I completed inatallation of the S Chrome Gas Cap tonight using RSpeed's kit and instructions and thought I'd share some comments, lessons learned:

First of all, let me say it was a pretty easy installation overall. Total time was about 2 hours due to a complication, which I'll get to in a minute. The kit was well-packed, and the chrome piece was flawless.

Let me take this opportunity to thank Aka at MINI of Hawaii for taking care of the body piece that requires painting. Not only did he take care of delivering the piece to and from the bodyshop they use, but he also didn't charge a penny over what the shop charged! So MINI of Hawaii made no money on the deal. Now THAT is customer service!

Anyway, the installation was a cinch, although it took a little force to remove the factory-installed hinge. But there was really no serious problem there. The hang-up occurred when I was installing the body piece onto the new hinge. It didn't want to snap into place. The piece is a pretty snug fit when painted, so it takes some elbow grease and tweaking to snap it into place. I think that step alone took an hour!

Here's some lessons learned:

1. Go slow when prying off the old hinge with a screwdriver. Mine slipped off the plastic guard and scratched a miniscule amount of paint. Not enough for anyone but me to notice, but it's driving me crazy!

2. Be careful when jacking to ensure the jack isn't canted to one side. My hyraulic jack wouldn't fit under the carso I had to use the car jack.

3. Use patience and firm pressure when pressing the painted piece into place, and don't give up!

4. Ensure that the locking mechanism actually locks. Mine will require a small amount of filing to ensure it locks securely


Anyway, I hope this helps anyone out there who is planning on installing the S cap. It looks great, and really adds to the car's sporty look!

Jason