This is to any of you who have removed your factory cup holder (the bracket and all not just the holder): What is the best way to pry off the bracket with its double stick tape?

I got the torx screws out but that baby is still stuck on there pretty good.

Is the tape on the front, side (near the screws) or both??

Thanks.

 

A hair dryer helps if you live somewhere cold, and the adhesive on mine was on the top front inside, as shown (it's the two dark grey strips):

 

I used a heat gun on "low" while pulling gently, and it came right off. On mine, the adhesive was in the middle of the bracket (in Dixon's picture, my adhesive was covering the middle section, where the part number is embossed).

 

Thanks to both of you. I'm gonna try to figure out where the adhesive is on mine so that I can pry it in the right direction before I use any heat. Someone said that it could be tricky to get the torx screws back so I'm just gonna loosen them before I find where the adhesive is.

I was surprised that with the screws out the upright section just kinda flops around. Didn't want to put too much force on what is just a fairly thin piece of plastic. Thanks again.

 

I removed the cupholder because it obscures the passenger's view of the switch for the window. After a few weeks I screwed it back on where it has remained ever since. It's been too useful to do without. It carries reminders for me and letters I must post. I wonder how many NAMmers have removed theirs only to replace it?

 

I did, first removed it and then put it back on because it makes a nice place to stow the radio on runs, or the cell phone... or even drinks (only with lids)

 

Thanks, but my question was how to remove it not if it has uses.

 

I just removed mine yesterday (after a passenger broke it getting out of the car ). I pulled mine off from the back, wedging my fingers between the downtube and the cupholder. No heat necessary, just a little patience. Then I was left with a fat strip of double-sided tape on the downtube. I used an old credit card to scrape off most of the gunk, then a rag with WD40 to get the sticky residue off, then another rag with some aerospace 303 to get the WD40 off. Hope this helps.

 

that was the "feature" which sold me on buying my MINI....

 

After I removed the cupholder, I just moved my fingers back and forth across the adhesive residue on the downtube a few times with moderate pressure and it rolled off cleanly.