OK, so I have now proven myhself unable to beat a couple pieces of double-sided tape.

Man, that is sad.

My goal is to remove the dang cup holder. Seemed pretty easy: take out the trox screws and there you have it. Not!

The tape is so strong that I cannot squeeze my finger nails under the bracket even with the screws out. My next question is this:

Can the downtube be easily removed? Seems like it will almost clear the upper and lower sections but not quite. If I could get it outta there I could use some goo-gone to cut the tape's adhesive w/o having it run down onto the carpet, etc.

If I cannot come up with a solution I will be living with that butt-ugly cup holder forever.

 

They say a piece of dental floss will do the job...

 

Tried the dental floss but it didn't cut it...

 

use some fishing line, that wont break

 

You do realize that by removing the butt ugly, hated OEM cup holder, that in twenty-five years from now your MINI will not command top dollar at Barrett-Jacksons. Don't say you haven't been warned.

 

Instead of fighting it, get creative! Pull the holder out of the bracket (put the bolts back in first so it doesn't let go at the wrong time!) and devise a holder for your cell phone/ Ipod/ GPS/ whatever.
Note: Vendor opportunity! Maybe a Panavise-type bracket made to fit the cupholder bracket? Mix and match add-ons?

 

Big time vendor opportunity! I am shocked that someone hasn't used the bracket for exactly the type of stuff you mention. The Mini is quite short on nook and cranny stuff, so any extra storage or utility is welcome...just not that fugly cup holder thingy.

OK, I'll work on it (kind of).

 

Hey, speaking of which, I just dealt with this same scenario two days ago. My last two MINIs had cupholders that were only held on by those screws. Imagine my surprise when I go to pull it off and it doesn't budge. Basically I took my time and gradually pulled it (you'll have to use some force), and it eventually broke free. The adhesive tape used had a foam type residue, so I credit this to it coming off in one piece, and without tearing any paint off the downtube. Anyway, this method worked for me, please use your own discretion on yours.

Cheers,
-Justyn

 

I wish the downtube were removable. It would make matters much easier. It is on there tight.

 

I was able to get the downtube off? Just push it down until you can pull it towards you. It's tight, but it came out (of course this was on the left tube, not the right)

 

Yeah, the right downtube smacks into the glove box.

 

Get some 3M Adheasive and Wax remover from Kragen's, and use an eye-dropper to drip it along the edge of the cup holder. Won't hurt the plastic.

 

Thanks. I'm gonna wait until the first really warm day and try your suggestion as a last resort. I have seen a lot of double-sided tape, but this stuff is really nasty.

 

Yeah, it's strong but it will yield to firm but steady pressure. Your fingertips will hurt. Peel from the back forward (from the part at the frontmost part of the car "back" toward you), using the cupholder bracket itself as a lever against the tape. You did remove the screws, right? A little heat from a hair dryer on low or medium will warm the tape some, you don't have to get too hot. Removing the downtube on the '05+ cars apparently requires either glovebox removal or bottom-console removal, can't remember which, but that cupholder should come off without going to those measures. Take a picture of the back - it could be that the gorilla who installed it used LOTS of tape!

 

Go to a home improvement store and buy one of those utility knives that has a really long blade that you snap a section off of when it gets dull. Slide it in there and cut the foam that way. Be VERY careful and wear protective glasses because if the blade snaps off when it's all of the way out, the little pieces fly around at about Mach 50831508.

 

 

Cool. How did you mount it to the bracket?