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I just bought a MINI at the end of February. I want to add some color to the interior but I'm not sure if it would look nice or just stupid. If y'all could give me your opinions I would really appreciate it. I was thinking the same color blue as the exterior where the silver pieces are.
Car Exterior
Interior
Interior
I believe MINI made a hyper blue dash, though I'm not sure if you can buy them in the aftermarket. Personally, I would stay away from coloring anything but the dash, it just gets to be too much. If it were me, I'd convert the lower trim (down tubes, cupholder trim, shift trim, speaker grills) to anthracite and the vent trims, speedo, and tach rings to chrome. All of these were OEM options, you can get them on ECS.
Here's what my interior looks like with the stuff I mentioned, minus the hyper blue dash of course.
Keep in mind that you can't simply paint over the interior pieces. To my knowledge, there is some kind of (vinyl?) coating on the dash and it's a PITA to prep & paint. I did mine in CF vinyl and it turned out okay but I'll do it again soon with a better (3M) product.
As for adding color, my opinion is that it's usually overdone - and ends up looking like Pep Boys had a sale on spray paint. I like interiors to be their own thing: not contrast-y to the outside color, but not matching either.
It was a factory option and would basically look like this lapis blue interior with hyper blue body colored dash and door panels. I think it would look great and not overdone since you don't have the blue carpet and seat inserts.
Here's another er pic without the blue seats and carpet. Buying new panels would be about $300 for the dash and $7-800 for the door panels. You can find used, but they usually have small scratches. You should be able to have yours painted since you have a silver dash. The only interior pieces I heard had peeling problems after painting were the alloy patina pieces. Those are the ones that look like someone took a grinder to them.
If you're lucky, you might find someone local who doesn't like their blue interior and you can trade them.
The only interior pieces I heard had peeling problems after painting were the alloy patina pieces. Those are the ones that look like someone took a grinder to them.
You may well be 100% correct on this. This is my 2nd R53 with this finish on the dash and doors, and I recall doing some research on my earlier car and reading the problems with painting the dash pieces. Maybe Mini simply did some kind of overlay on the plain silver to give it the brushed look.
Here's another er pic without the blue seats and carpet. Buying new panels would be about $300 for the dash and $7-800 for the door panels. You can find used, but they usually have small scratches. You should be able to have yours painted since you have a silver dash. The only interior pieces I heard had peeling problems after painting were the alloy patina pieces. Those are the ones that look like someone took a grinder to them.
If you're lucky, you might find someone local who doesn't like their blue interior and you can trade them.
If you go the "trade" route....You must verify that it is the same dash...
Mini had both an OLDER 5 PART DASH and a 3 piece dash that was introduced later...was less rattle prone...
Likewise the connection method of the downtubes changed.... similarly the door cards and handles changed a bit...minor changes. But matters.
They are not compatible .
Yes... body color dash parts, silver and a deep dark gray(coal like), anthracite, was the options...
I had the anthracite, never had a scratch issue...body color folks complained about scratches showing....
One more tip...get the CVT transmission serviced
They are troubleprone, and $$$$ to replace or swap...the book will show "lifetime" fluid, but even by 2004 many dealers were doing regular fluid changes to to failures. Just saying, if you like your car, and want too keep it, take care of it..put your $$ where it counts.
Mini had both an OLDER 5 PART DASH and a 3 piece dash that was introduced later...was less rattle prone...
Likewise the connection method of the downtubes changed.... similarly the door cards and handles changed a bit...minor changes. But matters.
They are not compatible .
Wow, you just totally bummed me out! LOL
I recently picked up an 04 MCS (Pre face lift) to replace my 06 MC ("totaled" from an accident, but interior is still intact). The 04 has the alloy patina look and I HATE it (the 06 has anthracite). I thought someone had tried to polish the 04's dash and door cards and screwed it up! I had no idea the factory did this on purpose until I peeled the air bag warning sticker off the air bag cover. Even then, I was wondering if the dealership I bought it from had put the warning sticker back on due to legal issue or something.
I know the 3-piece/5-piece dash pieces won't swap. Figured the solution here to be wrapping them in 3M CF material. Where are the cards different? Is it possible (short of swapping the whole doors - I don't want to repaint them) to swap the door handles with the cards, or is their location a little different?
I had also planned on swapping the anthracite down tubes, but I guess they'll get the CF look now, too.
I don't suppose it's reasonable to swap the 04's stupid overhead clock for the map light panel from the '06 either?
(And I'm lamenting the loss of the driver's side sun visor already)
It was a factory option and would basically look like this lapis blue interior with hyper blue body colored dash and door panels. I think it would look great and not overdone since you don't have the blue carpet and seat inserts.
Over done. Hey that's my car minus the auto and chrono pack.
