Scraped my front JCW Pro splitter (too used to my Sierra with the off road package). Any suggestion how to “reasonable” repair? I sanded the lumps out so it’s pretty smooth, not worth $400+ to replace as the damage is down low. Thanks.

 

MINI used this stuff for the Gen 1 MINIs that needed a textured black trim look.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-bumper-4.html

 

Shoot man. Rub some dirt on it and drive on.

Pic of underside nose of my Boxster. It scraped every driveway even though I was careful and entered/left at an angle.



Seriously the thing is going to get scraped up. I had a Porsche 996 Turbo with a $400 air dam. I was careful. I used the bottom of the outside mirror to judge how far I could pull the car into a parking space and not crunch the air dam. Let a SA drive the car. He crunched the air dam. I didn't say anything. Just ordered a new one and decided no one drives the car but me.

Had another car -- a Hellcat -- that its spitter scraped every driveway no matter how careful I was. it came with the factory splitter protectors on the spiltter. They were supposed to be removed by the dealer -- I didn't know this at the time I took possession of the car. Then when I realized they should not be left on the car I just forgot to ask they be removed when I had the car in for service. One time I did remember but the tech was unable to get them off.

Finally I got a tech at a dealer to remove them.

They were worn through and the edge of the splitter was worn down some. Really it didn't bother me.




This car's nose was high enough to clear -- if only barely -- the sidewalk when I pulled in. But usually I relied on the mirror bottoms to park the car just short of the curb/sidewalk. Or I'd back the car in.

 

Generally I'm not a paint nut, no PPF or ceramic BS. My hood has a small dent (from a rock) and there's nicks in the front bumper. that I never bothered to repair. The scrape is more of me F-ing up cause I got used to high truck stance. I stared at the scrape for 5 minutes and ordered a new splitter .
On another note "I can hijack my own thread" what Mini do you have and is the Boxster more fun than your Mini? I occasionally toy with the idea of something new. "Had" a Camaro & Alfa QV recently they were fun but not enough for me to sell the Mini. Everything I test drive feels so heavy, never tried a Porsche tho.

 

Your car of course and if the scrape bothers you... You're not alone in being OCD regarding splitters. I myself am immune to splitter scrapes. But I go bat guano crazy to see leaves on any of my vehicles.

First MINI was a 2018 JCW 2-door hatchback 6-speed:


Loved the car. Owned concurrent with a 2018 Hellcat. I called the JCW the little green beast with 228hp from a 2l engine. If one scaled up the 2.0l engine to 6.2l (same size engine in the Hellcat) and if the HP scaled linearly the MINI "6.2l" engine would produce 706hp.

So it was with some serious sadness I sold it May/June 2020 when I decided to retire and leave CA for Benton County (northwest) AR. No MINI dealer here. But last May when I bought a new BMW learned the BMW dealer can service the new MINI. I "tested" the dealer with my BMW's service -- an early oil/filter service -- and it went fine so I bought my 2nd MINI at the dealer in Merriam KS.

It is a 2023 MINI Cooper S 2-door hatchback with (deep breath...) a 7-speed Sport dual clutch automatic:



The new MINI has won me over to the point I'm having 2nd thoughts about trading it for an JCW I intend to order soon. But I don't have room for 2 MINIs (and one BMW).

The Boxster (a 2002 model with the 2.7l flat 6 and a 5-speed manual) was I guess the best car I ever owned. I wanted a mid-engine car and the Fiero was too old, the MR2 had no room -- I wanted to use the car for road trips and that means it needs to have room for luggage. The Boxster had a huge front trunk and a smaller but still roomy enough rear trunk. Ferraris were out of my price range. So Boxster it was.

Drove the Boxster 16 years -- almost to the day -- and put 317K miles on it. I kept it through a VW Golf TDi, a 2006 Pontiac GTO, a 2008 Cayman S (which was hit and declared a total loss just 4 weeks after I bought it) and a Porsche 996 Turbo.

But I have to say the MINI, both of them, come darn close to being as nice a drive. Sure they can't match the road handling/road manners of a mid-engine car. The handling of the Boxster was exquisite, sublime, perfect. But they are good cars nonetheless. I have a 2022 230i BMW in the garage. Beautiful car (Brooklyn Grey with red leather interior). And a nice running car (255hp, 295 ft lbs of torque) and a nice handling car. But most of the time I walk past the BMW and pull the MINI out. 'course come better weather I guess I'll have to force myself to use the BMW more. Oh the humanity...

This 2023 is a bit of a surprise. Feels pretty peppy more so than its 189hp would suggest but it does have 206 foot pounds of torque. That ain't too shabby. The saying is we buy HP but drive torque. I can believe it.

By way of comparison, the Boxster had 217hp and 192 foot pounds of torque. And it weighed around 2800lbs. Same as the VW Golf, the JCW and this new MINI. The Boxster engine was so tractable and responsive.What a gem of an engine. What a car.