That groove I mentioned in the opening post. The one on either side of the wiper blades is now full of dirt. It is a really terrible design detail.
Anyone have any idea of how to clean it. Guess you could run a business along it. I am think of cutting mine off and making something myself. it's clearly an afterthought.

 

^post a pic of that spot

 

I washed my car again this weekend and didn't find the area I believe your describing to be loaded up with dirt. There wasn't much there and it was essentially cleaned out from when I gave my car it's pre-soak. Now admittedly over the last week my car did not get super dirty nor was I driving in any area with loads of loose dirt.

On a side note I am also extremely pleased how much cleaner the F56 exhaust pipes stay. On my R56 I had to regularly wipe these down every other day to keep em clean.

 

Is there an easy way / trick to remove the antenna? My MA told me it should be removed at the car wash.

 

yup, you just unscrew it; it should hold in place snugly but should twist off when you need it to.

 

Just the tip though, the base stays.

 

Dry the car w/a leaf blower.
Saves wear and tear on the paint
Wax lasts longer

Use a natural hog;s hair brush to wash
Soft, gentle, effective.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Montana-Original-12-inch-Boars-Hair-Wash-Brush-car-auto-Pamper-Your-Paint-/310503374976?hash=item484b718080&item=310503374976&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr
ALSO, more options


http://www.autogeek.net/boar-s-hair.html

 

Mercy, that looks nice! I try to keep my motor and compartment clean, but that is truly magnificent! My approach is get keep things clean bit by bit, and not let the dirt get too far ahead.

 

Thanks, it's actually very easy to maintain that. It's only when you neglect it for a long time that it can get tougher.

 

As stated already the detailers 101 Forum is excellent.

For me I started with Griots. See www.Griots.com I hear great things about Black WOW for the black parts around say the fenders.

Griots has a book that is helpful for those of us who are OCD. I got a nice wash bucket on wheels with a screen. With the right tools, micro-fiber cloths washing is fun easy and simple.

What I learned is that much of what I use can't be had at Walmart. A little investment lasts a long time. Glad I took the time to learn.

 

Here's the area I am referring to...it's a very tight groove

 

Also what do you make of this. The body side of the door locks look like it has been sprayed with acid. these marks don't come off. The 3rd image is the drivers side that is not as bad. they generally look terrible though. Any thoughts?
I dropped by the Mini Dealership and the service guy said they all looked like that.....is that true??

 

So pretty much a screw is holding it?

 

A hippie runs that galvanizing booth
A tie-dye look.
The galvanizing is developing a patina.
Pop em off and spray them w/ flat black Rust-o-leum
That's what I did on my MB Sprinter

 

Greg,
Can you finely spray that area clean with the hose when you begin to wash the Mini

 

The cabrio has a similar space in the rubber molding where the top of the boot hatch meets the frame. It collects a lot of dirt. I squirt some water in there and then run a rag pushed down in there with a screwdriver. Comes out pretty clean. There's a couple of more effective methods I can think of, one being to quit obsessing over it, so it gets cleaned when it becomes obnoxiously evident.

 

Fly'n Brick. Yep probably right! But it is a stupid detail none the less. I build and design for a living...In good design every detail is thought through.

 

Indeed, here is a pic of the standard antenna removed where you can see the screw tip.

 

Yah that is the area I thought you meant. I have an adjustable hose nozzle that has a setting to spray the water out at an downward angle, this works well to run along that edge and get stuff out of there.

 

looks to me like you could spray it with your hose and a micro fiber wash mitt would fit in there if that's what you use. Also, if leaves or debris got stuck in there, I'd think raising the bonnet might free it up.

 

[QUOTE=GregoryK;3930597] But it is a stupid detail none the less. QUOTE]
Obnoxiously evident!

 

That looks horrible and no they do not all looks like that. I'd have them replace those.

 

I've washed a Countryman, an 07 Cooper, and a Coupe. This F56S takes the longest of all of them to wash the front end. All the new grooves and lines and hard corners make it difficult to clean. Getting beside the brake duct covers with a sponge is doable, but you gotta work hard at it. Bugs just seem to be attracted to areas your sponge can't get to. GregoryK is correct, the honeycomb faux grills just seem to hold water.

To BMW, I challenge your engineers to actually wash and clean the cars they design.

 

I had a bird poop on my back hatch and it really etched the paint. I had to sand it with 2000 grit then polish out to remove. Now I am paranoid that clear cost seems soft.
Have the car a wax and the thunder grey is just like black. Every scratch and mark shows up....looks good when clean..But I doubt it will age well. Can't believe that I have 4 chips on my hood already!
Going for the Xpel skin.

 

I've noticed water drip marks below the front part of the doors, just like my 2008 and 2011 Mini's. Where were the engineers? Also had bird poop etching in my 2014 just like my 2008. This etching doesn't happen on my wife's Lexus.