My 2012 Royal Grey S has black bonnet stripes. Are these installed at the factory or at the port? Whatever the case, they came on the vehicle and are listed on the MSRP sticker but if I had ordered the car I wouldn't have gotten them.

Now that I have the MINI, I can't decide if I should take them off or just leave them. I like stripes but the stripes I like are the ones that are full fat ones that cover the hood, roof and bumpers. These little bonnet stripes are borderline cheesy but because they are black on a grey car they don't show up that much and I generally like to keep things that came from the factory to preserve the OEM features and value - still I know they are there.

My GF says stripes are what make MINIs and she has a point, but on the other hand they aren't my thing that much.

So, what to do? Remove them or live with them? That is the question.

I have to decide before Friday because I'm getting a clear bra then. Give me your thoughts.

 

Your girlfriend is right, bonnet stripes are as much MINI as the contrasting roof color. Leave them and don't make your poor MINI run around nekked.

 

Wow, when someone with nearly 10,000 posts speaks, you definitely have to take notice of the message. Thanks for your contribution!

 

Doesn't mean I'm an authority on any subject. Just means A) I've been around NAM a long time, and B) I talk a lot.

Most of my posts are on off-topic threads and the detailing forum. And I'm not even an authority on that subject.

Any pics of your MINI ? Would love to see these stripes.

 

Keep them or get custom ones, but don't go with a naked bonnet is my vote. I have the same color combo as you do, and I may do some custom stripes down the line. In the mean time I am keeping the factory ones.

Hope you're enjoying your CM!

 

Ask and ye shall receive. Just ordered some mudflaps a few minis ago too.

 

I know they all come this way, but just looking at the photo again reminds me that I dislike how they end before they reach the bottom of the hood. If they ended at the grille instead of 7/8ths of the way down to the front, I might like them more.

Somebody restrain me, I may roll it out into the 115 degree sunshine and whip those puppies off!

 

You don't like them.
I say take them off!
You should smile with joy every time you look at your car.
Having said that, I think you should get new ones in the style you do like.
There is a trend now for naked bonnets, but I think stripes make the MINI.

FWIW - Personally, I like the black stripes on the Royal Grey, very subtle.
I agree with you though, they aren't long enough.

 

I love the black stripes on that CM... they tie the roof, wheels, and all the other black bits together very nicely.

Not a fan of the bonnet strip design on the CM either. Me... I'd go with the sport stripes on that CM. But again, don't let my post count sway you.

 

Thanks for da input LittleWing (BIG Hendrix fan here!). Don't get me wrong, I smile with joy even with them, it's just that I also know that I wouldn't have had them installed if I'd custom ordered my MINI.

 

I'd say do it like you like it. Fenton originally had no stripes - we felt he needed more visibility and matched the top to the stripes. I want to see how yours look with something that Shelby might have done...

 

restripe!

 

If you're torn, I'd take off before putting on the clearbra. It's easy enough to put stripes back on, but if you ever decide you're done trying to like the stripes it'll be harder and more expensive to take off both the clearbra and the stripes and then get a new clearbra.

Besides, you have the perfect vinyl-pulling weather!

 

If they are not exactly what you wanted for strips, I would say take them off and get some custom ones that you really want. I would hold off on the clear bra until your 100% on what your doing with the strips. Just my $0.02!

 

haha... so true. No blow drier needed !

 

I never noticed that the standard CM stripes are short until this thread.
I never had an opinion about them until you made me look starman!

 

Mine came with those, and I made the dealership take them off and add the sport stripes instead. Couldn't stand the standard bonnet stripes. I had to pay for the new ones, but they ate the labor and 3m.

 

My bonnet is naked... Or um, my car's bonnet is naked! And I regret not getting the sport stripes.
But I am adding wraps to my a-panels soon... The car's a-panels!

 

Ok. It looks like I'm rolling it out into the sunshine and peeling away in a few minutes after I don my blowtorch suit for the weather out there. It's either that or get naked with my MINI.

minib-10's signature photo pushed me over the top. Stripes? I don't need no stinking stripes.

 

My girlfriend is not a "Mini" person by any means. But after I took delivery of mine, it started growing on her. She said the nice thing is no 2 minis are the same. She loves the stripes because it differentiates you.

If you don't like the stripes, take them off. Maybe get new stripes to find ones that you like. Get some viper stripes

 

All done. I think it took five minutes in this heat. Poor vinyl.

 

Feel better?

 

Had a custom stipe guy her ein the Big D take my bonnet stripes off and installed the custom ones I have on now.....chin to bum full sport stripes. I'll try to post a pic to give you some ideas....you can check out my gallery and see the before and after...

 

If I were going to do stripes I would probably go for black on the body and grey on the roof in this style of NAM member quirkyesther. But alas, I just don't think stripes are in my DNA.

 

Way to make the change! Now do you look at it and think, "Yep, that's MY Mini"?

Wow, I hadn't seen this one before and d'aaaang that's a good lookin' car!