MFSW, interior bit removal, and speaker size
 

Okay so thats a lot for one post but Im impatient :smile:. I'd like to know a few things here. I got my MCS without the MFSW because in general I don't like having buttons on my steering wheel (no real good reason, just my taste). I had figured on this car being for in town or short trips so I wasnt too concerned about not having cruise control. But as I approach the end of my 5th week of ownership my second long roadtrip is already upon me and it occurs to me that cruise would be a very nice thing to have. Has anyone or does anyone know if the MFSW can be retrofitted? I know things like rear fog, autodim mirror, homelink, etc. are all prewired and its just a matter of buying the parts, plugging them in and sometimes dealer reprogramming. Is that possible for the wheel too or am I pretty much SOL? BTW, im sure lots of you have found ways to make some sort of cruise control work w/o the MFSW but i would rather keep it factory looking.

Next, in an attempt to bring together the interior and exterior aesthetically, I am thinking about body matching the three silver inserts in the steering wheel. I have noticed by feel that there is a small hole on the back of the wheel behind each of these. Is there a screw in that hole that allows for the removal of these pieces? if so does anyone know what type/size it is?

Last, though nowhere near the top of my mod list, I do intend to upgrade the speakers in Kathy to a set of Polk dB series component speakers. But I tend not to trust crutchfield (or any other general purpose auto a/v supplier) when it comes to speaker sizes due to a problem i had several years back with a previous car. I have heard that the rears are 6x9's but i don't know about the fronts. Anyone have this info for a '05 w/o the HK stereo?

Thanks all

I'm pretty sure the fronts are 5.25" and im even more sure that to put a 6-6 1/2" in you need to use an adapter. The backs are definantly 6x9's and rather deep. As for the cruise control i asked my dealer if they could put it in and the guy said he'd never done it before and if it could be done it would be pretty expensive, since there would be some rewiring issues. he however did not say a price, or really seem interested in doing it. I dont know if the steering wheel pieces come off. I wouldn't mess with it unless someone else has done this before.

Here's the How-to for the MFSW. Not sure if it is exactly the same for 2005's. http://www.mini2.com/guides/pdf/MFSW.PDFLet me know if it works... I may do the same for my MCS.

Awesome, thanks for the info. I'll have to call up my dealer and see if they know of anything like this for the '05. I know that anyone can go in and buy an '05 style 3spoke MFSW as a replacement for older cars (at least according to the you-ify book i grabbed last time i was there) but thats for cars that already have a MFSW. We'll see, ill keep u posted.

Not sure if it helps any, but I put my 6.5" speaker in the speaker hole, and it fit... But the holes didn't line up, and there is a strut behind the door. Because of the support strut, my speaker would not fit fully into the hole either.

Pics of my testing can be found here:
http://www.mappage.net/cmine/thumbnails.php?album=15

You can see the factory speakers are perma-mouned to an adapter which brings them out from the metal door frame. As suggested by other forums and GB Mini's blog, I sought out Mike the Mini @ http://www.newministuff.com, and ordered a pair of these:
https://www.newministuff.com/new/image.php?iid=59

The only downside is you're paying a bit more because they're shipping from the UK, and the dollar is weak over there.

Crutchfield has some similar stuff, but their descriptions are vague, and for some reason when you have 2005 MCS selected as your car, the things they suggest say 'Will fit perfectly in your Volkswagen!'... Ummm, I dont have a VW. So I ordered from Mike to be safe. All his descriptions were good, and as soon as I ordered, he contacted me to verify my needs before shipping. I'd recommend him over crutchfield, unless you're buying a head unit from them, or are just a crutchfield fanatic.

polk db6500
 

Just got home from a Mini meet in North Jersey, sponsored by the Northeast Mini www.nemini.org people and had a great time. Mini owners rule!!!

Heard polk db6500 speakers in two cars, one off a 50 watt per channel amp, and the other straight off a Kenwood aftermarket head unit. Both sounded great. Here's is a review on them:
http://www.carreview.com/PRD_299154_...x.aspx#reviews

Good luck whatever you decide.


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