I know the economy tanked. I know the new models got all the attention for a while. But have we gotten all we're gonna get from the aftermarket companies for the first gen MINIs? If I can find new products for a '92 Civic, but I'm SOL for my car, that sucks!

 

Consider how many R53s there are compare to a 92 Civic. The Civic has common parts for many years and so the pool of cars is very big compared to the MINI. I just does not make sense for a vendor to spend a bunch of money to develop parts for a limited pool of cars.

I understand how you feel, I just got an 01 Miata as a second car and there is a ton of parts for it even though it is older than my MINI. Even Miata.net has much more participation than this site. Just what you have with the MINI.

 

What else are you wanting for your mini? After I get the head for my car I think I am about done.....well I hope I am

I guess I am just curious as to what you feel you is missing or that the aftermarket vendors arent making for our cars.

 

I too share your concerns.

 

I shifted from the Japanese Import scene to the MINI. I guess its just that there's 40 body kits (easily) for a 1994 Civic. If I can think of it, someone made whatever it was. I'd like to see the MCS Wide-body kit, I'd like to see an alternative to M7's extreme high end parts. I'd like good quality, less expensive option. I want more than 3 or 4 options for everything. The market is there. It has to be obvious. If I want an E-Brake handle its a $120 investment? REALLY?

More than anything, I just want more options. Its hard to come off of owning a 1991 Integra, seeing new stuff constantly roll off the line, over a decade after production on the car stopped. I don't get why nobody has the creativity or interest in building on the product line.

As for your comment, thulchatt, I get your point but the companies who make MINI part are nearly all exclusively MINI. This was their choice, so they should do it right.

 

Ah, now I understand what you are saying. I guess you would have to ask the Vendors themselves. Maybe some will chime in

 

My take is that we are very lucky to own R53 MINI's. Lots of great stuff to make your MINI go faster & handle better. As far as body kits go, I'm not into them so have paid no attention to the lack of 40 odd body kits for the MINI.

As far as Japanese imports go, wow I've seen some strange body kits on those cars. Different strokes I guess.

 

+1

 

i also share your concern... i mean theres cf conards and rear diffusers for any japanese car application and none for a mini. but if you think about it, the few that work on the minis have few other competitors which means strong competition. in theory that alone will refine thier products even more giving us the benefit.

 

I'm obviously having trouble articulating what I'm trying to say. I don't care about body kits, it was just an example. But if you had ever investigated the import scene, you'd understand that the stuff available is endless. I'd love a mini specific CF DIN panel for gauges, or other manufactured bezel or wtv. I want a company that just makes headlight rings without a core deposit. I want custom aluminum valve covers. Canards, and other aero parts, made by more than one company, that don't cost an arm, leg and first born. I mean guys, if you don't know, let me tell you. 96-99 Civic is the car. You can get ANYTHING. We're talking carbon fiber race door panels, or show car molded fiberglass door panels (I'm talkin inside) with all kinds of designs. CFor FB dashboards. The options are limitless and mass produced. We don't need all of this, but I just want to see some ingenuity and creativity. I have to agree that the products available for MINI are high quality. The competition is fierce, but minimal, and that = expensive. Aside from M7's new wing and the insanely cool, but kinda pricey diffusers, have we seen anything new for our car in the last year-18 months? Just my thoughts.

 

The MINI has bits from DINAN, AC Schnitzer, Hamann and Hartge, plus in house JCW stuff, what else are you looking for? Those are some of the premier tuners of the world. There also the more local RMW, Alta, M7, ABF stuff as well. Plus I don't think there is much of a market for JDM (wings, wide bodies, Faux CF bits, etc) type parts or "Fast and the Furious" type mods for the MINIs. Surprisingly or unfortunatley there is starting to be a market for that stuff for 3-series BMWs.

 

Dude, honestly its about demographics. You are in the minority. The majority of Mini buyers are an entirely different demographic than '90's Honda owners. How many Honda Civics came from the factory with Xenons, heated leather, climate control and auto dimming rear view mirrors?

If you bought a car wanting cheap aftermarket parts you should have done the research before hand. You think the Mini has limited parts? Haha, my last car was a 2005 Pontiac GTO, made by Holden in Australia. Talk about expensive. The average CAI ran $500 bucks. My car was 1 of like 3,000 in its color, and interior combination. My car before that was an Twin Turbo Audi A6. Almost worse. If you wanted a unique car and to not be a typical Honda Fanboi, you got the right car. But you have to pay to play.

Just sayin'

 

 

Can't find anything? It's made, it's just not here.

http://www.geocities.jp/prjdarwin/exterior_page1.html

http://www.geocities.jp/prjdarwin/tune_page2.html

http://www.racers.jp/mini/index.html

 

Well then... Wow on the JDM stuff. Too bad the logistics of purchasing and shipping are so tough. Look, I don't want junk. To the guy who mentioned faux CF, please give me some credit. I used to street race and the fast and the furious, aside from being a bad movie and a worse representation of street racing - at least in my experience - ruined the whole world of underground import racing. I don't mind pay to play. I drive a car that is, for all intents and purposes, a supercharged BMW 1-series hatchback. I had an expectation that parts would be expensive. I had a 91 CRX for a while that was built to race, and thats not cheap when you use Mugen, AEM, A'pexi... I just want to get on Alta or Outmotoring or MiniMania and see something that I haven't seen before. I have tapped out my options. I'm in college, I'm saving for an engagement ring. I've done what I can afford, and then made up my own stuff. I don't want MINIs running around like riced out civics, I just miss the dynamic marketplace of parts.

 

IMO, it's volume and price points. If you make something for a Civic, SOMEONE is going to buy it because of sheer volume. The MINI, not so much both for volume and price point issues. I can buy a used miata for a few grand, then have money to play. MINIs are going for 8-10K for 120K mile '02s. Not much room to play if you're young and adventurous.

 

I only found thing in your post that shocked me .

Run young man run. Your to young. Have fun and play now .

Yoda

 

Wow thanks for the phenomenally condescending response. I got a Mini after nearly dying in an Acura, not doing anything wrong at the time. The Cooper was a logical and safe replacement. I may be 26 and unable to afford the extensive cost of parts like you, but maybe having to learn how to walk again at 22 gave me a different perspective on things than others my age. Since the forum bans profanity there's not much else worth saying to you except that it must be lonely on your pedistool.

 

Ive been looking for parts that are cheap also and it does seem like mini parts cost more but ... there is a definate quality and engineering excellence to our beloved mini. after takin appart the whole front to find a gremlin i am amazed by the thought and planning that went into making our cars. life is to short to drink cheap beer, drive cheap cars , or be to serious, thats what the little faces are for . have fun ! mini owner and burn survivor !

 

No burns. Broken back in 2 places, Broken pelvis in 2 places, ruptured kidney, torn spleen, class 4 concussion, over 1000 stitches, lost 2 pints of blood at the scene. And if the previous post wasn't meant maliciously, I apologize.

 

thulchatt nailed it in the first reply - it's a question of numbers. Honda sells more cars each year than MINI has *ever* produced. There's a "critical mass" of cars on the road that you have to attain before you'll get a vast number of different companies making parts/accessories for a particular car. MINI just doesn't have those numbers.

 

I just skimmed this thread, so forgive me if this has already been said. It seems to me like a little ingenuity can go a long way, and that's sometimes lacking in the MINI community. I'm not talking about putting different colored stripes on the car than came from the factory, either. Wow, really? That's thinking outside the box.

But just because something isn't made to *specifically* fit the MINI doesn't mean it won't work. I mean, $120 for an ebrake handle? I know that's just an off-the-cuff jab, but in all seriousness you can find pretty much any handle that secures with a set-screw and make it work. It doesn't have to be "Made to custom fit your 200X BMW MINI Cooper" to work. Same thing with a shift ****, or other things. Want different instrument bezels? Take them off and paint them - or wrap them in vinyl. Post a question or suggestion thread here on NAM and get a hundred responses to help guide your project.

I realize that when it comes to aero parts or performance parts you're pretty much stuck with what a manufacturer is willing to make, but is there really any shortage of those parts? For suspension alone there are at least a dozen different offerings for lowering springs and more than half that for coilovers. For aero parts there's JCW, M7, Lumma, Garbino, and a few others. There's also fantastic (if a bit expensive) manufacturer support for performance in the form of John Cooper Works. You're talking about comparable costs to Nismo or Mugen parts (if you can get them here) and you can get them directly from the dealer - or from a few other retailers.

A Civic is not a fair comparison, and while there's nothing wrong with a Honda, I think most people here would agree that there's a reason we're driving MINIs instead.

 

I totally agree. I had a Sparco shift **** from an old car that works fine with its set screws. These are no less costly, but the variety is nice. I want a new E-Brake grip, but I have no way of knowing if it would fit. Others that I had from previous cars have not. If anyone knows let me know. I agree that I came across harshly, and I didn't show enough respect for our fine parts manufacturers. I have been convinced that what is available is more than adequate, but I'd still love to see something new and exciting from time to time. As for ingenuity, I've posted these elsewhere, but I am proud of the job.

 

^ please tell me those are bottle warmers and the happy button :D

looks nice!

 

Maxmini, where'd you get that plastic?! I can build shiz with that stuff!