Hey all ! I just finished my first mod on the Mini... bumper plugs!

Disclaimer: check you local laws regarding removal of front license plate...I will not accept any blame if you get a ticket

Disclaimer #2: I still cant find my digicam's charger...so you'll have to make due with these sub-par cell cam pics

While rummaging in the front footwell the other day, cleaning out a few leaves and other debris when cleaning my car, I found the black plastic plugs in the carpet and least to say, I had a semi-bright idea: try to find smaller plugs that could be used to plug the front bumper holes! And so my search began around every hardware store in the area. The reasoning behind the carpet plugs is because they have 'fins' that allow for a very snug and secure fitment...push them in and go!

I am by no means trying to put any vendors/companies out of business, but this is in the interest of someone who may wish to save some money for a nice dinner/drinks instead

I was contemplating buying pre-painted/matching bumper plugs from a very famous and quality vendor, however, the price & shipping was a bit on the extravagant side (the dealer drilled 4 holes in mine, so it would be $24 x 2 just for the plugs, then another ~$15 for shipping)..considering my Mini is black, the precise match isnt a huge concern for me. With that said, I dont think any of the Mini colors would be terribly difficult to get a decent match with from a Krylon rattlecan paint. Remember these plugs are tiny in comparison to the car, so you probably wouldnt even notice the color shift if there was one.

Now...What you need and where you need to go!

True Value hardware stores in my area carry the "Hillman" brand fasteners. You may want to call around first and ask if your local store carries the Hillman brand before you go hunting around. Home Depot did not carry the Hillman brand, but again, ymmv as far as what hardware stores carry Hillman.

• "Hillman" black plastic 5/32" plugs (I'm not 100% on the size, but the price is $.23 a piece so hopefully that helps!)



• Krylon body color gloss..this is the tricky part. It's very easy for me since my body color is black, so if you have a yellow Mini for example, you may want to buy the vendor bumper plugs that come pre-painted for a perfect color match. If you have an airbrush laying around, you could probably order the specific paint code that Mini uses...but afaik, the minimum is a pint, wayyyyy too much for this project and overkill on top of that..but I will not dissuade you from your goals. Id recommend buying this from the hardware store as Autozone has a very limited selection of colors.

• Dupli-color clear coat (found at any Autozone or Pep boys). Any clear coat will work, I used this brand because its pretty durable from my experience.

• (optional) Dupli-color primer ...also found @ Autozone.

*****

What to do::

1) find a small card or cardboard piece you can plunge the plugs into for your quick painting sessions..this keeps your hands paint free and prevents you from losing the lil plugs in the process.


2) you might wish to skip this step, but for ultimate paint adhesion I would recommend roughing up the plastic a bit with 600 grit sandpaper, and spraying a coat of primer on the plugs, let dry ~30 minutes, then give a light sanding before applying the color coat. if you are interested in doing this, I would recommend buying Duplicolor Fillable or Sandable primer..both work just as well.

3) apply a light coat of your color paint to the plugs. just a quick couple passes should give you optimal coverage...let dry for 10-15 minutes then do a second pass with the color coat.

4) after letting the color coat dry 10-15 minutes, it would be a good time to apply the clear coat. your first pass with clear might look 'pebbly' on the finish, so go over a second pass and the coat should be nice and smooth now. let dry in a well ventilated area for 30-45 min before handling the plugs.

5) take a small x-acto blade or knife and carefully scrape away any loose plastic from your front bumper, as you want the plugs to mount as flush as possible!

6) pull your amazing little plugs from the painting board and get rid of those unsightly screw holes in your bumper!



*****


The grand total of this simple mod was a whopping .92¢ ! Mainly in part to me already having clearcoat & paint laying around, so your costs may vary depending on which paints you go out and buy.

As mentioned before, I'm not trying to put anyone out of business...I was just bored this morning. Hope this may help a few people


PS> If some of you arent able to find this specific plug, I would be willing to pick some up and ship them to you (at cost, im in no interest to make money here) since I know I can get them here locally. Just send me a PM

BEFORE (please excuse the remnants of Texan, New Mexican & Arizonian bug gutz..I need to get in there with some tweezers or something. warp speed in teh Mini lodged 'em in good)



AFTER




shhh...monster baby is sleeping

 

Parking fail.

 

Cool. Ya you failed parking. Its a MINI not a bus. But that parking garage looks familiar but they all do.

 

to be fair, everyone has 2 parking spaces

im hiding my motorcycle on the other side of the car...I squeeze far enough over so even if the neighbors door swings completely open, Mini is out of harm's way

 

I do the same thing

 

Nice writeup! Just so you know, you can get as little as once ounce in a bottle from PaintScratch.com for about $15.00 for the base color.

They have smaller sizes but those are paint pens.

 

Very cool! I did not know that

I was just going by what the local auto paint suppliers sell for other projects ive done

 

Thanks for the tip! This was EXACTLY what I planned to do for MY first MINI mod! I just bought a used Clubby in NJ. I'm in PA so I don't need the front license plate. I hate having holes and I didn't want to put on a novelty plate just to cover up the black ugly plastic. Thanks, man, your post made my night!

 

Hey Uber Bucket - your photos are not displaying on this thread. Could you repost your photos or send them directly to me at dlefever1@verizon.net? Thanks!

 

This is what i did to mine which has a four hole as well.Bought it at pepboys for $4 i think and install it in less than 3mins.they also have it gloss and flat black.

 

My mini just completed its official journey from TX to PA. And also was pining over the state sponsored damage to my very red (chili) bumper. Thanks for the directions and hints. I see my first mini DIY project in my future.

But being sometimes a girly girl, I may transfer some funky manicure skills to the plugs. Teeny tiny flags maybe?

 

those pics aren't visible, I wanna see plugs, I will be doing this

 

The dealership added the license plate holder to my Countryman. I don't advertise the dealer for free so the licence plate and holder came off. I have four raw screw holes in the bumper. I'm thinking of getting some white silicon caulk for the holes (filling flush) and then using light white touch up paint over the that to fill in the gaps and make the look smooth (almost like the original dimple for the screw)

 

Ooh this sounds fun! If you do it post pics please.

 

You are better off using SEM (brand) Bumperflex repair.

You can get it at most better auto parts stores that sell real auto body products.

Paint won't stick to silicone..