Wtf? Nose panel removal

[Gawernator]

Pardon my language, but I guess it's never as simple as you think. I finally got the hood crest gasket perfectly seated around the crest after much heat gunning and with a helping hand. I follow the clark's garage procedure, put up the headlamps, remove the fuse, remove the four body screws from the top of the panel. I go to loosen the two bolts on each side and find this:

I do have a late model car, but I also realize my early model had these rubber flaps, I guess they are to keep out water or something. Clark's 944 doesn't have these, and the procedure doesn't account for what to do. I can barely access the one bolt on each side, and the other bolt and the machine screw are basically inaccessible. Am I supposed to just rip this stuff out? It seems like it's useful, but I don't see what I'm supposed to be doing. Attempting to replace the old and cracked hood crest. Even got my 8 and 10 mm sockets at the ready!

[CHICKS]

It's just shoved in there. Grab one end and pull it out. I promise you it will be harder to put in back in. And BTW, you can still buy those new from the dealer, and they're pretty cheap just in case you rip em'.

[Gawernator]

Thanks again man, will try.

[hopps]

On my car, I just slid them back towards the center of the car. That got them out for me. And when I was re-assembling, I forgot to put them back on! How convenient

[Dean924s]

Originally Posted by CHICKS

It's just shoved in there. Grab one end and pull it out. I promise you it will be harder to put in back in. And BTW, you can still buy those new from the dealer, and they're pretty cheap just in case you rip em'.

I think I looked those up and was shocked at the replacement cost. I was going to toss a set but held on to them due to the replacement cost. I can not find them in the pelican catalog at the moment

[Gawernator]

I pulled mine out without ripping them. Idk if I can get them back in as easily lol. Thank you Porsche for the engineering marvel >

[porsche4life]

They aren't that bad to get back in IIRC... I think you can kind of squeeze the bulbous side flat and just slide it right in...

But its been a few years since I put mine in... Clean that paint off while you have them out....

[Gawernator]

Will do

[JAXTURBO]

Spray it with some silicone lubricant and it should slide right in

[Gawernator]

That's the least of my worries right now. Still could only get the panel halfway out its stuck on so hard. Got the new crest on but I ended just prying the old one off because it only had the grommets, so this was all for not. And the sides of the panel are rubbing and taking off the new paint, and I can't get it back in...

[Techno Duck]

Drop the rubber trim in a bucket of soapy water, it will slide right back in easily.

[Gawernator]

This is a nightmare...can't get the panel all the way off or get it back on and it's messing up the paint.

[Gawernator]

... With a friend managed to pry and bend it back in. Paint is scraped off though on the edges :/