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I've just finished installing the Chrome kit on my 2004 MC. It is beautiful - not at all garish. I bought it from an eBay store. Although it's not complex physics I thought I'd post some tips and tricks for the install.
1. Mine came with a tiny (and I do mean tiny!) plastic knife. It was a great tool for taking the cover off the 3M tape. Would have gone insane without it. If you don't get one go and get something with a thin but not too sharp end to aid in getting the covers off the tape. Even if you have nails it'll drive ya bleedin' mad.
2. Get an extension cord and a hairdryer. The 3M tape is sophisticated stuff. It's not "just" two-sided tape. You want to heat it AND the surface that you are bonding it to prior to attaching it. The seal will be vastly superior if it's heated.
3. Apply pressure for a period of time. I used my indentured servants (i.e. children) for the task. Remember that you want to have an EXCELLENT seal over the woofer and tweeter in the door. You'll notice many pieces have three or four pieces of tape on them. The woofer cover has eight (8). There's a reason for that. The last thing you want is lovely chrome that buzzes when you turn up the volume. Heat and pressure!!
4. Many items are specifically for one side of the car or the other. It's obvious that the one that goes over the door handle and tweeter is sided. But the woofer covers are also sided as are the upper dashboard vent covers. There's an "L" or an "R" and also the word "UP" with an arrow on these items.
5. The piece that goes over the cup holders is directional. I have the storage cup with the lid for change etc. and I found that it fit into one side better than the other. Turned out it meant I put it on "upside down". But it didn't matter for the look and fit.
6. The covers for the switch separators just above the cup holders are non-directional. The same is true of the vent covers on either side of the speedometer. But. Note that there is always one spot where the plastic came off its attachment stick when it was made. You want to have this out of sight. So, for example, with the switch covers, just have a look and make sure that end is pointing down.
That's it. Hope it's helpful if you intend on buying the chrome kit.
Did you take before and after photos? Been thinking about this update for a while, and was debating how it would look with my very basic interior. (the grey plastic, grey pleather seats, no color).
I have the basic interior too but with Anthracite, no colour. The effect of any individual piece isn't much, but the overall effect with all the chrome installed is beautiful!
I'm very pleased and frankly wasn't sure before I did the install. I wavered back and forth for 6 weeks (bought the car 8 weeks ago) before I went ahead and bought the kit. The plastic made me nervous, the "no going back" made me nervous, I wondered if it would look lame. On and on.
And check out whiteyanderson's pics in the gallery. There are three that show you the look - door bling, tach, and speedo & vent trim.
I'll still post mine but these give you a good idea - albeit the door is with (gorgeous!) colour.
Murph
why thank you very much! and to believe it took awhile to get used to the tan! i just changed my shift and ebrake boots so i'll try to snap a few of the trim rings there and the toggle covers. didn't like the chrome piece around the mirror adjuster and the top vents so i left those off.
My MC's British Racing Green and we bought the shifter and brake boots in emerald from the dealer. They go on this weekend so I'll post pics of those as well.
Looks like you also decided against the steering wheel chrome pieces. is that right?
the chrome pieces for the steering wheel are for the non cruise wheel. i have the cruise wheel in the MINI. if i didn't i would have used them.
the dash top vent rings looked ok but, i could never get them to stay flat. so i ditched them. the mirror adjuster ring just started taking on a "way too much" feel to me so i left that off too.
i just cleaned the trims down real well with alcohol (my own alcohol- the pad they supplied was pretty small), stuck them on. got a real good fit and they're not coming off. the only issue i had was the passenger side speaker ring- i had to use the chrome ring upside down on it- maybe it was mismarked.
great little kit and it looks OEM to me. i think the OEM mini kit is just a peel and stick anyhow. i got mine at carpartsdiscount for $109 i think. it's the same kit at all the other MINI sites by wellstar. i did see a couple on ebay for $69 the other day not sure what the s&h was on it though.
as far as the engine bay- that's still a work in progress. i just did the ECU cover and i still need to do a couple more reservoir tops and the oil cap and the dipstick handle. that's a cheap mod to look "anodized" but, looks really nice. all you need is some high heat engine paint in the color aluminum by duplicolor. and some duplicolor metalcast paint. scuff the plastic pieces real well after you've cleaned them. then apply a few coats of the aluminum engine paint. let dry for about 20 minutes then do a few coats of the metalcast. then top it off with duplicolor hght temp engine clear coat. beginning to end about a total of 1 hour invested. after a week or so i take some klasse SG (synthetic wax) and put a coat on the parts to keep them shiny and dust free.
the metalcast is an "anodized" paint. really a tint if you will. meant to be sprayed over chrome which is why your first coat on the engine bay components needs to be silver. once it is sprayed over a silver object it really looks anodized. it's available in about 6 or 7 colors. total cost to do my "anodized engine bay" roughly $40. i still have paint left over to finish the small pieces i have left.
Hyper Blue '05 MCS. Whalen. 15% pulley, JCW Exhaust, 380's, RMW tune.
