After spending the last few weekends on my "dechroming", I finally had time to get it all clean and shiny.

I've done the following:
Plastidip - Headlight and tail light rings, gas cap, hood scoop and grill surround.
Vinyl (Lyle) - A-pillars and audi wide mouth. Beltline from Outmotoring.
Paint - Wheels
Stripes - From mighty stripes
Under the hood - JCW Intake

Would love ANY feedback! I have the Aesthetic Creations door handles on order (backordered). Not sure what's left before I've gone too far.

 

Are you going to black out the door handles? They stick out like a sore thumb since the rest of the chrome is gone.

 

Yup, on their way. Aesthetic Creations has them on backorder. I'm waiting patiently!!

 

I don't want to offend, and I hope its ok to say, I think its too much. It almost looks as if you came into a stock of flat black vinyl, and went crazy. Black and white is a great combo, but less is more in this instance I think. But its your car, and you like it, so who cares really what anybody thinks.

 

I don't care for vinyl or plastidip (UV rays are gonna get it) But I love the black and white styling on your car. This is the first time black wheels looked right to me. Something about how the white body paint is broken up by the black areas looks the business to me-great design.

 

Stock of flat vinyl? I wish! Ha, no worries, I asked for feedback.

 

Agree on Plastidip. Since I've done my wheels, I've realized that it'll be best to remove the Plastidip and paint the other parts. It's a great way to figure out how it will look without a permanent change though.

Appreciate the compliment. I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out.

 

 

To me chromed plastic just looks like it's trying too hard. I like your black headlight rings, too. Don't know how it'd go on my BRG mini. I figure I'm better off painting the chromed parts body color. I have a black aero grill installed.

 

Looks awesome. Flat black paint and vinyl is the way to go.

My JCW agrees with you too. Its all blacked out with the exception of the bonnet and boot MINI emblem. I had the Aesthetic Creations black emblem cover with a skull and crossbones domed sticker but the sticker was lifting up after a year. So I just took the whole thing off. I like the MINI emblem in its stock format:

 

Yup, that looks nice! Can't wait for my handle covers to show up. I was thinking about the Mini emblems as well, but I'll leave them for now.

 

I just got a replacement handle for the passenger side. The original had a small crack on the inner middle section. Took quite a while to get that and even longer to get the originals. You will love em. They fit great and no one will know they are covers.

 

My stuff has been plasti-dipped for over a year now, no chipping or fading, looks perfect and matches the wheel arches perfect. If it did get faded or chipped, it can be peeled off the part and repainted in a few minutes, and at a cost of about $8 for a can of plasti-dip spray. I have a black/black 2011 JCW and the P-D painted parts look like they came that way from the factory. All blacked out chrome might look a little much on some colors of cars, sure looks good on mine.

 

Looks tight to me man. One of the best looking PWs I've seen. Nicely done.

 

Wow, thanks!! I usually swap out cars every 2 years. Prior to my R56 I had a black Volvo C30. No where near as fun as the Mini!! I've learned that I just need to keep doing little things with it so I don't get bored. Although, this has to be the most fun car to drive ever!!!

 

Looking good since you don't see a white with the blackouts. I like it except for the lower A pillar.

 

Eh not my style. I think the PW's look better with body color trim like me and Drewsters. The flat black looks like you tried to find every feasable piece to cover IMHO.


Literally your car looks like a panda.

 

Not my thread but I will chime in again. To each their own. I think the car looked horrible with painted arches. That is why I went from this:



To this:


I am finally happy with the car and maybe except for a little tweak here or there... I am done.

 

While that Panda photo is pretty funny, I'll have to agree with onefish2, definitely not a fan of the painted trim.

The a-pillar is the only part I am on the fence about. I prefer different and unique. That usually means people will either love it or hate it, as you can see from this thread.

 

It reminds me of the Space Shuttle.

Seriously, I like it. The grille treatment is especially striking.

Spridget

 

onefish2,
What is the trim kit on your "before" pic? Is that the non-JCW aero kit? Or it that the stock bumper?

 

That big hunk of black between the hood and the door really detracts from the car's looks IMHO

 

Thanks! Hopefully the likes are more than the dislikes, but either way, I love my panda:

 

That's the part I'm on the fence about. I like it, but I'm not 100% on it. It's only vinyl, so it's a simple change if I decide against it in the future.

 

I'm not sure at all what onefish was talking about..... I mean the headlight and tail light trim, because if you look at my sig, I ahve the black trim on the JCW aero kit.


....OOOOh any chance to post car pics jk