Did the aero grill mod to my '03 MCS last night. After thoroughly researching the project I decided to follow the advice of SCA (NAM member) and NOT remove the bumper. The stock bumper grill pops out very easily-- I got a finger under it near the center and started popping the clips out as I worked toward the ends. Couldn't have been simpler. I am amazed at all the posts that call for bumper removal (which is easy enough to do but definately NOT NECESSARY). I also Dremeled out the louvers that support the body-colored slat and painted the underlying area flat black. After that I just followed the instructions on Dremeling the aero grill. http://www.gomotoring.com/pdf/MINI_a...ll_install.pdf
Took me exactly 3 hours to complete and looks great!
(I'll try to post pics of the car later.)
Alan

 

The reason for removing the bumper is getting access to the bumper and working at waist height rather than at floor height plus one foot.

Did you work mostly sitting down or on your side? How was the lighting?
Usually you can control the lighting better if you can take the bumper to a good work area. All depends on your set up.

Either way it can be done. Is the grill flush with the surface of the bumper?

Note- the Aero grill on the bonnet can easily fit all MINIs. But the aero grill on the top of the front bumper only easily fits the aero bumper and not the stock MC and MCS front bumpers so you will need to cut slots into the front stock bumper and cut and trim down the slots on the aero grill and glue the piece into the bumper after painting the background area on the front bumper black as described- use good quality paint as the road debris tend to chip the paint under the grill.

 

I removed my bumper for the job for two reasons:

1) As minihune wisely indicates, it is way easier to work on, and

2) I did not glue my bumper grille to the bumper; I kept the grille's tabs the original length and drilled a hole through the end two tabs on each side of the grille, securing them behind the bumper with cotter-pins.

The cotter-pin method allows me to easily replace the lower aero grille should somebody whack it. I drive in Massachusetts.

HERE is a link (with pix) to my variation of the original instructions.

Theo

 

Koopah,
Great idea about the cotter-pins. That would definitely require removing the bumper.

"Should somebody whack it"???


Or if you whack somebody?
No thanks. I have trouble enough cleaning out small stones lodged in the aero grill- how do they get in there so precisely??

 

Funny thing is...with the bumper off..it only too about a half hour when I did it...LOL...with bumper removal and install and hour total....I wunder if that was cause it was off...or I just didn't care

 

I didn't mean to offend those who removed their bumper. I just wanted to point out that there is an easier way. True, it would have been more comfortable at waist height but it wasn't bad sitting on the garage floor and I don't have a workbench anyway. I put some extra lighting on the floor. Nice flush fit( but not quite as flush as Koopah's) using all the tabs on the aero grill with new slots cut into the bumper cover. I got the louver-removal idea from Koopah's link to the install. It is on tight and, in my case anyway, didn't need any glue,sticky tape, etc.

 

Fuggeddaboutit!

Theo