Finally got a quote to fit our Aero kit after the car arrived at the dealer. Kit cost is $1595 and cost to fit is ....
wait for it....

$1605

Kit is shipped primed and without paint, and this is my dealer's cost to paint and fit it.

So I've decided to shoot it and fit it myself. If anyone out there has fitted this kit to the R56 and wants to share their experience, I'm all ears. I've got lots of experience wrenching and have the install pdf, so please don't feel the need to warn that you'd never try that. But on the other hand I am short an R56 manual, and would benefit from anyone who has experience with fitting this already. If I pull it off, we'll be the Mellow Yellow/Blk S Aero at AMVIV!

 

Wait, do you mean to say you were quoted the total kit with install as $3,200?

$1605 for paint and 2 hours of labor swapping the bumpers is re-frickin-diculous! Just for a loose reference, I got a quote from my local custom paint shop for $300 for prepping & painting the front bumper and side sills. I'd say if you have the painting skills and the install PDF, you're 95% there!

 

I TOLD YOU!!!

Still, it might be worth getting some quotes at a couple good local body shops... you could find the price more in the $300-500 range... but then again, I admire the DIY attitude, for sure.

Go luck. Sorry I couldn't be any more help than the .pdf link I sent earlier.

 

Ok, that is some good informati0n. I was about to check the box to order it for mine when I noted it came primed. That set off all kinds of warning sirens in me noggin.

Really would like to hear how your DIY installation goes.

(duntcha love bein a guinea pig? )

 

Yes $1605 for install. While I won't say the dealer's doing any favors at that price, I can see it from their perspective and am neither surprised or upset about their quote. It also would have been nicer to get the quote before the car arrived, (to prepare myself better) but maybe I can chalk that up to MINI not communicating a proper paint-included estimate to them until this late stage.

Next question. Has anyone seen a manual available for the R56?

 

I have not ordered my MC yet. I am doing it in conjunction with the dealer making its allotment order next month (the color I want is not available until 4/1).

But I intended on ordering a tech manual for the car. I must admit, I just assumed I can order it from the dealer. I have always had a tech ref manual for every new car I have ever owned.

 

out motroing had aPDF for the fitting a r56 aero kit

 

The new side skirts have about 5 more parts than the R53 Aero side skirts as there are two parts that key together to get the two tone effect instead of taping off and doing a two color spray on the old kit....also there are some vent details and some other brackets and such that hold it all togther...the front and rear bumpers are very similar in design and installation.

I have a kit on order for my MY/MY yellow that arrived 5 days ago and will have it all painted yellow as soon as I get the parts....

 

Not a service manual.

But if you find one... would you please post the part number? It'll be one of the first things I order, too.

 

Karl,
Could you do some pics as you go? At least a before and after?

 

Hoping to do one better than that. My goal is to submit a how-to article to MC2 Magazine. But even if I do, only a handful of pics will fit there, so I'll try hard to make a comprehensive set available on Flickr.

 

karl,
If you want me to put together a pdf with the extra pics and detailed instructions, let me know I'd be glad to, especially since I might be taking a stab at the side skirts myself in a few months.
JIM

 

Silly question, but how do you guys assume that body shops will be able to reproduce the correct colors (i.e. the bluish dark tint of Astro Black, etc)? Or if you paint it yourself, how would you go about it? Sorry for the noob questions, but the only thing holding me back from getting the aero kit is the expensive installation cost via MINI dealers.

 

The paint code of the car keeps the paint the same color, no matter where painted.

However, due to a plethora of different variables the paint won't be a 100%, flawless, perfect match. There will be a minor difference, no matter who paints. Just the nature of the beast.

The only way to be sure the colors are the exact same, is to paint everything at the same time.

That being said, you'll have to -REALLY- look for it on a dark car to notice the difference. IMO the easiest color to spot numerous shades on is red.

 

Or white. (Dad works in a body shop)

 

Hmmm...is it possible to just purchase the side skirts?

 

aznq
I'm after the same parts. From what I have heard the JCW kit "parts" are not available in the US yet.
If things work like the last gen JCW aero parts release --- I think it went something like this -- the kits came out first then sometime later (don't know how long) the components were available unpainted from the dealership then after more time they were available factory painted. It may not happen this way for this model line but I would say it's a good bet. Color matching would even be an issue for dealer installed factory painted parts because as mentioned everything isn't painted at the same time well things happen. A good shop gets this right many times daily. I don't expect to cheap out on the painting part.
Jim

 

Yeah, color bit me hard. Bought a quart of Mellow Yellow with a good reputable paint shop which they had a DuPont color code for. I shot it, went to fit the first side skirt and the color was off enough in incandecent lighting that I went back with the tow hook plug from my car and had them color match it. This time I test shot a test sheet, and it was still too light. So I went back for one more tinting of that quart. Finally shot it last night. I'll know more when I fit (hopefully this weekend).