I swear there used to be info out there about this, I've searched and found nothing.

We added a minidomore hitch many years ago and have lived without the backup light.

But I thought that many years ago there was info about rewiring to use MCS tail lights which have the backups in them. Anyone have info on this or is someone a better searcher than I am?

 

I didn't see really anything about rewiring the lights, but I found info of people getting a recessed mount so that you can still run the reserve light. I believe it's the Minidomore longer drawbar. Info about it here and here.

 

IIRC, as of MY2005, the reverse lights are indeed inside the regular tail lights, as opposed to previous models with a single reverse light in the lower/center of the bumper. (I've now had both models.)

I recently stumbled across a retrofit kit somewhere that allows you to install later model taillights into your pre-'05 Cooper - wish I could tell you where, but I'm sure it was while I was looking for wiring harness info for my audio swap. I suppose a kit would be easier than re-wiring it yourself, but it's always money vs time, right? Keep searching. It's out there somewhere...

 

We've already got the hitch so don't want to switch hitches. Plus would like to have a reverse light all the time.

I was thinking it was only the S that in Gen1 that the backups in the taillights. I forgot they moved the backup light on the MC also.

On the other hand my vague memory is that there wasn't a rewire needed, that the wiring harness for the mcs and the mc were the same in 2004 and only MCS taillight was needed. I could be wrong, that was nearly 10 years ago...

Now I have an excuse to start searching the u-pull-it places for tail lights.

 

I think these one's are the one you're looking for possibly? If you don't find them at any of the pull it places you can get them HERE. Otherwise, once you get this going you should post up a DIY on here for other people since it seems to be pretty hard to find any other information on the swap. Good luck!