I generally throw the plastic cowl away and buy an aftermarket fiberglass cowl. The AbS cowls tend to crack and break up after a couple of years. By then , any paint you might have had left over from the project is dried up or just got lost or thrown away. Its just easier to get a fiberglass cowl in the beginning. They don't fall apart like the plastic ones. There are several companies that make them. IF you call them up, you can find a cowl in one day and have it in a week. I've even found cowls for kits that were 40 years old and have been out of production for nearly as long. They are seamless and durable.