W124 Cheap bumper and headlight swap

[Guyton Buzz]

93 300CE Cabriolet - previous owner tore off half of front bumper by not using the tow hook. Boneyard had 50% off this weekend, so being a card carrying member of United Brotherhood of Partz Vulturez, I went there while SWMBO hit the malls.

For $65 dollars, got a bumper, two headlights (95), newish fan clutch.

Bumper comes off with 10mm and 13mm sockets, a 10mm wrench for top nut ahead of condenser, and a 13mm wrench for the bumper bolt just under the passenger headlight pan. I did not change the black center strip, new one was paint matched, so I thought I would drive it for a few days and decide. 1 hour or less, I'm slow. You do not have to cut or unplug outside temp sennsor.

Headlight swapped out with 8mm socket, I needed an 8mm wrench for the bolt next to grille. Same electrical plugs. I had thought old side marker/turn signals would fit, but they did not want to. Comments would be appreciated.

Pix shows the "hood gap", I'm not sure if a new grille would fix that, or maybe fab a black rubber strip. If not staying with head lamp wipers, be sure to nab the filler strip from the donor vehicle. My tiny wipers have never worked on my 300TE and this one.