Hi All this is my first post so hope its in the right place. Have just picked up my 2007 TDV8 Vogue yesterday and have been getting together a list of jobs to be done such as repaint flaky door handles, renovate the front leather and also cleaning the door cards and leather seats and having the rear wheel arches repaired as there is a bit of rust coming through.

I have searched through posts on here and have found a few lots of useful information to help me with most of this, however, I have a couple of questions I couldn't find answers too using the search function and wonder if you can help.

Firstly I have the tow bar attached which I will never use so wanted to remove it and revert to stock.
I have found the wiki guide for fitting this but couldn't see anywhere a list of part that I would need to replace to revert the car to stock. From what I understand when the towbar is removed you need some form of rear crash plate to replace the towbar armature?? Also do you need to replace any bits of trim when I take this off. Also re the electrics if I remove these do I just leave the lead in the boot or do I need to turn off the tow bar electrics anywhere in the car?

I have attached pictures of the Tow bar in situ

Click image to enlarge

when you remove the towbar you need to re-fit the bumper bar ,smilier to this..

The bumper support bracket is just as heavy and almost as big , most people would say just remove the Westfalia receiver and get the plastic bung that goes in the square hole .

Lots of cleaning products out there but for plastic , vinyl and even leather I have never found anything as good as magic sponge or melamine foam . No residue cleans every little crevice and texture and leaves no residue at all .
And I have cleaned A LOT of boats in my time . 2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

I have a cunning plan......

Remove the towbar and stick it on here or eBay, they always sell well, then, with the money, get a professional Valet on the inside...

Job done...  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

On the 2002 to 2005 models you also need the original hangers as the exhaust is hung from them. Not sure if that is the case with the 2007. John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

Or pop by mine one weekend and do a swapsee with the standard units i could give you  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Weegie wrote:

On the 2002 to 2005 models you also need the original hangers as the exhaust is hung from them. Not sure if that is the case with the 2007.

Which I have 😄😉 FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

The towbar is a mission to remove by yourself, and you will need the brackets to replace the towbar so that your exhaust has some to hold on to, otherwise it will fall off

If you really don't want it then I'd remove the spring clip and the nut and bolt and tap the armature out, stand back and see if you can live with it, in all honesty you have really got to go some to see if a ffrr has a towbar with the armature removed. As for the wiring you'll need to remove the spare wheel and the right hand cover as you look into the boot. Follow the wires back and there should be a box that come from, which you can unplug. you will need another rubber bung for the hole that the wires will leave, otherwise your back end will fill up with water and we wouldn't want that

Or another suggestion is to find someone who hasn't got a tow bar and wants one and is prepared to assist in the removal of yours, and in return you assist them with their install and use their bits to make your car good Win Win and it will take 2 to remove the bumper skin, and lay them on something soft, cos they scratch real easy  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

The rubber bit is the only piece I don't have from the standard setup but they are only a few £ from Dan iirc.

Removing the bumper is easy. You just take your time and warm it up. Doing it cold it can snap the lugs quite easily. FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

have a look on topix at the towbar installation instructions. Removing it is just the reverse of that. The crash bar is already there under the plastic bumper cover, the tow armature plates are held on by it. You will need the replacement towing eye/exhaust brackets though.

Personally though i'd just remove the receiver from the armature and sell it along with the quick release kit from in your boot.

The armature doesn't really show much once removed and if gives you a useful place to put a jack, it lust looks like part of the car. The bung to go in the square hole in it is about £7 from land rover dealers. Just depends if you can live with it.

as stated above with the receiver removed ,bung in place and a pair of black electric socket covers ,
its hardly noticeable ,

plus if you ever do need 1 the main gubbins are in place


Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  2007 tdv8 se ,stornaway grey

Thanks for the replies, 20 Magic sponges on order from Fleabay that will hopefully get the job done on the interior. Would you use these to get the grime of the leather aswell??

As for the towbar, I take your points I think removing the armature bit out and the electrics and you shouldn't really see it. Might help when I come to sell it too if it has one. Also saves me a jon and workout by the sounds of it! Don't have the detachable towing arm though, the dealer probably kept it for sale like the venture cam. Luckily I spotted the cam was there on the test drive, so getting that back with the mount!!

Re removing the electrics is there a specific bung I would need to get or is it a make one yourself job??

stan wrote:

when you remove the towbar you need to re-fit the bumper bar ,smilier to this..

Stan, that pic is of a standard bumper reinforcer pal... Comes on all 322’s with or without tow bar... The towing eye brackets L & R is what the OP would need to replace

I am a bit puzzled by this thread, on my car when fitting a towbar, which I did my self after guidance from here, I didn't remove this bit just the two arms that hold the exhausts and such in place.

Is it model specific or have I done it wrong? Geoff