Thanks for the measurements, Paul. Mine is only slightly closer, maybe, but
the real issue is the 'support bar' along the top of the bumper. At the
point where it curves back toward the body - at the ends of the bar - there
is not enough clearance for the grille to come out, even with twisting and
prying. I could get the grille past the rubber part of the bumper, but not
the bar. It could be the bar has been bent, but it looks untouched to me.
The drain channels do stop about an inch short of the front of the wings,
but the opening at that point is still about an inch and a half too narrow
to lift the grille out.
I have been able to get the grille moved partway out on one end so that I
was able to clean up the wiring connections, and it looks like I can install
the oil cooler with the grille in place, so I'm OK for a while.
Thanks to all for their help
Howard Battan
'57 NGA
'79 MGB
==================
Mine is about 1/4" one side and a bit more the other between the bumper and
the very front of the wings. The drain channels should stop about 1" short
of that, and this *should* be enough for you to manoeuvre the grill out.
Rechecking since my last post while you can't push the top of the grill back
from its normal position because of wiring etc. you should be able to push
the bottom backwards a bit, which should allow you to tilt the grill further
forwards so that the top edge clears the bottom front edge of the drain
channels, then lift the whole thing upwards. But I could imagine that if
the wings were only a bit closer together at the front than mine are, and
the bumper as close to the front face of the wings as you say, you would
have difficulty. Maybe whoever lined up wings, bonnet and bumper aimed for
too small a gap than Abingdon intended.
PaulH.
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