I'd like to buy some genuine MINI black bonnet stripes with white edges for my R53. Where's best place to get these?

 

these guys just did my R52 bonnet and boot stripes. Beautiful work.

https://www.signarama.com/ca-santa-monica-west-la/

Signarama
310-478-1111
2209 Federal Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90064

 

ECS Tuning has them.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...k/51140407071/

 

Here's a step by step on the boot stripes. I followed this to the letter and they look factory installed. Use the same technique on the bonnet. Also, I tried re using the Cooper S badge but couldn't get them lined up right and went ahead and got the replacement set. Be sure to set out some tape and use a ruler to mark where the letters line up.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ictures-5.html

 

I ordered some from Mighty Stripes. Hope they come out nice!

 

Are the 2 tone bonnet strips always cut from separate pieces vinyl? I guess I have to manually overlap the pieces to get the edge color different? Wondering what the best way to do that is.

 

Genuine MINI stripes are a single piece of vinyl with one of the colors printed. On the white stripes with black pinstriping, the white is printed. Not sure which color is printed on the black stripes, but it's probably the black.

It's hard to make sure the contour cut is accurate on a printed stripe, so almost all aftermarket stripes are two stripes overlayed on each other. It's also way easier and cheaper to produce and if the alignment isn't correct, the blame falls on the installer, not the stripe maker.

The best way to install the stripes and get them properly aligned would probably be the wet method. It also reduces the chance of ending up with bubbles. I would also use the wet method with factory stripes if don't have much experience with graphics.

 

What's the best/most economical place to get genuine stripes? I think I got taken for a ride with these.

 

I think that Mighty Stripes is where I got mine back in 2005-ish; not certain though; web sight looked familiar. They worked great. Easy to apply and actually are better then the second set that was put on by a repair shop after I got rear-ended and had to replace my boot lid.

 

Genuine stripes are about $65-70 each and can be found online from a few MINI dealers, or vendors like ECS. You can probably find aftermarket 1 piece printed stripes for cheaper, but it's hard to know the quality before purchasing.

 

ECS Tuning said they cannot get the R53 stripes anymore, out of productions.

I guess I'll try intstalling these 3 piece stripes. I got black with gray edges.

Should I try to overlap the thin gray pinstripe right in the center of the wide black strip?

 

Three pieces... they're a solid black stripe and 2 separate gray pinstripes? Do they all have transfer tape on them for application?


Can you post a pic of the stripes? I thought they would be two pieces where you would lay down the grey stripe, then apply a narrower black stripe on top leaving gray pinstripes on the edges.

 

I'll post a pic once I get home, but what I think I saw was one wide black stripe and then 2 separate thin gray stripes. Multiply those all by 2 for both sides of the bonnet.

 

Here is what Mighty Stripes sent me for 2 tone bonnet stripes. $47 shipped. Doesn't seem like the greatest? Guess I should have researched it more.

 

I would have expected something different for the price, but it looks like they used 3M vinyl, at least for the pinstripes as the watermark on the main stripe backing isn't visible in the pic.

Are the stripes are longer than the hood and wrap around the edges? If so, the application should be a little easier than if they are the same length as factory stripes which are leave about 1/8" exposed on each end of the hood.

 

UPDATE: We installed the 3 piece stripes from Mighty Stripes and it looks great! Wet method positively the way to go. Each side was a wide black and 2 narrow silvers. No bubbles!