Hi, I have a 2005 Mini Cooper S

on Part Number: 54347174761 there is a plastic clip(in the image below) that has disintegrated on both sides of my Mini.
the mechanism is working fine except it gets jammed due o the plastic clips.

Dose anyone know where to find just these clips?


Part Number: 54347174761
.
Thanks,
Rheal

 

Bump - I was about to post the same question Rheal!

I recently asked about the whistling at speed on mine:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nt-of-top.html

But now I'm pretty sure its because of the lost plastic guide bushings. I've found else where that it doesn't look like MINI sells them separately, but only as part of a $500+ assembly with the slider plates, cables, etc. Seriously? We need (4) 3-dollar clips! Has anybody made a suitable substitute?

ECS Tuning - I know you drive an R52 with lots o' miles. And I see you have about the best price on the assembly. But do you know if the clips can be replaced?

Thanks! Jeremy

 

Another pic. It's the type hilited, #3. Two bushings each side that I know of.


:

 

Hello,

We talked about this before and that part is only part of the main kit. Might be able to find it on a used part but those will be worn down also a little.


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ble-top-2.html

 

I wonder if this is a candidate for someone with CAD skills and a 3D printer?

 

This is a great idea! Somehow it had escaped me, but I have those CAD skills and at work we have a 3D printer, we can even use nylon material in it! Down side, I only have one broken lower bushing, don't have an upper bushing to measure.

But this morning that all changed when our Mini top "popped" while sliding the sunroof portion closed, then jammed crooked, like in the Tullid1 videos in the thread linked by ECS above. It had been functioning without the bushings before that.

At the risk of hijacking Rheal's thread, does that probably indicate the cable pulling out on the end like on the video?

Jeremy

 

I love the 3D printing idea. I have access to a printer, but no design skills to make it.

Any chance of anyone designing one and sharing it?

 

Hi Rheal. I have a new $515 assembly coming from ECS. I have to install it next weekend. I'll try to get some measurements off it first and see if I can model the bushings.

Jeremy

 

Hi Jeremy,

Anly any luck with the 3D models?

Thanks
Rheal

 

Not yet. I got the new parts and spent a good deal of time making detailed measurements and drawings of the bushings. They're not that simple. Now need to model them, then figure out the 3D printer.... Also have vacation coming up. So I'm afraid it will be a while.

 

Just popping in to see if anything ever happened with this, I'm in the middle of replacing yet another set of these sliders, and 3D printed replacements would be great.

 

no, sorry. AT this point it's unlikely

 

Hey Jeremy, I'm also just popping in as was mstorck33 to see if you happened to ever get those 3D modeled. I've been searching on and off for a year trying to even find what the name of that part was until I finally stumbled upon this post (I don't know how I didn't find this thread before!) but now I'm at the decision of either trying to track down one of these in a junk yard, or see if I can provide my own. You said it was pretty unlikely, but did you ever end up finishing the model?

You also said that you ended up taking a lot of measurements and drawings of these little clips. I know it's been 6 years (wow!) but would you happen to still have them? I'd love to take my novice CAD skills at this thing if you're willing to send over what you had haha.

Thanks so much,
Josh

 

I replaced the other one with a 3D printed version my son CAD'd up. It's been working fine for the past 4 years or so. He didn't get all that close, so we had to do some handwork on it. I think we just printed it from PLA.

 

That is great to hear. Were you able to print the top and bottom clips for it? I know you mentioned it was around 4 years ago, but do you think you still have those CAD files to print? I'm not afraid to do a bit of handwork, it just would sure beat trying to track down a junkyard R52 to grab these things. Thanks

 

I only needed the one clip so that's the only one my son drew up. I need to check with him to see if he still has the CAD file. I couldn't find the STL or sliced file.

 

Hi, did you have a chance to check if you have 3d model? I want to make one but i dont have it on my r52 to use it as a sample?

 

Hello guys,

I'm selling those plastic clips, 3d printed from the original parts, they are not exactly the same (visually), but they are fitted to the R52 i own and they work without issues.
You also do not have to disassemble the top fully to fit them, even if you're doing it alone, you can just remove the locking arm (front part) and the small part that holds into the A pillar so you can fit the top plastic guide.
I'm selling them for 50$ (the 4 clips) and i ship them by mail worldwide, i pay the shipment since i'm in Europe.
I will give you free replacements if any of them breaks or for some reason fails in the future.

Been running them for this whole summer, been using / unusing the sunroof for over 200 times, still look solid.
Also fitted in my friends R52 too that had the same problem, good cables, missing clips.

ABS printed, around 80%, can get 100% but don't think it's necessary since they are press fitted. (0.5mm or something scrapes of sometimes when fitted, specially the top (longer) clip)

You can message me here.
Thank you.

 

You can also e-mail me at convertibleclips @ freelo.org (spaced because of bots crawling) for these clips.
Thank you.

 

hi there
are you still selling this ?

 

Yes! I've replied to your e-mail.
Thank you.