Looking caliente amigo!

 

I agree 1bigpea. I have done the headlight rings, taillight rings, grill, belt line, and the CooperS letters. The only thing I took off the car was the grill. Save the time to do other things. Grill does look great sn0wcrash.

 

What was the removal of the grill like?

 

Removing the grill is not bad. Just 4 bolts on top (10mm). You can see them when you open the hood. The bottom has four places where it slides in. After removing the 4 bolts you just pull the bottom out. It will feel like you have to pull too hard but the only way it can break is if the grill tilts while pulling. So just make sure you pull straight back.

Removing the trim takes more time. There are a lot of clips. Most of them can be pryed with a small flat head screwdriver. The clips at the top of the grill offer less room to get the screwdriver in. I used a paint can opener for those. I also used a plastic body filler applicator as a wedge so the already pryed clips would not go back into place. After painting I reinstalled the grill on the car then reinstalled the trim onto the grill. Hope that helps.

 

The clips stink! I'm always too rough and break stuff. I just used some tape to mask it off. The car was 1 day old and I didn't want to risk messing up lol. Eventually I will give it another go. It was my first time using plasti dip and before I started spraying place paint on a white car I wanted to see how the stuff worked. My brain still tells me "are you out of your damn mind" everytime I reach for the can haha.

But as stated above getting the grill off was a piece of cake. 4 bolts and a little pull. I pulled the bottom out from one side to the other and it came off like a zipper. Think there are only like 4 or 5 tabs that hold it on but was pretty simple.

 

Got my clear bra put on yesterday - including the headlights, fog lights and mirror caps. Props to Mike and the crew at Eco-Tint in Las Vegas. The best work at the best prices. I'm almost embarrassed to say how good of a deal in that others might ask for it and expect it too. Let's just say it was about half of what other shops wanted. Of course it doesn't hurt that this was my third vehicle with them. They do excellent tint work as well and their shop is alway slammed because people and dealers know how great they are. The ultimate complement is when they pull your vehicle out and you say 'Where is it?" like they forgot to do your hood or something because they did such a good job you can't see the line where the clear bra ends unless you look really close!

I will post some photos once I get back to San Diego and get settled in, in the next few days. Road trip today with no bug chip paint worries! Thanks again guys!

 

Did the headlight rings and taillight rings. I can officially say that I hate Plasti Dip!!! (well kinda)

It's great but you have to lay it on THICK EVERYWHERE or it's a pain to get off. Not to mention any overspray is a pain too. Yes way better then spray paint of course but as far as painting stuff like rings again I will totally take them off (like I did with the rear) The fronts came out ok but if you look close at the seam it's just not as great as the rear came out. Maybe because the car is so white. Though you really have to get up close and really look down the edge of the ring at a strange angle.

That being said it ROCKS with how it comes out. Looks like the front lip. Same texture, feels cool and is SO EASY to get off (when thick enough) if you want a do-over or to return to stock. What I hate is that it's hard to get it thick enough in cracks and creases. Who knows maybe it was just me. Probably is hahaha. I just know if I need to do touch ups I'll just stuff off and spray it itself.

 

I plastidipped the rear wings and the "Cooper and ALL" lettering. I tried the door handles and the rear tail lights just to see how it worked out but didn't like them as much. I think it would look better if I had a darker car versus white. It just looked like too much. I did find some white plastidip, but I am going back and forth to see if I want to take the time and cash to even try it. sn0wcrash do you have some pics of your finished product? Do you plan on doing the door handles? It worked for me until I peeled some off the chrome when taking the tape off which I got discouraged and just removed it.

 

Here are some pics of the plastidip job I did on my white CMS. I've got the Cooper letters, Rear Badge (wings), taillight rings, headlight rings, front badge (wings) done. No door handles yet, next I'll probably do grill.

Had no problems with headlight rings, I wouldn't take them off to dip them. Expect to use more dip than you think and go even coats anywhere there's exposed surface. Also it's good to completely cover the area around what you're working with.

 

^^^^^
Ugh!! Now you are going to make me do the wings!!! haha That looks AWESOME. Love the black wings on the white! After the hell I went through hahaha. The front of mine looked covered like that. Got lazy with the back (the first time so that's why I had nasty overspray). The second trry just took off the rings. It was actually quick and easy. My problem was it was hard to get off the thin sport without the messing up the rings so was quicker and easier to just remove and start over.

How does one plasti dip the window line? I tried to use the OutMotoring tape and really didn't like how it came out. A bit too glossy for my taste. The one thing I like about the chrome on the white is it kind of gets lost in the white person. Looks a lot more noticeable in pics then when you are actually standing next to it outside so the window line I'm not really in a rush to do.

 

Oh looks good...but yes the wings would look great if you did them!

 

Thanks!! Totally doing that this week!!! Hahaha back to the scrubbing overspray hahaha!

Yeah they came out great. It's hard to explain what I meant by I didn't like how it looks. If you get right under the lip of the ring (close) and look down at an angle you can see where the plasti dip ripped from in-between. Almost like frayed. NO ONE will EVER notice lol. But I know it's there. Not as clean as say the backs or if you take off the rings. Again I'm being VERY nit-picky and cynical overall. It's great stuff. I'm just a moron.

 

Forgot to mention I already have black handles on order from Aesthetic Creations. Ordered them a few weeks before I even picked out the car. Figured if I didn't end up getting one I would have given em to my little bro as a gift for his all black one. Can't wait to get em!!! Got an email saying should ship this coming week!!

 

checked the oil, it was where it was at 1050MMI it was where it was after 100mi. About 3/4 down the dipstick. It appears as someone mentioned(via theory) this is the natural level, anything higher just seems to be lost via the vacuum system thus causing 'sludge' build up/contamination.
I wont top it off from here & I'll chl it in another 500mi to see if its been consumed.

Today, I also removed the dealer plate frames for a thin, back mount blk steel plate surround.
*the dealer used 6pt trx to secure the front plate moiunt & the plat, but phillips screws for the rear plate. ...ok

 

Your grille is crying out for PD - that chrome trim on it has to go bro.

Now that I'm back where the weather is bearable, I'm joining you guys with a few cans of PD myself this week. Already have the door handles on order from Aesthetic.

 

the dealer didn't put my plates on, but in the boot was a bag with the front mount plate and bag of screws, that is the way mine came, with phillips for the back, torx for the front, thought it odd they all weren't the torx screws.

Not that it matters. Torx used to be about security, now, most people and certainly theifs, have a set of Torx head drives.

 

I've done nothing to mine this weekend but drive it to the tattoo shop. Still have to finish the taillight trim rings. Hopefully today I will get time to do that. LOL!!! Hopefully!!

 

Ahhhh, back to 68 degrees and a cool, relaxed wash and cleansing in the drive for Mr MINI today.

 

Plastidipped the rear and front rings
Copper treatment to mirror covers and air ducts
Black belt line treatment



I will probably go back and paint the rings vs the pd, but I got the idea.

 

Braggart!

 

Looks sharp! 68 degrees? I hate you...

 

Loving the Copper...I went with Spice Orange...one idea is do your scuttles in copper as well...Will look great!!!

 

Do you have any room for another CMS in the garage and 3 people? I HATE Florida weather and looking hard to get out of here...I hear Alaska is nice this time of year!!!

 

My San Diego place will actually be for rent or sale when I move to my house on Maui in 16 or so months.

San Diego has the best climate on the mainland for certain. I am only nine tenths of a mile from the water and don't even have AC in my house because there is no need for it when you live close to the coastline and after living here since 1999 I can count the number of times I wish I had it on my fingers, which is only the rare times when the Santa Ana winds blow from the mountains inland back toward the Ocean.

 

What percent tint do you have? Thinking of tinting mine soon. Our cars are twins and that tint looks GOOD.