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Removing an RV8 nose cone
Peter Kilmister (BRG 0320) from Hampshire posted a query on the V8 Bulletin Board for help in removing the nose cone and Gavin Bailey promptly responded! (Feb 04)

Peter Kilmister's posting was "I don't know the technical term for the piece I wish to remove but it is immediately in front of the opening part of the bonnet, just above the air intake for the radiator and between the headlamps. There is a piece of plastic with the MG badge in the middle. Phew! Mine has a serious stone chip and needs to be resprayed. It is much easier to do that if the part can be removed from the car. Does anyone know if it can be removed and how easy it is to do?". Victor Smith spotted the query and recalled that Gavin Bailey had removed the nose cone from his RV8 and suggested Peter get in touch via the "Contacts" button on the V8 Website homepage.

Gavin Baliey (BRG 0766) from Surrey responded that "it's not too difficult a job and should take no more than a few hours. I have also attached a few photos of my RV8 with the panel removed (it's called the 'nose cone')". He then set out the steps:


Front of BRG 0766 with the nose cone removed. (Photo: Gavin Bailey)

> Jack the front of the car up, remove both front wheels, support on stands.

> Remove grommets inside both front wings behind headlamps and using a long Philips screwdriver unscrew and remove the Philips

screw that holds the headlamp cowl to the wing (do this both sides).

> Remove the two rubber strips from the wing-inner wing seam at the front of the car near, and using a Philips screwdriver remove the Philips screw that holds the headlamp cowl to the body
- there are two last bolts that hold each headlamp cowl to the body at the base of the cowl - you can see them if you look through the gap between the bottom of the cowl and the top of the bumper. When these are removed you can then remove the cowls from the wing by sliding them outwards to release them from the last blind clip that holds each of them to the wings.

> With the cowls removed it's a simple job to remove the two Phillips screws that hold each end of the nose cone to the body, the 7 screws
holding the nose cone to the bonnet slam panel, and finally the three screws that hold the front grille to the bumper accessing them from under the car.

When you've got the nose cone off, I'd advise

Waxoyling all panels you can't normally get access to, and when reassembling the nose cone onto the car pay particular attention to its alignment with the bonnet and the headlamp cowls. Also, as the nose cone is made of fairly soft material, avoid over-tightening the bolts that hold it to the slam panel as you'll crush the nose cone itself and damage it. I also found rust starting in the seam on the front grille where a metal finisher is crimped to the mesh. I had minelightly bead-blasted and stove enamelled, again Waxoyling the lower edge before refitting.

If you want more detailed instructions and pictures, it's worth getting either the RV8 Repair Manual from Clive Wheatley, or the version on CD from Keith Baylis at Ames MG Rover which as it includes the gearbox manuals etc is better value. Full details of the contents of the CD are on the V8 Website. I hope this helps.