So I searched and didn't seem to be able to find a similar thread. Might be good for those who haven't received their MINI's yet.......

What options are available that can only be done at the factory? i.ie. Can't be installed later if you change your mind and want 'that' particular option.

 

Bluetooth/iPod option and roof rails come to mind right off the bat as truly being factory options only, at this point. For example, MFSW can be, I believe, installed but probably would be very expensive. I believe the same goes for xenons, but don't take it on faith.

 

After some research, I believe MFSW could be done for under $300 + reprogramming fee (whatever dealer feels like charging).

 

Xenons can be installed at the dealer, but it's an incredibly involved process as well as ridiculously expensive. A $500 option becomes $2k in parts and probably another $500 in install time. I'd just consider it a factory only option

 

INTERIOR CHROME rings.
They're glued in.
A dealer would charge an arm and leg to replace.

 

I've been told the PDC is a factory only option.

 

Navigation.

 

That's disappointing! I was hoping to get this done sometime next year. Hopefully this will change.

 

Joep, you never know when things could change, or so it seems. I'm sure there's some intrepid soul out there who's come up with their own bluetooth/iPod installation...and who knows about the roof rails? But as far as MINI goes they do say that these two options are factory only, right now.

 

What you can add yourself later also depends on your skills and willingness to modify the car's wiring. You can probably add any option you want if you're willing to spend enough time and money, but several of them are "cost-prohibitive", to say the least.

For example, there are a half-dozen different instrument panel wiring harnesses for the Clubman, depending on what options the car originally came with. If you need to put in a different harness as part of an upgrade, they're about $600, plus a *lot* of labour to replace.

At least with the Clubman, the $2500 main wiring harness is the same for all cars, regardless of the factory options. The first-gen cars had a different main wiring harness depending on which audio option you chose, so it could be hard/expensive to add something like the DPSM stereo if you already had the Harman/Kardon stereo, for example, because to do it using 100% original parts required replacing the main wiring harness.

"Edge" here on NAM did it, and while he's never come out and said exactly how much the whole swap cost him, $8-10 thousand dollars would probably be a conservative estimate, including parts and labour. And this was for something that was only about a $2200 option on a new MINI.

 

The answer to your question is - the first four of the six steps in the MINIUSA configuration program.

 

• JCW!
• sunroof

Some things that should be possible to retrofit, but at prohibitive expense:

• Choice of upholstery/interior
• HiFi stereo (but if you plan ANY aftermarket upgrade, e.g. speakers, better to start from standard stereo)
• LSD
• sport seats (for non-S)

 

Yes doable but rather expensive.

Yes doable but rather expensive as most of the interior of the car MUST come out and new wiring harnesses put it as they are different for standard to HiFi.

But then again a sunroof is doable but at what expense.