Dealer wants $760 to furnish and install rally lights on my 2003 MC when it arrives (late October, hopefully). Lights are around $400 at Mini Mania. Should I let dealer do it or should I try it myself?

 

A fellow Mini owner did his himself and they look fantastic....I don't see why it would be a bad idea if you are confident about doing a good job of it. They sell them aftermarket on sites like Mini Mania so people like you or I could do it ourselves if we so desired....I say GO FOR IT! It is alot less expensive.

Cheers!
L.Mini

 

Couch, it shouldn't be that hard, I plan on doing it myself, check out this website for instructions http://home.columbus.rr.com/bimmers/Home.htm
Also, if you order the rally lights from Classic Auto Campus (email them at bmwparts@classicautocampus.com), you'll save $140 (not including shipping) on genuine MINI parts.
-Chris

 

I say forget the rally lights and get the foglamps. Unless you plan to really rally. I had foglamps on my Cooper and may add them to my S. Really though, rally lights block air flow to the engine. I live in Florida and it gets hot enough without them. Some people may argue this point re. airflow...but the only place I would mount rally lights would be on the roof, really.

Florida Mini Owners

Size matters!!!!!

 

Thought I could do it myself, but wanted to hear from others who were more familar than I. Storer, I had seen the instruction on the website you mentioned. One other question, does the switch which comes with kit mount along side the toggles or somewhere else?

 

Well, on that site, it wasn't installed as a toggle switch, but I don't see why you couldn't order an extra toggle switch and just run it directly to the toggle panel, maybe someone else out there has already done this...
-Chris
P.S. I would rather take 5 hours and do it myself than pay MINI twice as much (at least) as the lights themselves cost, plus I will be spending as much time as possible with him!

_________________
MCS, Indi Blue, white roof, mirrors, bonnet stripes, Sport and Premium packages, 17" S-Lytes, all-season run-flats... only 2 months left

 

Does anyone have a copy of the printed instructions on the web ?

 

Get the PIAA set from MINI-madness and install it yourself! I DID! They are awesome. I will post some pictures tomorrow. It only took me and my dad 1.5 hours! It's easy. They are also higher quality than the ones MINI sells and installs.

The switch it comes with is perfect- I hid it easily behind the toggle switches on the driver side where the panel under the steering wheel meets the center console piece. I can send a picture if you want.

Just a suggestion... buy some chrome spray paint (for the Cooper) at Home Depot and paint several LIGHT coats onto the mounting brackets. Or, if you have an S with the body color grill, paint the brackets to match instead of the standard black they come it. It looks much better.

 

I bought the light kit from minimania, but it didn't come with instructions or a switch

Send the pictures... That would be great
Thanks

 

Acetonic installed the PIAA lights, and I think they look MUCH nicer then the official MINI lights. I'd do a search for PIAA in the forums, I know there's pictures and comments about the install process. I think it's over in the Interior/Exterior Modification forum...

Rocketboy_X

 

Update on my driving lights. I live in Alabama. I knew we had some oudated and stupid laws, but I've discovered another one. Only one driving light is allowed on the front of a car, unless it comes from the manufacturer that way. How stupid is that!! Would make the Cooper look like a Cyclop. So I guess I'm not going to get any driving lights.

 

>>Update on my driving lights. I live in Alabama. I knew we had some oudated and stupid laws, but I've discovered another one. Only one driving light is allowed on the front of a car, unless it comes from the manufacturer that way. How stupid is that!! Would make the Cooper look like a Cyclop. So I guess I'm not going to get any driving lights.


Bummer, but you could do it anyway. Usually the Police only use the obscure laws if they want to pull you over. My friend is a sheriff in Ca and they have their favorite obscure laws they use to do that.

As far as MINI installed rally lights or the PIAA, they are all good, I bought the MINI lights only because if I installed them I would get electrocuted. I can change a light bulb and get electrocuted. I do like the way the PIAA lights look compared to the factory lights but for a 2002 MINI I am mostly keeping it original to factory and factory parts. I had a girlfriend in High School whose father collected antique cars. They are always looking for original stock cars to restore. They have a high collector’s value, although I never plan on selling the car.

There is nothing wrong with modifying the MINI, that’s actually what MINI is all about but I can’t get that out of my head so thus my MINI will remain its original color and stock items.

 

>>Couch, it shouldn't be that hard, I plan on doing it myself, check out this website for instructions http://home.columbus.rr.com/bimmers/Home.htm
>>Also, if you order the rally lights from Classic Auto Campus (email them at bmwparts@classicautocampus.com), you'll save $140 (not including shipping) on genuine MINI parts.
>>-Chris

Something is not kosher with Classic Auto Campus. Cant get to their web page. Email is the only way they'll communicate. No name, phone number. Whoever I was emailing would only give me bits and pieces of info, and when I wanted to see what the lights looked like, he sent me to the MINIUSA web site. Also wanted me to send my credit card number thru email. I told him to send me a phone number so I could call and make the purchase. Have not received a response in two days.

 

Here's the pics of the MINI-Madness PIAA kit I installed. If yours didn't come with instructions specific to the MINI or a switch, let them know and they'll make it right. I'm very pleased with my lights!

 

In NYS the PIAA lights would be illegal, but as the offical MINI driving lights are dealer option, if they installed them you would be just fine... Or so my friend who's worked at a dealership before told me...

Rocketboy_X

 

Anyone have an opinion as to how these look on an S?

All that chrome worries me.

"Drive it like you stole it."