I apologize in advance... this is a really silly question ... but I’ve been searching through my service manual and looking through various websites online...

How is the flat cover above the spare tire well removed? I see many photos online with them out of the vehicle, but can’t seem to find how it’s secured or hinged to the body.... aside from a few small philips head screws. Is there a spring or a tab that needs to be released? Or do I need to give it a firm pull to release it? Or is it actually screwed in with those small brackets? Just trying to avoid breaking more of the already delicate interior bits!

Thanks!

It's on spring clips so should just pull out with a good pull. There's a steel pin on the underside at each rear corner and clips on the bodywork so you shouldn't break anything.

From memory I believe that you have to put the cover in a vertical position and lift it straight up, if that makes sense.
The cover has two plastic tube shaped attachments on either end. There are slots cut out of these two attachments. On the vehicle side there are two pins. The slots on the spare wheel cover have to be aligned so as to allow the cover to lift up.
All that sounds complicated but once you have it removed you will see what it’s all about.
In layman’s terms, open the spare wheel cover, raise it to a 90 degree position and lift it vertically. That should do it. If not try various angles but I would bet my dogs dinner on the 90 degree position. That’s how mine is set up....

Thanks much fellas! At least that was an easy one!

As JMC says - the pegs it hinges on are flat on one side. Lift it vertical and it should come straight out.

Got the spare cover out without incident. Turns out there is a small plastic cylinder at each end that locks into the metal pegs on the body, but allows the cover to pivot up and down. At any rate, I finally got a proper set of cargo tie-downs installed! They are folding ones from an LR3.

Nice - are they using the rivnuts/captive nuts already present in the floor? On discovering my water ingress problem, all of mine look to be salvageable :(

Yep the tie downs have to be drilled out since they’re M8 and the threaded inserts the P38 has are M10. Need about a half dozen fender washers to space them level with the thick floor padding!

Aha, mmm at this point the mount to the left in that picture would need a 3" diameter hole cut out of the bodywork and new metal welded in if I wanted to mount tie downs :(

Which I might do in the future.