The question is this: how difficult is it to remove whatever is necessary in order to get to the cup holders near the cigarette lighter (not the large one affixed to the down pillars)?

I have a G-Tech Pro Comp that I'd like to mount permanently, but not in my line of sight as most people have done (on dash, next to tachometer, on side window air vent, etc.). All of the ideas that others have come up with are awesome, but I'd like to keep the G-Tech out of day-to-day driving sight but still permanently mounted.

You might ask, "Why bother, if you aren't going to be able to see it without craning your neck?" The shift lights are bright, and I know my peripheral vision will notice them even down by the cup holders. All of the rest of the information I don't care to see while driving anyway...I just wait to come to a stop before looking at the data.

I also plan on hard-wiring the unit, and for all of the instructions on this posted elsewhere, thanks!

Now that I think about it, does anyone just know if there are any wires directly under the cup holders? I should just be able to screw the permanent mount right into the base of the cup holder, but I don't want to tap into anything accidentally!

Any help would be appreciated! I've attached images in case I haven't made myself clear, which is certainly possible. Sorry having the photos sideways and blurry.

Miniature

 

What you could do is get a soda bottle, or anything that will fit snugly in the cup holder, cut it down to size, put some weight in it and cap it off with a hard plastic top and mount the G-Tech on it. I have done that with our PSP for the big cup holder.

Good luck.

 

^ +1 I'd start with what JustJAY said as well. Spray can lids make great bases for such uses, provided you can find one that has the right diameter. To make it more solid, you can fill the cap with plaster or silicone after mounting whatever bracket you need to the cap.

Good luck!

 

I had thought about something along those lines. I like the idea that it would be removable and easy to return to OEM. But the G-Techs are very sensitive...they must be in order to achieve the accuracy (or consistency) they claim. Even slight movements can severely effect the measurements.

Ideas on exactly what is underneath our cup holders?

 

My recommendation: wire it directly from the battery terminal. I think it was BahamaBart who convinced me that any power source linked to the fuse box *may* be filtered enough that the GTech wont pick up the tach signal. The only power source I know of in the MINI that is not filtered for sure is the battery direct. It's quite easy to thread a wire from the battery terminal under the bonnet inside the cabin to the cup holder area (I've done it multiple times).
Or not

 

I plan on following the various links for hard-wiring...I am curious about the mounting issue. If I use the permanent mount in the cup holder closest to the driver's seat, are there any wires underneath it that I should be concerned about when screwing the mounting bracket down.

Again, it's not finding the correct way to power the G-Tech that I am worried about, it's the mounting.

 

I'll bet you or another MAM friend has a stock SC PULLY.


The fit is almost PERFECT.
(maybe a some tape or rubber to make it TIGHT)
Try that as a base !

I do have a stock pully for sale as a paperweight $10 ...
As a base for G-Tech 49.99

 

I posted a thread - gtech pro rr install which might give you some ideas