so i just did my lower grill today. it sticks out about 1 cm all around on the bottom. i'm assuming i didn't cut enough off?

 

That's what I would think... Did you cut off those piece that the tape was on? Cause I dunno how to do that.

 

Thanks for all the photos and instructions guys I finally got the lower grill on, It is not perfect But it is nothing that an untrained non-mini owner could spot


P.S. I drilled holes in the corner tabs of the grill and pressed it flush against the bumper, I the marked the edge of the grill tabs were they meet the bumper and drilled holes, instead of using srews I used thick zip ties to pull it down tight.

 

I am going to install the upper grill tommorow, Do you think the zip ties will hold the grill even after long periods of driving? (vibration) has anyone had luck re-using the nuts ? I looked at the bonnet today and I see that there are two pieces (a hex nut and a plastic washer) do both of these get screwed back on the new grill. Any pictures ? Thanks.

 

so on the bumper you're supposed to cut the entire bulge that sticks out... the bulge that held the original grill slat along with the cuts for the aero grill tabs?

 

I've been driving around for a while now with these holding on my upper grill & haven't had a problem. Zip ties really hold well if you snug them up with a set of pliers. If you are really worried about them coming loose, you could run a bead of epoxy over them. The epoxy could be peeled off at a later date if needed.

I am under the impression that the hex nuts are a one time use thing.

 

I used mine again without issue. I think it really comes down to what sort of shape they are in when removed.

Sorry, no further pictures or details on the club members car as we can't seem to sync up schedules.

 

This is how I kept the lower aero grill held down tight at the corners. I got the idea from Sanderskog's Screw Method, Thanks. The top part clicked on pretty tight but the bottom part did not snap in BUT it does not bulge out. I will use some epoxy putty and some pressure on the grill to hold all the tabs down.

 

Is it just me or did the pictures not come through?

 

I'm having issues with my web hosting site.............Fixed

 

Got my top Grill on today !!! Now I just have to swap the new bumper (with the lower grill installed) with the old bumper.

 

Mine now looks like blaksheep67's with only my upper grill installed. What a pain, those self-tapping nuts were a b___ to R&R!

Question. Has anybody measured how much material one has to remove off the lower grill? Reason I ask is I would like to make the cut before removing the old parts and the bumper cover...I'm very slow and meticulous and am afriad I won't finish the job in time and would rather not be driving around without my bumper cover.

 

Does somebody have a picture of where the blackout tape would go? I can't visualize it...

Thanks!

 

uRabbit, did you finish? what happened with your install? i can help if you'd like, because i had some of the same problems you had with the install--pm me if you'd like help still.

 

Based on what I've seen on this and other threads, after trimming the grill the tabs appear too long to snap in and hold the grill secure...hence the screws or zip ties. Both however require removing the bumper.

Aaron, how do you secure the grill without removing the bumper?

 

For a secure install, you really do need to remove the bumper. You need to cut the center section of the bumper AND the grill to make them fit together. Sorry!

 

I basically cut slots (that are just tall enough to catch the snap hooks) around the inner lip of the bumper where the tabs on the lower grill line up using a rotozip DRYWALL bit and after removing that two long vents and covering the remaining plastic with a black tape just line up the grill and press it in a few tabs at a time to make sure they 'snap' in place. If your slots are too tall or not in the right position the snaps will not hold. That is why I test fit a few at a time to make sure everything lines up and when I know it all fits press the grill in to place....





Using this type of bit will allow you to 'plunge' through the plastic and then move it left to right to match the width of the tabs from the Aero grill and turn it off and pull the bit out...

 

Great tip Aaron.

Roto zip bits will soon be in my tool box.

 

 

Still have yet to be able to do this lower grill mod. Wondering if I ever will. =/

 

Thanks Aaron, but you didn't really answer my question. After trimming, the it appears (and photos in this thread confirm it) that the hook part of the tab is not flush against the back side of the bumper but well into it. What keeps it firm against the bumper if the tabs are too long?

 

That's when you need to drill out the tabs & use a screw or zip tie as shown earlier in this thread by blaksheep67.

 

The guys around here use a hot glue gun under the ends... no bumper removal required that way. But may not be as secure.

 

There are a dozen ways to do this install....as noted here by other installers experience, etc....

....it has worked for me on every occasion with the method that I described. Every time I have done it I was able to get the grill to fit firmly without any need to access the back and have not used hot glue or zip ties. Maybe it is the amount of the black lip that I typically cut off that helps make the depth of the tabs work just right with the back side of the bumper when the grill is installed...

 

The depth of the tabs after the lip has trimmed does not mean that more of the tab protrudes through the bumper...remember this grill was designed to match the CAD geometry of the Aero bumper and MINI changed quite a lot of the surfacing behind the grill for some reason...the non aero bumper is very different, hence the amount of mods needed tomake the lower grill fit...