Category: Exterior
Price: $200
Private or Vendor Listing: Private Listing
Part fits (you may select multiples): R53
Location (Region): NorthEast
Item Condition: Used

*** Found ***

Looking for an R53 aero rear bumper. New or used.

 

You're looking for a unicorn. Good luck, free bump.

 

I’m a unicorn hunter

 

About 6-7 months ago I found a perfect aero kit in dark silver on CL for $3-400 near me. I owned a Chili Red R52 at the time so I passed. Now I own a dark silver R53.

My unicorn got away, but they are out there!

 

The lesson here is when you find something, get it. Too often I’ve waited or hesitated. No more. Parts which could be easily ordered last year are now gone.

I’ve been very lucky and have found nearly everything, no matter now rare, but it’s admittedly getting harder for us R53 owners.

 

Yah I bought a car with damaged front aero bumper.. At the time I didnt realize how rare it was, and considered going to a normal S bumper. In the end I ordered a full kit to keep as it came from the factory and it took weeks to get here and cost over $1200. I was able to sell the side skirts and the stock S bumper I had on the car but it was a painful process to procure, sell off other parts, and paint it (the paint scheme for the aero stuff with the black textured paint is not something a lot of painters deal with a lot).

I'm happy in the end I went through it all, but wow, that was a lot of work..

 

Yeah, I just missed purchasing your side skirts. Found a set locally.

 

I'm going through the same procurement process, finding parts in different colors and painting is definitely the most painful process. I took one side skirt to the recommended body shop for the local MINI dealer (actually next door to the MINI dealer) and they tried 3-4 times to get the texture right. In the end I just said enough and smooth it all down and and paint the whole thing body color.

My second attempt with a different body shop to get the black correct with some texture turned out a little better... there's texture, but it's more like truck bed texture.

 

Unicorn rear bumper has been acquired and now have all pieces to install the full aero kit. That was far more painful than necessaey, thanks to MINI for discontinuing the kit

I have a local shop who knows how to do the texture just like OEM. This will be the third R53 they’ve done for me, and it matches the wheel arch trim perfectly. Will get it installed in early Spring.

 

This is the stuff my shop used. Came out pretty near perfect, and I'm kinda particular about this stuff. The texture paint Mini used in the past is no longer available.

Applying it is a two step process - they lay down the texture first.

 

I’m about to do this SEM application. Did you use adhesion promoter?

How far away did you hold the can ? 24” ?

 

You'll just have to play with the distances to get the right texture. I've used the stuff plenty of times in the paint shop. You may also have to do multiple coats for desired look. SEM is a great product. Good luck