Just think, I havent done the bottom part yet... Them so called nuts that hold the front grill on are not worth a crap. They were a Son of a Gun to remove. (Broke 3 studs that held the grill on.) To reinstall them on the new grill is a joke. Are they suppose to just screw on? If so, they dont. I had to use standard nuts to hold the front on.(A nut with real threads.) Anybody else have trouble getting the front grill off? Maybe its because Ive been working on the car most of the day installing my OCC and intercooler and its hot as,..... well you know in Florida, and I was a little burnt out.....

 

These nuts cut their own threads on the plastic posts.

To remove them without breaking something, you need to pry them up with a screwdriver while turning them with a wrench.

With the right amount of force, those nuts should cut new threads in the aero grille posts.

Of course, this info is a little late for you but maybe it will help others in the future.

I still bet you had a great time playing with your MINI today even if it was a little frustrating!

 

I tried with a little force and the nut would not cut their own threads. It would just spin in one location and not tighten up at all. Just eat up the the plastic stud. Anyway the top is done. I dont want to think about installing the bottom half tomorrow...:impatient

 

yep.. I remember that.. I had to use a pair of pliers to start the nut and then a socket to finish it...

the bottom is a pita too...

 

Here are some pics i got from someones DIY for the aero grill kit.

 

I haven't done the install yet, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that the top portion would be a pain in the butt.

Good luck with the second half! Post some pictures when you're done!!

 

a few things,

(top)
1 get a buddy to help. The top bolts come off easier, one to
apply down pressure while the other holds the plyers.

2nd cover the engine bay with a blaket, towel etc so if anything
drops (which it will) it won't get lost.

(Bottom)
Go slow! Measure 3 times cut once. Again having someone
help is great. Having someone to hold the grill while cutting
is a must. Also helps to have some council.

Good luck, it's worth it.

 

cover the engine bay with a blaket, towel. Very good idea. After I droped and lost the nut and plastic washer I put a towel over the engine bay. I should have asked some questions or tips before I started the install..

 

Also if you'll use a 10 mm nut driver with an extra normal nut or two inside the driver, this will help get the new nuts to cut their thread. The extra nuts hold the oem nut out towards the lip of the driver socket, so that it makes contact with the plastic stud.

 

FOLLOW THIS ADVICE! That's exactly how I did mine. It allows you to apply pressure to the nut while screwing it on. Also, cover your engine, your going to drop at least one nut. I used 2 towels to cover 90% of mine, and guess where the nut and washer went..... I did the complete install by myself. While the bottom took longer, I found it easier than the top. Mainly because I hated working with those self tapping nuts! Take your time, measure more than once and take a deep breath and start cutting! I used a B&D workhorse bench to hold my lower grill while cutting. I applied just enough pressure begin bending it, and then used a hand to steady it the rest of the way. The other hand worked the dremel. When cutting the new tab slots, I found it cleaner to make a plunge on one end and cut to the other stop instead of making 3 plunge cuts and then trying to connect them. I used a 1/8" bit for the tabs and a cutting disk for the lower grill. There will be a bunch of melted plastic on the lower part, just let it cool and it will just break off. And YES the melted plastic will burn you!

 

I worked in a Honda cycle dealership, and I learned the hard way that there's ALWAYS some trick to installing things, or even just repairing things that the manual never tells you. Thank God for forums like these and the tips from people that have done the work before...

 

if you use the right kind of dremel, you can get the bottom piece dremeled out in around 15 - 20 min. It took me and about 3 other people a couple hours to do the whole install tho, and getting the bottom piece back on the bumper isnt a treat either, we put it up against a washer and all just pushed lol

 

this is rather daunting to take on as a first mod

 

Just finished up. (Im GLADE its done!!!:impatient ) I would rather do the bottom part then the top. The bottom part took some time, but was not all that bad. Getting them nuts off the top grill stressed me out more then doing the bottom..

 

So where are the finished Pics and the Detailled HOW to pics ....

 

For me, the worst part has to be the removal of the remaining 3M trim tape that holds the slat on to the lower bumper.

I normally have blisters on my thumbs the size of nickels after getting that off. And yes I've tried Goof- off, Goop - off, Mineral Spirits, WD-40, Cussing, razor blades....... I've done about 4 of them and the thumb just works best

 

I did not remove anything with 3m tape on it The only part I removed from the lower bumber was a chrome trim. Did I miss something???

 

It's possible........ what did your chrome trim look like? Did you have a complete chrome grille? Or just the "U-shape" chrome edge trim?

 

Just one piece. A chrome u shaped piece about 2.5' long

 

Then there should have been a body colored slat mounted on the inside portion of the bumper.

This picture is from a guide I put together to help someone do their install on a red car, hence the painting recommendation.



You can see the DS showing through on mine, and that's where the slat is mounted. What you're looking at here is the slat support that I didn't paint black on this install. The grill has since been removed and that part painted black.

Since you've got it installed already and obvisously didn't have an issue with it, I wouldn't worry.

 

Yea, I did not know that was to be removed. I just roughed it up with sand paper and painted it with flexible bumper paint.

 

You should be fine. I have an issue with the instructions that everyone uses, but then again I've been told I have many issues.

If my memory is correct, the original instructions came from a individual over on MINI 2 that went by the handle DR (something?), he had a BRG S and on his instructions he noted that the entire grill slat support needed to be removed completely so that the grill piece could fit flush with the bumper.

It was batted around a bit and folks came up with "trimming the piece" to get it to fit flush. Well that works, kind of ..... On your bumper are both the top and bottom of the lower grill flush? Do you have a gap at the bottom of the lower piece?

Like this:


I just realized the picture has the same thing written on it, but a brief summation and then I'll let you go

Without removing the grill slat support - I don't believe there is a need to remove the material along the entire bottom of the grill piece. To get the top to fit flush you do need to remove that portion and then a "little" around the corner.

Sorry for the length and look forward to your pictures

 

Thats why I could not get my grill flush. The information I found on how to do this NEVER mentioned anything about removing the colored trim part. My grill does not sit flush, but it stickes out the same amount all the way around. I rather have it flush, but for now I'll just leave it the way it is..

 

I'm with you there! The only reason I removed mine was to put it on another bumper cover (actually twice now) after hitting crap in the road.

First time: a rather large rodent of some sort on I-95 doing about ** at 1:30 am. Ran about $2400 for all the stuff under the car and hood.

Second time: a 24' double extension ladder laying long ways in the middle of the road. I had a semi-truck on the right and a concrete wall on the left. I straddled it, I think the fecal matter in my seat helped raise me enough to not take it through the grill. Ran $1700 for parts and install.

Enjoy

 

i didn't remove my lower slat. but because i didn't, i don't sit completely flush which i am okay with. instead of painting it, i used some black 3M pinstriping tape i had leftover from my chrome beltline blackout mod. worked pretty well.

also, i know it's a little late but the method of packing your socket with a few extra bolts makes removing those cheap plastic "screws" really easy!

for those that are chicken like me and don't want to remove the bumper or drill any holes, check out my thread regarding my aero grill install.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ded+aero+grill