2009 Sigma SV nose cone doesn't fit

[Scotland North AR]

Hi, I has a Spanish lady reverse into the nose cone on my car back in July in Spain. Living in Aberdeen I decided to get the insurance to get me a new nose cone from Caterham fully painted and delivered, which they did.

This morning I spent two hours fiddling and measuring trying to make it fit.....which it doesn't!

It needs to go 10mm forwards to allow the length of the bonnet to fit. It is also 10mm wider than the front of the car. It also has the wrong radius for for the underside of the bonnet thereby leaving a big gap. As it is generally too big, there's not a lot which can be done about it. I assume between 2009 and now, there have been a number of different moulds or indeed a range of suppliers (with different moulds).

I'll be putting the nosecone in the "for sale" section but would caution people when getting a new nose cone to do a few dimensional checks, particularly for older cars. Anyone need a Viper Blue nose cone fully armourfended?

Anyone else had this sort of problem?

PS, the old nose cone fits like a glove with no gapes anywhere.

 

[Tom_Arundel]

I can`t explain the fit problem, a better side view may help. Are the Dzus fasteners fitted in it?

I may be interested in buying it from you, I`m on and off Lindisfarne until the end of the month if that helps

[Scotland North AR]

After speaking to Caterham today, the bonnet design changed about four years ago as did the nose cone. You cannot buy a 2009 SV nose cone as advertised on the Caterham website, it will be a design from circa 2013. It fits a CSR perfectly as I established earlier at Blue7's.

The guys in the factory fit the nose, then fit the bonnet, then move the scuttle backwards or forwards to get the shut lines perfect. Not a good option when you are trying to replace the nose on an old car. The best option is to have the old nose fixed from what I have learned above. The guy at Aberdeen Fibreglass couldn't have been more helpful when I dropped the old nose off and there is a car body shop which can do the spraying in the next building.

If I had known all the above before going for my insurance funded repair, I'd have gone a different route and had the car sent back to Caterham.

Regarding selling it, I'll see if Caterham will take it back first. I'd certainly be wary, given the above, of buying a nose then hoping it fits as a straight swap. I'll keep you posted.

[Jim 123]

Is it worth exploring if a later spec replacement bonnet is a good way out if you keep the nose?

[Ian B]

The mesh grille and "7" grille also changed shape as well, so be careful as they don't fit either  

[Manstein]

Rather sad that CC supplied you with a part they knew wouldn't fit Nigel just return it as not fit for purpose.

[SLR No.77]

Having removed and refitted the scuttle a number of times, I'm keen to learn how the guys in the factory can move it forwards or backwards ... it's in a fixed position relative to the front bulkhead, which is in a fixed position relative to the heater tray (the horizontal panel), which is in a fixed position relative to the chassis tube across the engine bay ... which is fixed. Unless the design has recently changed quite dramatically, you're being fobbed off.

[Scotland North AR]

I think so, having slept on it, it's going back. Very fortunately, I'm not hugely out of pocket on this as the insurance paid for it, I would have been mightily disappointed had I paid for it.

Hopefully the overall message is that you need to be quite careful when buying a new nose for an old car.

[Golf Juliet Tango]

My experience is solely on S3 (on my own and by observation) but it is that nose cone shape has certainly changed in detail. I am on my fourth nose cone and only first and fourth fitted really nicely.

I understand why this should happen.

[Scotland North AR]

Thanks, nice to hear it isn't just me who has found the problem. There is obviously and issue here......which needs resolving needless to say.