So I'm putting the girl in her car seat behind the driver the other day and find this laying on the floor. I have a 2006 MCS. I have no idea if this came from the MINI or was tracked into the car. It looks a bit hacked up to have come from the interior. Does anyone with an intimate knowledge of the MINI know?

 

I don't want to be an alarmist, but that bolt resembles the one that holds the lower seatbelt ancor in place. It's down, very near the floorboard. I only know this because we've had to remove those bolts in order to hide wiring behind the interior molding during a stereo installation.

I could be way wrong, obviously - but I'd double check if I were you.

 

This is only a guess, too, but given it's a Torx, it's likely from in the car. Given its size, I'd say an anchor bolt is a good guess; either seat belt or seat rail bolt. It does look kind of beat up, though.

 

Looks like an unaccountable spare from the factory that has mysteriously appeared.

 

I'm with Buzzsaw on this, the seatbelt bolt is a Torx, and this is just an allen head........

 

Oops. It is just an allen.

 

It looks too beaten up to have come from inside the car. This bolt has been run over by many cars.

I bet this got stuck in the lugs of your shoe's sole in the parking lot and ended up on the floor. Then it rolled back to the back seat passenger footwell duing some spirited motoring.

At least that is what the Matlock in me says.

 

I agree. Or maybe your girl picked it up? I don't know how old she is, but my 3 year old is into collecting rocks and assorted things from the ground and I find them inside my MINI.

 

I'll concur with the theories above... It's too small and not a Torx, so it's not the seatbelt fastner. It's also a bit chewed to be factory-fresh. In its current state, I'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't even thread in properly (the threads are chewed... not just the head of the bolt), making me even more certain that it has been through the wringer... not just rolling around loose in your car for a bit.

If you have a set of standard and metric allen wrenches you might be able to prove that it isn't from the car if it fits the standard allen wrench well and doesn't fit the metric...

 

So that's where it is! Dammit - I've been looking all over for it! Please return it to its rightful owner.

Seriously though, other ensuring that the seat anchor bolts are in place, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

Have you had your mini in for service recently? If so maybe a technician dropped it in there by accident...or on purpose to mess with you

I have found several tools in my car after picking it up for a service. Mostly screwdrivers and weird picks and stuff. No giant bolts though.

 

PM me your name and addy. Naturally, you'll pay for shipping.

WRT the screw, I've always thought it looked too hacked up to come from inside the car. That being said, I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I erred on the side of caution by presenting it to you.

Thanks!

 

Right, I have 3 of the grey screwdrivers that come in the MINI tool pouch. Almost every time I take the car in I get a free tool. I always find them when I get home and I never remember to take them back the next time.

 

Do you take your car to Knauz? I swear those Knauz techs...

 

when I had my dash redone on my 05 MCS (LOUD ratttttttles) the dealer forgot to screw the top dash screws in all the way :impatient so anything can happen

 

Nah, Patrick here. They must have MANY tools to just throw away. My dad found tools in Mom's BMW too.