That's all nice, Ken, but I do not have the PIAAAAAAAAAs !!!

Want to come and install my OEM lights ? $200 and a case of your favorite beer.

 

Root Beer , remember my age

 

Root beer is cheaper than Lager OR Pilsner.

Jeremy... you never installed them before, how do I trust than you know any more about what you're doing than I do ?!?!

 

I'd definatly install my lights 1st. Just to be sure.

 

I'll inspect your work and if the lights are functional and still firmly attached, then you're hired.

 

akkk, installation should be about the same easiculty (?).

but i think you need to have the dealer turn-on that option on the
computer to make it work. this is why i just got the PIAA's. super
easy install.

 

I'm thinking one great big driving light, right in the center. Possibly in that gaping hole in the bonnet. You could call him Cyclops or Dr. Cyclops or Evil Cyclops Doctor or Dr. Evil Cyclops ... anyway you get the picture.
Really looks great. I'm digging the stripes and the red mirror caps. Very nice!

 

Looks fantastic. All three do, really.

Wish I had a mod enthusiast like you in my household (no offense to my hubby, of course.)

 

Ah yes, I can always count on Maybee for a good laugh !

And thanks... glad you like the stripage and touch of Chili Red.


Maybe YOU can be that Mad-Modder, wondermini !

And thanks, appreciate the kind words.

 

I'm chicken.

So far the only thing I've done is change out the antenna.

I'm thinking maybe a Whalen **** will be my next low-stress mod...

Not sure I can stomach doing much else to the car...too afraid I'll screw it up.

 

^ I'm not sure what is/isn't available for the R56, but I am confident you can tackle the glovebox organizer.

 

With all the DIY threads here on NAM and all the help everyone offers if you have any questions, most mods (especially aesthetic mods) are a piece of cake.

Just let us know what you're interested in and you'll get more help than you want or need !

Whalen **** is a good place to start... literally takes 2 minutes (and 90 seconds of that is pulling off the OEM **** and saying 3 cuss words in the process--yeah, it takes a little elbow grease).

 

^ and after that, Ian Cull's auto-up circuit (if he's developed it for the R56) is a good step up in the modification ladder.

 

in the early days it was just a matter of doing a fast 0-60mph 1-2
shift. the **** ended up in the back seat. hehehe.

 

im gonna be redo-ing my black stripes this week. since
removing the driving lights that disconnect between my aero grill
and stripe has been bugging me. yah, i know, it's only like 5mm, but
i don't want that gap there.

going to try outmotoring's black stripes.

so did you guys wrap the stripe under the grill and tuck it, or
just razor bladed it flush?

 

Ken, Don't know about outmotoring's stripes, but the bonnet stripes I installed were precut to fit with just a small gap on both ends (maybe 2mm).

Are you sure outmotoring's stripes are going to be long enough to wrap one edge ?

 

Yeah I'd like to have stripes that wrap. Next time I'll have to have Mike make 'em a little longer.

And don't be afraid of mods...I was too at first and the next thing I knew I had my dash all over my front yard in pieces. The MINI is like Tinker Toys, it comes apart and goes back together so easily...just use the DIYa here on NAM and you'll be fine.

 

Mine is more like Legos... but same concept.

 

2mm is good... from wat i hear, outmotoring's one is much longer and so
you can do all sorts of angles on them and trim it to size... well, for me
im just redo-ing the angle i have on there right now. i just dont want
that 5mm+ gaping gap.

ML- will let you know if the outmotoring ones are long enough to wrap.
i think i will remove the aero grill temporarily and tuck it under there.

i should have the stripes in my hands tomorrow.

 

i re-did my black stripes last night using the Outmotoring standard
black stripes.

i was originally planning to remove the aero grill before applying so that i
could tuck under, but the plastic posts for the nut was wearing too much
when i removed the first nut so decided against it. i was still able to cut
and tuck under the grill and the bonnet just fine for a seamless look.

one thing i noticed on the Outmotoring stripes is that it comes with a
protective cover with a pretty strong adhesive. I wasn't sure if i had
to remove it before the app or not (cause squeegees scratch the vinyl
without protection) so went ahead and just applied my soap solution and
applied the stripe with the cover on... big mistake. ended up with
lots of little bubbles because the squeegee-ing created air bubbles between
the stripe and cover.. This prevented me from squeegee-ing out the solution
completely between the stripe and bonnet.. :impatient yikes... looks like
some newb did it...

so the next one i peeled back the cover first and applied as usual.
by 'usual', i mean soap solution and my squeegee wrapped in a thin
cotton towel (Griot's cotton towel to be exact). this one turned out
great.

im just hoping my first one's bubbles flatten out over time. i noted this
to Outmotoring and they said they will send me a replacement if the
bubbles dont flatten out over time. talk about customer care. you gotta luv outmotoring.

so, a word of caution... remove those covers before applying the
Outmotoring stripes!

picts to follow.... when those bubbles come out.

 

Do you mean they have a cover on both sides of the stripe you have to remove first?

 

yes, that's correct.

the protective cover has a pretty strong adhesive so you need to be
very careful not to stretch the stripe... once you do it it's no big deal
but the first time i wasn't sure wat i was suppose to do.

..and ive applied dealer stripes in the past perfectly twice... so.

 

Yeah, I can't imagine removing the protective coating on the outside of the vinyl BEFORE installing. Glad it worked for you though, Ken.

I had problems with one of my boot stripes... peeled off the protective cover after the install and the vinyl lifted up with it in lots of spots. I deduced that I didn't strip the wax off well enough before install and the vinyl didn't adhere to the paint well enough (only used a dawn wash).

When I got my replacement stripe, I used Goof-Off, installed, removed the cover, and re-waxed. Perfecto ! But yes, the protective cover was tough to pull off... had a lot of adhesive.

So the moral is... strip down to the paint before you install any vinyl !!

 

CR&PW&JB&futureIB - yah, that's a good suggestion.

i used Griot's paint prep first to remove wax over my old stripe and
the vicinity. then i took rubbing alcohol to remove the remaining wax.

the paint was squeaky clean without any wax but with the soap solution
it was VERY difficult to pull off the protective cover on the bonnet.

guess we learn from experience, huh?

for your stripe that lost it's adhesive on the edge, you can probably
just put some thin 3M mounting tape under there or just get a slice
of clearbra and tape over it. no one will be able to tell... well, except
you.

 

... future IB ! :impatient

I missed the part where you said you used soap solution the first time. Yes, I guess that WOULD make it tough to remove the cover ! You'd have to let it dry for about 2 days first, I would imagine.

As for my messed up stripe, it's somewhere in a landfill right about now. Once it started to pull up, I tried to fix it by using the squeegie without the cover on the stripe. Even though I used the one with the foam strip on the edge, the squeegie damaged the vinyl. I was not happy with myself that day.

But it's all good now... just cost me an extra $40.