastic wheel arch splash guard and undo them. Especially on the side where the window washer fluid reservoir is, is a bit of a fiddle. Smaller hands or more force both work.

Headlights are also simply bolted on with 3 bolts. 2 clearly visible at the front, one is a bit hidden inside the engine compartiment near the side repeater.

Bonnet is so straightforward, there's nothing to tell. Just be carefull when undoing the last bolt

Slam panel is a welded piece. So if you want/need to replace it, there needs be done some welding back again.

Good luck with the repairs! If you're after parts, you'd be surprised how easily available (and very affordable!) they might be from members of this club! See the "For Sale" topics yourself.

[Scanny]

headlights are 4 bolts but expect the 1 that bolts to the bumper to snap off. dont worry about that as the others will hold it in place anyway. the headlight and indicator are separate but they will come out as a single piece although some wiggling is needed. there are 5 or 6 wires that unclip from the back of the headlights so the bulbs stay in place

once the grille is out you will see a row of black pop type buttons on the bumper. small screwdriver under the centre piece and lift it up before trying to pull the whole thing out. its a similiar idea to a wall plug where the screw would push the sides out to hold it in place

incidentally, the front end is interchangeable between all 8G galants/legnums so any information you find will be relevant to any car registered between 1996 and 2003. i have 2001 V6 headlights on my 1997 VR4 and the bumper/grille is waiting to be fitted

[kelly30]

you are right! I have release the grill, take out light and remove splash guards from around the wheels. It gives full access to all clips and bolts from bumper.

[kelly30]

Does any member know where can I find my VR headlights low beam assembly?

[kelly30]

I will appreciate any comment or suggestion.