Hi motorers (I love to start a thread with that lol)

As some of you might remember, my MINI got keyed a few weeks ago and now it is time to get it fixed... i got my money from the insurance company and will get the car painted next week.

I am still not sure if I should get it painted "as it was before" or go with a full "dark silver" option...

I would get all the parts with an arrow (see pic below) painted Dark Silver.


- Mirror caps
- Side skirts
- Wheels arches
- Front & rear fenders
- Door handles
- "S" grills (I have the Cooper ones though)
- Gas cap
- Headlights rings

Do you think it would look nice?

I know some of you will say "it's your car, do whatever you like the most" but I would really appreciate your opinion on this. I like my MINI as it is right now (okay, without the key scratches lol) but everytime I see a MINI with body-matched plastics, I think it looks great.

And hey, my nick is DarkMINICooperS, so I need to support that "Dark"

btw, I would also get the beltline black'd-out.

Thanks for your opinion!

 

Eehh.... I'm not a big fan of the monochromatic look. I've seen some cars that have been really well done and that looked nice, but I generally feel that a car needs a few contrasting bits for definition. Black is a good accent for the Dark Silver, especially seeing how you have the black roof. I might look at having a few of the items painted DS, like the mirrors and gas cap, but if it was me, I wouldn't do all of it.

 

I love the monochromatic look, but I would limit the dark silver features to the mirror caps, wheel arches & rockers (if you have done your homework on wheel arch prep--it's a whole lot more work than you might think). Black out the belt line, too. I hate the black plastic wheel arches. I think they look really cheap, which is why my first MCS was black and my current one is BRG (cheapo plastic arches blend in, rather than contrast and draw attention.) Hey, I'm not knocking MINI, tons of cars have contrasting black plastic trim and if you take it to an extreme, like on Honda Elements, I think it works.

 

Go for it except for the grillz!

 

I think it would look like a cover up for a bad paint job. Contrast is important. But, then again, I never liked the same color tie & Shirt thing either.

 

I like all of that but the mirror cap. those need to stay different! other then that it would look awsome

 

I'm partial to chrome highlights . . . especially with those rims.

 

keep it how it was, i like the balance of the silver and black!

 

Keep it how it is, but have the door handle and gas cap painted black to match the trim.

 

No, leave it how it is.

 

Dark! Dark! Dark!

 

Personally, if I were to paint anything, I would paint the chrome pieces flat black to match the roof/ blacked out grill... and leave the chin spoiler/ rocker panels / wheel well arches flat black... (these areas get mutilated by stones, and you will forever be "touching up" which drives me nuts...)

But then again, my MCS is dark silver, w/ black roof and mirrors (and a silver Union jack up top)

Good luck!

 

you forgot the windshield and the wiper stalks....

 

photoshop it first.....but it might look real cool. However, it looks like you have stripes, which would seem to go against the whole monochromatic look....

 

Yes!! Paint the windshield DS, too!

 

Even with your painting ideas, you're still going to have a lot of black on the MINI, so why not stay with that theme? Wheel arches/bumper trim, yeah, go for the body color. Other trim, black.
But don't mind me, I have all the taste of a 2 week old ham sandwich.

 

Leave the chrome, paint the plastic - no more white marks from wax.

 

funny

I decided to get only the door handles, gas cap and beltline black...

I will leave the fenders and side skirts in black.

I also got the aerokit front bumper.

I will get my car on Friday!

 

Paint the arches and the rockers - leave the rest as is. Never was a big fan of all that matte black plastic!

 

Post pics

 

I think if you have the opportunity to go a different color, do it. Don't get me wrong, I think the Mini's look great in the colors they have for them, but you can always add that extra touch of customization by having a different color(even if its only a different shade of the same color) than someone else. If I had the chance to get my car in a different color I would do it darker.

All in all...
I'd say go for a darker silver!!

 

Unfortunately, my insurance company only pays for passenger side and bonnet. And I like the MINI's dark silver.

But you are right, a "new" color is always nice!

 

 

I know...

But they gave me $1800 for the job (passenger side & bonnet) which is pretty good.

I will probably have to pay $4-500 for the aerokit front bumper & extra parts painted (door handles, gas cap, ...)

 

#1, chrome too Just went to a British car show today and saw alot of very nice cars new and old. The Jags and Triumphs,MGs,etc., just would not be the same without the bits and pieces of chrome accent. Just enough and not to much. My 2 pennies.