Just got my 02 mini today and the previous owner had an ugly luggage rack on it :P

Needless to say it needs to come off. I removed it from each side and now the mounting brackets or whatever remain. Any idea how to get these off? And are there screw holes into the roof??

I hope there are no screw holes

 

dude, those are screw holes in your roof, the mini roof rack requires making 8 holes in your roof in which you mount the rack on... the car should have come with little roof coloured plastic thingys that cover the holes when not using the rack, otherwise if you want a smooth roof you will have to go to a body shop and have them fill the holes up with bondo or something and then paint it up, shouldn't cost to much $$$. i am sort of stumped though that you just realized this! when looking at the car how did you think that rack was being held on there????

 

Thanks, I was just making sure before I did anything...don't need to be a jerk :(

Some roof racks mount on in other ways.

Besides, I've had the car for 7 hours, I shouldn't know everything yet.

Thanks for the help though!

 

sorry didn't mean to be a jerk! just thought you would have asked the previous owner about it before you bought it especially sense you didn't like the roof rack! i am sure you could sell the rack for around $100 or so dollars to help fund the body work to fill the holes up... good luck to ya!

 

Dude, ***** was the only person to respond to your "help fast" plea and you call HIM a jerk? He wasn't the person that neglected to ask the seller about the holes in your roof.

 

Did it come with the cover plates? If not, maybe you can get some and get used to the look. Who knows, maybe the rack might come in handy - after all, it's not easy getting a bike in a MINI.

Anyway, don't let it get in the way of enjoying your MINI. What's it like anyway? (color, features etc.)

 

If you have a Lowe's in your area (or perhaps another home improvement store), look for some little plastic plugs that will fit in the holes - they may even have some black ones. If you have a Lowe's, check their auto special fastening section. And don't forget to put a dab of silicone sealant on the plug before you insert them into the holes to prevent leaks.


If you can't stand the look of that, then you have no other option than to visit a body shop.

 

As a proud owner of an '02 MCS with the factory roof rack. I would just like to point out that the factory rack has the highest load capacity of any of the roof rack systems on the market. I can safely carry 2 touring kayaks(130lbs total) without any problems, or 2 bicycles, including downhill racers without any problems. Most aftermarket racks limit you to only 75 lbs.

It is one of the best roof racks that I have ever owned. Don't worry about the mounting bolts in the roof, tell anyone who askes that they are "Frankenstein Bolts" and used for emergency starting, or bringing it back from the dead.

The bolts are screwed into nuts welded to the frame of the roof. There are holes drilled thru the skin of the roof and then sealed with gaskets or caulk depending when the kit was installed. The bolts have thread locking compound on them and may be difficult to loosen as the application of heat is out of the question. My suggestion would be to enjoy the car and ignore the rack.

Plastic covers are available from the dealer at a very reasonable cost and can be purchased in white or black. With the covers in place it is very easy to overlook the bolts. They just slide on and hold fast. If I take my car thru a carwash I always removed the covers first. I also don't use the covers in the winter as water seems to get under them and pop them off when it freezes.

A wash and wax will remove the dirt that has built up under the rack and restore the finish of the roof.