Ok, in my '03 R53s I had re-done the dash trim rings in exterior body color (EB), and now I wanted to do the same in my new 2013 R56s. It's a little trickier, so I figured I'd post some pics and how-to tips. As always, try any of this at your own risk!

For starters, here are some before and after pics.

BEFORE: I have the JCW interior kit (off-the lot, not my choice), all black, but the gauge faces are silver, and so are the trim rings (exc. for tach = black trim).

AFTER: I installed the Outmotoring replacement gauge faces, in black, and painted the five trim rings (speedo and 4 vents) in my exterior lightning blue. The tach came with a black trim ring, which I left unchanged. I also painted the needle centers for tach and speedo in LiB, as well as the release for the glove box.

I got the paint from NAPA, and only used the base coat, no clear coat. I felt the clear coat would have made it too glossy, and since these are not high wear parts (ok, except for the glove box release), I figured clear coat was not needed. I used a Preval spray paint cartridge (also from NAPA). 1/2 pint paint was all I needed. I did four coats on all pieces. I baked all pieces at 48 deg C overnight to fully cure.

Note in the after pic that I still need to adjust the speedo needle, it reads low by about 2mph now. I also added the rear fog light toggle while I was at it (ordered from Way Motor Works).

I do really like the black Outmotoring gauge faces much better than the silver ones, and I feel with the addition of the blue trim rings the dash is more subdued and more tied together now. I know, small changes, but I like it. What do y'all think?

More details on the how to in next post.

 

So more details on the how to:
I won't go into changing the gauge faces, there's a great thread on that:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...lacements.html

Much detail on how to disassemble the dash can be found in this excellent thread on the rear fog light activation:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...h-install.html

One thing I had to do in addition to dis-assembly as described in above referenced threads, is to get the side vents off I had to remove the A-pillar trim. This is very easy, all one needs to do is to pry off the small, triangular tab labeled 'airbag' on the upper end of the A-pillar trim to uncover a torx screw underneath. Undo this screw to pull off the trim from the top down. Remove the side trim of the side vents: with doors wide open, just lift up the oval trim with finger nails or a flat head screwdriver, the trim pops off real easy to expose 2 screws underneath. Now all 4 screws holding the side vent covers (this after dash dis-assembly) are accessible and can be removed.

The center speedo trim ring and center vent rings come off as one piece when following the gauge face change instructions.

The tricky thing is that to paint the inner part of the trim rings only (silver in my MINI), it is really best to remove them from the black outer trim. This is because it would be very difficult to mask this transition from inner to outer trim and get paint into one side of the crack and not the other. See attached closeup of where they meet (taken after painting).

This is where it gets tricky, because the inner plastic piece is attached to the outer by way of tabs (from the outer) pushed through slots (in the inner) and then heat-bent (see attached pic of back of one of the side vents. The inner trim is light, the outer is dark. There are six of these tabs).

One way to get these tabs off is to use a micro-hot air jet, if available. Warm the tabs and bend them back. However, this is tedious and runs the danger of warping the trim. I found it much easier and quicker to simply dremel the tabs off to where they are flush with the light inner trim.

More in next post...

 

To reattach the (now painted) inner trim rings to the (black) outer trim, press back into place so that the sad little remnants of the black tabs just poke into the slots of the light inner trim material. Hold in place and then fix with hot melt glue (see pictures). Make sure the hot melt glue is hot enough. I did 2 tabs at one time, let set, and do next 2. That way you can make sure all are well pressed in and secure. The last picture here shows the dis-assembled dash, with the left vent trim reattached after painting, all else still in bits and pieces. Notice the A-pillar trim removed.

That's about it.

 

Awesome write up, thank you!

Now I gotta see how brave I am....

 

^^^Seriously, looks sketchy