I know this has been posted about before....HOWEVER...I just want to extoll the virtues and proclaim my excitement about my new WIND DEFLECTOR!

I was quite aggravated by the ridiculous markups / installation charges that the dealer wanted to charge, so I ordered my deflector online. I had to wait about a week and a half before I had it...and I just want to say, LOVING IT!

That's all....if you are considering the cabrio, I think the deflector is a must have. Pass on the stupid Ipod thing (you can get a $10 or $20 aux cable). Deflector makes the ride really enjoyable. Totally worth the $$$.

 

in the defense of dealers, the deflector is a real b-tch to install

 

I have a solution for a high cost of the wind deflector. A $10 buzz cut. Your hair will no longer whip you silly at speed. Only works for male of the species and Sinade(sp?) O'Connor

 

Is THAT why Britney shaved her head??

 

I dunno about Brit...but it's made me contemplate shaving mine!

 

Yes, your MA should install it for free, he has nothing better to do for two minutes. 4 plugs in 4 slots!!

 

Before you spend that kind of $$ on an OEM windscreen, do yourself a favor and read this thread:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...02#post1652002

 

WHIMPS - I thought the whole purpose of having a convertible was for the wind in the hair!

 

I found out Saturday, the day we brought home the convertible, at proper motoring speeds (not to be mentioned), it's even hard to keep on a baseball cap that's been adjusted to two sizes too small.

Wind, yes.

Typhoon, no.

 

Ha, ha, for the record, I love my factory wind deflector!!

 

I too think this was the best money I spent on my Mini. One of the joys of driving is when I can get my wife to go with me. Frankly, wind in the hair is nice but with longer hair, it isn't as much so. Further, the cocoon that the wind screen creates makes for a much less temperature sensitive environment. We came home from the movies the other night with the outside temperature around 50. Although my wife reluctantly wanted the top up, I convinced her for us to keep it down. Sure enough, she said it was great with it down: her hair stayed intact and the weather inside the car was perfect. If you have a cabrio, I find this a MUST HAVE accessory.

One last point: there are a number of convertibles out there that don't allow the wind screen to stay attached when the top is up. It has to be taken off when it is up, then reinstalled when top down. Mercedes CLK is one example. This is crazy: you would never end up using it due to the hassle! In the mini, it is always installed (alas, unless you have kids in the back) and ready to motor top down at a moments notice.

My two cents.

 

You must have been wearing your cap wrong. Turn it around and wear it backwards. I do that have don't have any problems unless I get a STRONG crosswind.

 

No need to spend the $10 when you're losing it the old fashion way

Heck, another few years, I'll look just like that smiley guy ---->

 

But then I lose the benefit of keeping the sun off my face. I have a history of pre-cancerous cells on my face (too much golf), and I hate wearing sunblock on the face.

So... wind deflector, it is !

 

I cannot wait for our wind deflector to get here next week. We were able to get the dealer to split the cost of the wind deflector with us when we bought the car. Unfortunately they were out of them so they will need to ship one to us when they get some more next week. I'm glad to hear it really works. My wife will be happy.

 

So where did get your wind deflector? Whats the name of the company that makes it?

 

There are two types available now, one factory, one aftermaket. MINI makes the factory of course, covers half the backseat, so the back seat is useless for people when you are using it. On the other side, it is great for protecting stuff in the back seat and keeping it from blowing out when the top is down. It is very easy to install, ignore the hard posts here, about 2 minutes maybe. Morristown MINI on line for $299 plus shipping.

The other is an after market and fastens to the very back of the front seats. Keeps the back seat usable for people but offers no protection for stuff in the back seat. Takes longer to install than the factory version. However, about half as expensive. Check the top of this forum for where to get it.

 

Got mine from Morristown as well and love it.
I got the quarter inch haircut but my wife has long hair. Because we are both very sensible to sunburn we drive mostly with baseball caps and as stated before, they tend to get an uplift on highway speeds.
Plus, conversation without the deflector is much more difficult because of the wind noise.
Only time we take it down (give the upright part a little push) is when driving in city traffic and high temperature. There you really want to get the circulation going or you gonna burn out, that's how much it helps.

As for pulling it up during driving: I'm 5'10" and can easily reach it to pull it up without stopping and without taking my eyes of the road.