Headlamp cowling

[hiltonig]

Mine drivers side keeps coming undone, the paint shop that touched up the front end have not taken care in its reassembly so hence it comes off. How do you get these things to stay on ?, it looks like they used mastic around the top of the cowl to bond it to the paintwork. Any ideas have put spring washers on the nuts but its not aligned at the top, help please

[TVR keith]

Assuming it's on now you will have to remove it by very carefully cutting around the gap and under the cowl.
Best to use a very sharp modelling knife.
Put masking tape on adjacent painted surfaces for protection. Work slowly and with great care.
Remove mastic from surfaces where the cowl meets the body.
Stick the plate on each of the two bolts to the cowl, I used araldite, leave to fully cure.
Apply mastic to the body where the cowl fits at the top and refit.
Replace the wing nuts to the bolts accessing through the hole in the front of the wheel arch. Remove any surplus mastic without delay.
Leave to dry before you drive it.
Many people on here seem to get satisfactory results with a normal domestic silicone sealant but I always use Silkaflex for jobs like this.
Sticks well especially to skin so wear gloves.
Available from boat builders I am told, I got mine from a car paint specialist