hi everyone. i just bought a preowned mini today, 2009 cooper s. it has luggage racks. long story short, the seller said he'd take them off for me whenever he had a chance but not today because he was busy. he said all i needed was a screwdriver. but no. i got home, googled about it, it seems that i need the keys it was installed with. i saw a lot of videos & websites explaining how to install them, but when it comes to removing them, not many. then i read it would leave holes :( the car looks brand new. i wouldn't want to start damaging it already. is there any other way to take off the racks without hurting the car.? please someone tell me there is.! thank you so much for reading my question.
this is what it looks like

 

Congratulations. It's a clean looking car. Your concern about holes is valid...if this is the case it would not be a good thing. Sorry I'm not familiar with the rack.

A word of advice, in case nobody told you. These cars can have a thirst for oil, therefore, get into the habit of checking the oil level frequently until you get a feel for how much oil your MINI burns.

 

thank you.! i'm hoping the racks are just attached to the side of the roof since i saw little rubber slots missing. i assume i still need to find the key for the racks.
hopefully ebay has them or something. ah. here i was, thinking it would be a piece of cake to take of these racks.

thank you for your advice.

 

do enjoy your new ride and have fun!

I wish you only the best with the rack.

 

Welcome to NAM and congratulations on your purchase. I'm not all too familiar with that rack, but I do know that some require keys. If the original seller said they would help maybe just try and wait until they're available to help. Otherwise, do you know the brand of the racks? If so, you could possibly contact them directly to see what is involved in removing their racks. Good luck and hope you enjoy your new MINI. If you ever need any help or have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!