I just received all of my vinyl wrapped parts from Lyle and they look sooo damn sexy ... I put all of the parts on but needed help installing and removing the old parts. I used multiple different forums to try and figure out how to remove all these pieces ... So i am just putting it out there that if anyone has any questions on how to remove the chrome accents on their minis let me know and ill write a detail description as i did all installations successfully without breaking anything... i figured we might as well get a thread started here and organize it for people who want to black out their car or dead the chrome !!

ps if you need vinyl work done i highhhly recommend lyle ... i can give you info if you need.

 

Which parts are you having problems with?

 

none i completed everything except the door handles but i am just waiting for my bentley publishers to be delivered and give it a shot. I am just trying to start this so its an organized thread cause as I said before I used at least 4 or 5 different sites. It would be nice if we had one thread dedicated to it here on NAM ... we can fill it in as we go along and as people need help. Thanks for the offer though !!!

 

if you search on here, you can find lots of threads. i did atleast

 

I think this is a good idea. I wish more how-tos were consolidated for easy access.

I've had all of my chrome parts off one time or another, and may again, so I'll try to shoot some video or a couple stills the next time it happens. You can just add them to your first post of this thread.

As for chrome exterior parts, I think the list should include the following:

• grille trim (2 pieces)
• headlight rings (+washer covers)
• taillight rings
• gas cap
• side scuttles (+inserts/blinker lens)
• door handles (major project)

extras (less common):

• boot handle
• OEM rack side inserts + cross bars
• side mirror caps
• emblems

 

So how do you go about removing the chrome trim pieces? If like to plasti dip the grill trim, headlight trim and the belt line. A consolidated area sounds great too, instead of searching all over the net.

 

Any pictures?

 

This is a quick put together for those who asked how this stuff is removed on the car. As it being 11:30pm tomorrow when I get home I will take picutres and reedit this post and be a bit more detailed.

To remove the side scutties you simply put pressure on it, press down, and pull or push (depends how your standing and holding the scuttie) towards the exhaust. It gives a small fight but makes a loud pop and that's how you know it came off. gently remove the bulb, put it in the new one, and push it back on.

grill is very simple. the top part there is 4 screws, unscrew them and gently shift the grill to the left so it unlocks and can be easily removed.
These are the two screws located in the center of the grill



This is the picture of the other screw which is located on the end of each part of the grill.




With the bottom I just took a flat head screw driver and gentled pried it off starting from the center of the bottom piece working my way outward. At the end each piece is clipped in, just be gentle with this part when undoing it i broke mine being too forceful.

For the headlight rings, each of the black pieces that are clipped onto the headlight ring pop off. push the black piece towards the center of the headlight ring and with some force they will pop off. these take extra oomph when pushing. Tip: switch up the fingers. I used one thumb and it hurt some of them can be a *****.

This is a picture of the headlight ring, there are a bunch of these little black pieces that clamp the headlight ring down. you just push these downward as well as towards the center of the headlight ring.


Heres just a picture of another one...

for the headlight washers I did what I read not to do. Pull it out and quickly switch it. I found some of the proper ways on the internet didnt work for me, so I just pulled them out slipped them over the little piece its attached to and slipped the black ones on.

Heres a picture of where I pull the headlight washer from.




Rear light trim. take a flat head screw driver, wrap the head in electrical tape(not too much) and pry away. Get the head of it really wedged in and just pop them off. I worked from the top of the headlight and worked my way down. **make sure you do the electrical tape, helps prevent from it scratching the car badly.

Belt Trim and Door Handles -- belt trim all you need is properly sized vinyl and you wrap that mothaaaa yourself.
Door handles if you want to wrap them it is above my head, in order to get the handles off you have to remove the inside panel. I just bought snap on handles for them.

 

Ill take pictures and reedit the above post tomorrow night for everyone.

 

sigh.....

 

Pics!!!

 

Wow im a super noob when it comes to uploadin pictures... I tried a direct upload with the picture icon and then i uploaded them through the advance feature of posting. how can I get the pictures underneath the captions i wrote since my photos did not upload ... sorry for the noob question but once i figure it out i have the photos to uplaod

 

how do you remove the beltline?

 

You don't "remove", you cover... Check out Vinyl Styles:

http://www.vinylstyles.com/index2.php#/home/

 

Pull up, friction of the rubber holds it on. But there is no need to remove it if you use the beltine vinyl. If you take it off there is a chance you will bend the metal and it isn't easy to do, but ti is hard to bend it back straight I do know that.

So there shouldn't be a need to take it off unless you like living on the edge and bending trim pieces.

 

am I not allowed to upload photos from my flicker account on here ?? ive tried every single way to get these photos uploaded to this post but just cant seem how to... sorry for the people who i promised the pictures to.

 

I just used photobucket and copy the img tag/code.

 

thanks for the photobucket idea ... theres the pictures everyone ... sorry it took so long.

 

Sooo... got the tail light, head light, lower grill trims off in minutes. Stuck on the upper hood trim. Removed the four screws but it won't budge. Suggestions???

 

NEVERMIND. Got it. Long day, trying to rush, just needed to break out a flash light and see exactly what was going on.

 

Pics.... I just upload them to NAM from my Mac. Alliance members have storage here.

 

sorry for the late response but once the 4 screws are out shift the upper grill to the left in order to get it out ...

 

Actually, on my 2011 MCS, there were the four screws, then I had to squeeze and push up a bunch of black snap fit pieces to get the upper grill surround to come out. It was easy, once I could see what was happening.

 

Who did the side scuttles on your car? I hate the chrome ones. I am not going to a full black out, but there are a few pieces here and there that I want to take care of.

 

Lyle at http://www.vinylstyles.com/index2.php#/home/

He's going to be at the Dragon this year. Give him a call, he's a nice guy.