Ok there is just one small item on my cooper that has always bugged me that I have never been able to resolve. Maybe someone here has already solved this.

The sun visor is totally useless to me if the sun is coming from the driver side window. My 4runner has a nice little internal extension panel to cover the entire window. Considering how long the door window is and how short the visor is, I'm surprised the mini doesn't have a better visor (I have an 03 Cooper S).

Anyone find a good solution to this?

 

Make an extention out of cardboard or construction paper - very easy to do.

Just fold a piece of stiff paper around the visor - tape or glue it together ( don't get any glue on the visor ) -- then when you need it - just slide it out over the visor end

Kinda like a sleeve for the visor that you can slide back and forth -- if you cut it to the right length you should be able to stow the visor in the norm position with the sleeve on the visor.

I got this idea from a 1950's Popular Mechanics magazine -- works great for me!!

PS - it does block the vanity miror - if you have one

 

that's a good idea. I think I'll spend some time on this. I bet if I make it correctly, I might be able to retain the use of the mirror. Although to be honest, I don't ever remember using the mirror. LOL

 

MINI did "solve" this on later models with a seperate driver's side visor. I say "solved" because I'm not sure how effective the solution was really as I, too, have an '03. I say: get inventive, or just forget about it and enjoy the drive...think of it as one of the quirks (most of the other quirks are good ones anyway).

 

I have the drivers side visor on my 05 and like it a lot. It's not always perfect, but often is darn close. In general, my complaint with the front window visors is that they are smaller than they need to be. A small design change would fill in gaps that are present now. I'm at a loss why they are so short.

 

SUNGLASSESS--SUNGLASSES--SUNGLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!--THE CURE. And maybe an occasional Mini ballcap.

 

you beat me to it..i was gonna say sunglasses. i dont like using sun visors..cut off a lot of my vision. i get paranoid a suv or a big truck might hit me without me seeing it coming.
i do have an extra driver side visor tho. it might come in handy one day or another.

 

I always wear a ball cap, and all my ball caps have the bill curved fairly severely, so the sun is rarely a problem, especially from the sides.

Zip

 

haha sunglasses my friend :D. 360 degree sunproof :D

 

+1 on the sunglasses, and +1 on the ballcap. I rarely if ever flip down the visors anymore.

 

HAHAHA You think the sun visors on the MINI are bad, I just picked up a Z3 roadster, and the visors are about 3 inches tall, and 7 inches long, completely useless.

 

Sunglasses don't work for everyone, especially if they wear prescription glasses. As of 2006, Mini still hasn't corrected this one, the drivers side visor is waaay to short. The sun blasts through right between the rim of my glasses (with clip ons, and when I had prescription sunglasses, the sun managed to bypass them also) and my eyes.

 

Like many, I wear sunglasses and a hat, however, these Nederlanders have planted trees that, when the sun shines through them, have a very strong and very annoying strobe effect that I just WISHED the visors could block!! As it is, I end up putting my elbow on the door sill and using my hand to block the sun...

Honestly, the visors are the only thing I think is wrong with Maggie. That and my not spending enough time riding around!!

Cheers!

 

get the darker tint strip at top of winshield or darker tint on door windows. Just my 2 cents.

 

OH MAN...you beat me to it. dunno why i didnt say that in the first place. especially me being a tinter and all..
i have to admit..im slow.
but tinted windows help a bit. with the heat and the glare.
(depending on the percent you go with of course)

 

I can tell you that the driver's side visor in the R56 has not been fixed. There is a gap from the end of the visor to the A pillar (I think that's what it is called) of at least 2" that even my sunglasses can't handle! Then they have the visor that folds down from the driver side window but isn't that fantastic. Oh well, a small price to pay for a GREAT car!!

 

I'm gonna hang those ball-beaded curtains from all my windows like the ones in the Munster-mobile.

Zip

 

My new 07 S I just picked up last week has a driver side visor that folds down (one in front of course and one that covers the top part of the drive side window.)

although I went and got the tint done right away and have never needed to use it.

 

The drivers side fold down visor has been around for a few years, but it still doesn't cover the length of the window. If you're tall like I am, and have the seat all the way back, there's quite a large gap to allow the sun to blind a person.

Tint is something CA drivers have to be careful about. Most cops don't care too much, but some will cite you for too much tint.

 

Anyone know if you can add this driver side fold down visor to an 03 cooper S? If yes, where can I order one?

 

baseball cap, we always carry a couple in the car, especially helpful with the sunroof

 

Having owned an MGB forever, I know the value of a baseball cap! But sometimes a cap is just not practical.

 

When is that?

Zip

 

Sunglasses? - Yes
Ballcap? - Yes
Window Tint? - Yes

Here's something else I use (and works for me), I bought a limo tint kit from w-mart the clingy stuff, that you can apply and replace. Not very expensive, less than $15 and as dark as they had. Anyway I keep an envelope sized piece of that material stuck to the inside of the sunroof, and pulll it off and apply it to the window where and for as long as needed. Plenty left over for future use. Works pretty good.

Look dorky? - Probably
Do I care? - Nah.

 

I KNOW ON MY 06 THERE WAS A SECOND VISON ON THE DRIVERS
I AM GUESSING ON THE 03 IT ISN'T THERE ??
I KNOW THEY SELL EXTENDERS THAT CLIP ON TO THE VISOR AT AUTO PARTS PLACES... THAT MAY WORK