What is going on with this rear bumper (rear indicators in the bumper)?
 

After selling my Electric Blue '03 MCS awhile back, I'm seriously considering picking up another Mini. During my search, I came across a car I'm considering, and I asked the seller - who is the car's second owner - to send me some pictures. Here's the picture he sent me of the rear:

http://bit.ly/PCGq3X

The car he's selling seems to be in excellent shape, but I'm trying to understand what's going on with the rear bumper. It looks like the original owner installed aftermarket tail lights, and also added the indicator strips. I was hoping they might just be stick-on reflectors, but the owner said that wasn't the case.

IMO, it really detracts from the look of the car, and I would probably try to return it to stock at some point. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

Looks like they hacked into the bumper to install some lower brake lights? Not sure...

I agree, it doesn't look right especially with the clear lenses.

I have. If I remember correctly, in certain states, you have to have some sort of red on the rear of the car. People who want to have clear lights install those stripes to make the police harass them less.

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

I'll never understand why some people do the things they do. If a person doesn't like the way the red tail lights work, I can see replacing them with clears (not my personal preference, though). But to then cut into the bumper and install two big strips of red seems to completely defeat the purpose.

I know I'm just being nit-picky, but I know those things will bug me to no end if I buy that car.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that they didn't. I have seen some things that make me scratch my head, but it would be a pretty boring world if we all liked the same things.

Very true. But now I'm in a position to decide whether or not I'm willing to buy a car that some things the previous owner liked that I'm not particularly thrilled with, including:

• Those red indicator strips
• Clear tail lamps
• Cloth interior
• Magnesium grey door casings

The things I do like are:

• The color
• The condition
• The wheels
• The John Cooper Works kit

I'm not sure whether I'd rather have a bone stock MCS, or someone else's lightly modded MCS that has things I'd want to undo. Such is the life of the used car shopper, I suppose.

I say if it's a good price go for it. The JCW kit easily makes up for the things on your negative list imo, but then again that's just my opinion. Keep in mind you can always replace the tails with red ones, and if you really hate them that much replace the rear bumper to get rid of those strips.

Those are the OEM clear taillights, which come as a kit with red reflectors.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...35&hg=63&fg=95
http://motoringfile.com/howto/white_lights.pdf

Rear red reflectors are required by law (probably in every state). Red reflectors are normally integrated into a red taillight. If you replace it with a clear taillight, you must add red reflectors someplace else in the rear.