I need your help in these items that I want/need because my parents finally told me last week to make a list of things I want for Christmas and since they got me my car for my birthday I thought of all the things I need! Any suggestions or anything would be appreciated. Well these are the things that are on my list so far! Please tell me what you guys think! (All of these are from the Mini parts website)

1. All Weather Floor Mats (I am pretty sure this is a MUST!)

2. Electronic Tire Pressure Gauge (For emergencies?)

3. Mini Seat Belt Holder (Well this is also good to protect the interior so you won't be scratching it right?)

4. Rubber Boot Mat (Extra Protection?)

5. Mini Boot Box - Foldable (It seems useful but I am not really sure)

6. Mini Car Cover Outdoor, Parking Boot (The cover looks really nice and useful, what do you guys think?)

7. John Cooper Sport Gauges (This is probably more cosmetics/looks more than anything useful/practical but still, what do you guys think?)

Well thats it for now!

 

Send me over your parents email or phone # so I can text them over my list of things I want to. My bday is on the 7th!

 

If you use a car cover, you have to be sure that your MINI is always clean, otherwise you just make scratches on it. :-) You have to use it consistently, or else it doesn't help. If it rains a lot, you will get out of the habit of using it because a wet car cover is a stinker to remove and store when you need to drive the car.

A good digital tire gauge is a great tool. It doesn't have to be from MINI, but it should be easy to read (nice sized readout). Checking your tire pressure regularly is great.

I have the rubber floor mats and they are nice!

Don't know about the seat belt holder... is it the one that clips onto the side of the seat or the headrest? If it's that one, don't bother. They break very easily and you don't need it.

Check out some of the aftermarket sights for MINIs... Go Mini Go, Outmotoring, Craven, etc. Often their prices and quality are better than the factory offerings.

If you can do a fairly easy electronic splicing job, I really recommend the third brake pulsar from Go Mini Go. It splices in next to your brake light in your rear window, and every time you touch the brakes, it blinks the light three or six times. People notice that better than just a regular brake light, and they back off from following you too closely. Not hard to install but you do need a few tools. Your parents would appreciate that one!

Stubby antennas are nice, especially if you go through a car wash.

If you don't have them already, get some microfiber cloths and some good car wash soap, and read some of the detailing threads too. Keeping your MINI clean will make it look good for a long time. There is also a wheel wax that you can use to keep the brake dust from sticking to your wheels. (because the stock brakes are metallic and the dust sticks to your front wheels especially, no doubt you have noticed!)

Merry Christmas!

 

Maybe add some fun stuff in there... mirror covers. license plate frame, etc. I love my checkerboard license plate frame. My girlfriend got it for me last christmas... I'm sure she got ripped off buying it from the dealer, but it looks great.

I wish I had the rubber boot mat... I spilled a bit of milk in there (don't ask.) and it was a huge nightmare to get the smell out of the carpet.

 

Oh, and keep an eye on your oil!! Really, it's crucial!! There are two things to think about, oil LEVEL and oil CHANGES.

If you make sure that your oil is at the right LEVEL all the time, your MINI will be protected from some of the engine troubles that come with a low oil level. The oil needs to be close to the top of the dipstick. ALL THE TIME!! That is so important. Check it every week!

Oil changes are important too, because as the oil gets hot and old, it starts to break down and not protect the engine anymore. And the filter gets full of gunk and junk and maybe even little bits of metal. So, an oil change at a reasonable interval is important too. I have a non S too, and my oil looks good for a long time, because our engines don't run as hot as the turbos do (YAY!) so you could go longer than a turbo before changing. As long as the LEVEL is good!! I change mine every 5,000 miles, but you can go longer than that... if the oil looks good, not really dark and nasty, you could go 10,000 between changes, but if it starts to look dark and thick, change it! An oil change is a lot cheaper than a ruined engine! You can see if your dealer has internet coupons for oil changes in between the 'free' ones that you get under warranty. I usually pay $70 or so for the in between changes, see what your dealer will do for you. Or do them yourself if you want to! Just keep the receipts and write the mileage on them, so that if you need to prove that you did them, you have the paper right there. Remember, if you keep the level right, then the oil changes can go a little longer with a non S.

 

Floor mats and boot mat are a must, but, they are not much fun. I don't think you need the boot box if you have the boot mat. If you have tpms do you need a tire pressure gauge? Is your car a base or an "s"? 1st Gen or 2nd Gen?
I'd shoot for some JCW stuff like a shift **** or dash trim. How about mirrors covers?

Lots of stuff is available. Its tough chosing for sure. Merry Christmas!

 

A JCW steering wheel and shifter would top my list.

 

Be thankful for what you have and enjoy Christmas with your family.

 

Looks like a good selection for under the tree!

All-season mats and trunk protector are great additions...I'm using both. Couldn't imagine tracking in slushy mud (I'm in MO) onto those nice factory carpeted mats.

I bought a foldable trunk box but haven't used it...with the rubber mat and cargo net(s), it's pretty easy to secure stuff.

The JCW gauges are sweet, but have the dark face to match JCW gauges. To me, they look "wrong" if you put them on a non-JCW. Craven (and others) sell those Marshall gauges that are more matched to the "normal" MINI tach face.

Good thoughts from others on detailing supplies, too!

 

Thanks a lot guys. Will definitely keep you guys updated!