MGB Rubber Bumper cover removal

[Coastalman]

It appears that to remove the cover one only has to drill out the rivets. Can it be this simple? The manual says to take the whole bumper off first. If there are any shortcuts, please let me know. This is my first rubber bumper MGB. I have had several of the chrome bumper B's so this is new to me.
Thanks,
Charlie

 

[JPSmit]

Charlie I am not at all clear why you would want to take the cover off. I have never seen one disassembled but I don't think there is anything of interest under there.

Unbolt them at the 'grill' side and either replace completely or throw them far far away and start again to do the mods to make it a chrome bumper (or no bumper) car.

cheers

 

[Coastalman]

When I bought the car my first thought was to replace with chrome bumpers. I changed my mind after seeing some pictures of cars with painted bumpers matching the car color. The cost to have them painted isn't a huge amount so I plan on doing that to see if I like it. I can always go back to my first plan. My paint guy asked me to take the covers off and bring them to him. I am looking for the easiest way to do that. If I have to take the whole bumper off, I will, but I was just looking for an easier way.
If you have taken the front bumper off one, please give me any tips. The rear bumper seems easy to take off the whole bumper.
Charlie

 

[Joe Reed]

Don't disassemble the bumper. Just unplug the wires for the parking/turn signal lights and then remove the 4 nuts holding the bumper to the car. Pay attention to the shims on each side so you can put them back where they were originally placed.

Your paint guy isn't familiar with the MGB. He's thinking about new cars that just have a plastic cover over what passes for a bumper structure.

If you disassemble the bumper you will almost certainly damage the paint trying to reassemble it....

 

[mezy]

As these pumber are softer and more pliable than modern plastic bumpers, and textured to boot, they will require special treatment to paint them.
They will need an adhesion promotor, plastics primer and plastisiser in any paint that is applied,
I did a set of honda civic wheel arch and sill plastics a long time ago, told the customer it would most likely come off
as there are two types fitted to the civic, Paintable and non paintable. gues what, the paint fell off.

It is possible the painted bumpers you have seen are fibre glass reproductions.

 

[Coastalman]

Great responses! Thanks! I do trust my paint guy to do it right. He paints special cars from classics to modern Aston Martins. He seemed to know all about the primers when we talked, but I will pass along your advice. Also, the advice on just taking the whole bumper off is great. I didn't think it would be so easy as four bolts and unplugging the two lights. I'll be doing that next week.
Thanks for all the information!
Charlie