Hi guys.

I've just spent the afternoow installing the M7 grills on my R56 JCW kit and will send you some photos in a few days. I would have sent you some pictures of the installation but it was cold and rainy here and I could barely deal with learning how to take off a bumper and watch attachment clips break in the process and wonder if I could put it all back together again .
In sum, the final product looks great and finishes off the front of my car with metal instead of MINI honeycomb plastic. I've ordered Bug-guard from a nice guy in Baltimore to cover the radiator which glaringly shows through the metal grills .

This is no easy mod, but can be done if you have patience and don't mind doing some extra work, like painting the attachment parts so they don't stick out, cutting out the grill to fit JCW badge, learning how to cut the honeycomb plastic (I found a simple wire cutter clips it nicely and a jigsaw helps the major amputation work) and figuring out the way the MINI bodies are put together, ie, a lot of plastic screws and clips. It's amazing they hold together and you will find a lot of parts the factory left off .

To be continued.......

Flaco

 

Here's my new M7 grill. What do you guys think? I am adding a black bug-guard which will blacken the radiator.

 

I like it! Looks really good and makes me want to get it!

 

Did you install it yourself??

 

Looks very nice. I second the question, did you install yourself? if so, how long?

 

Very cool.

 

Damn, that looks great

 

SHARP!

 

Wow! it looks great on your car....this is something I have been wanting to get, we'll one among many..

Thanks for sharing, looks better than I thought...

 

Holy crap that looks amazing!!! Where did you get the grilles that cover your fog lights???

 

Thanks for all of the nice compliments.

I bought all of the parts from Peter Horvath at M7 Tuning. I was on a trip to Anaheim and stopped by to meet him and see his products. It was very worthwhile - he is very knowledgeable and passionate about his work and has a very nice group of people working with him.

Yes, I installed all of the grills myself in a couple of afternoons. I am just average at mechanics, this is my first MINI, and I had to learn about clips and fasteners and how to remove a new JCW bumper and cut the honeycomb plastic parts without panicking. The instructions are also not complete and you have to adapt and figure out somethings on you own. I wondered at one point if I could get it back together, but I just kept at it and it turned out very nice.

You will inevitably break fasteners on the MINI, like around the arches, but you can get perfect replacements at Ace Hardware. I have also decided to buy a Bug-guard http://bugguardsforbeemers.com/ which will blacken the radiator and protect it as well.

It's the most difficult modification I've done so far, but I'm glad I did it and am happy with the result.

Cheers!

 

Sweet!!! That's what the MCS grill SHOULD look like... Not like it's missing pieces.

 

AAwww...someone punched your car and gave it two black eyes!!


J/K - Looks good.

 

Sounds like you know what you're doing! Can't wait to see pics!

 

in case anyone is intested, before and after....

 

sorry, trying again, before and after

 

Now that is one hell of a transformation. Very nice!!! May have to pay further consideration to the aero kit after all.
Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to remove the black bonnet stripes??? Seems like it would have tied in well with your 'blackout' theme. Or did you want all attention focused on the CF hood-scoop and black outline around it?

 

Thanks. I removed the factory stripes because I didn't like the suspender look and the white pinstripes they come with. It didn't look bad...it just wasn't what I was going for and I may still put some custom stripes on floor to floor. Suggestions are always welcomed!

 

flaco,

Nice job, I like it without the stripes. I will have to look in your gallery, did you do front and rear the the JCW?

The M7 pieces look great. Nice aggressive/powerful looking MCS.

 

Thank you Flaco....

These are literally the first prototype griles that come out of the shop.
And with that I appologize for the non-existant "how to install" we will
have them as soon as the product is available for sale.

The car really look fantastic with these grilles....

Peter

M7 Tuning
562-608-8123

 

Thanks Peter. The installation was actually not that difficult even for someone like myself with very modest skills. I knew that the product was new and appreciate being able to be one of the first to test them for you. They look great on the car, fit perfectly and attract a lot of compliments. The finish is outstanding. I would recommend them highly to anyone wanting to improve the look of their MINI.

 

Did you have any problem removing the stripes.

 

Good question

 

No problems. I just warmed them with a hair dryer and peeled them off from the top, cleaned glue off with WD40 then washed and waxed. Good as new and no trace of the old stripes! My car is relatively new and hasn't been in the sun a significant amount previously.