I have the Astro Black Mini Cooper Clubman S '08, with silver contrast C-pillars and rear bumper top (what's the technical term for this piece?). I purchased a set of black replacement C-pillars plus rear bumper, because while the contrast C pillars are cute and all, they're just not me. The C-pillars were pretty easy and straightforward, about 5 screws each. But the rear bumper resists all efforts. I can see on the replacement that there are a ton of tabs all the way around (it's downstairs, maybe... 15?), so I feel like if I can just pull hard enough (using the two license plate lamp holes) it will all just snap out, but I can almost drag the car backward doing that, with no luck. I don't know what tool to try to use to stick in and pop each tab, since the thinnest flat-head screwdriver I have would just scratch the paint - which is fine on the bumper coming out, but not so good for the body panels around it that are staying in. Plus it's a really tight fit most of the way around, it would have to be a pretty thin-yet-rigid piece of metal to get in between there...

Any suggestions? Previous relevant posts (I've searched and searched...)?

 

Perserverence, patience...

(Sorry I didn't take photos...)

1. Remove the license plate and license plate backing from the bumper. This allows clearance to pry out the license plate lamps and disconnect them.
2. Find the seam between the two plastic wheel well trim pieces at the 9 o'clock position (on the right rear tire, 3 o'clock for the left). The top has two tabs inserted into the bottom, plus two tabs on the outside, all of which come apart with a little discreet tugging. Now you can reach into where the tab on the very outside of the rear bumper is snapped into the underframe, and use your finger on the inside and simultaneously a screwdriver on the outside to work it loose. It won't want to come b/c all the other tabs are still clicked in. Once you get the first screwdriver lodged in, retract your hand from the wheel well and use a 2nd screwdriver to gently work your way around the bottom, first one prying in and handle-down/tip-out, then holding that use the second driver a little farther along. About the time you get near the center, the whole side you started on will pop. Now repeat on the opposite side. As I said, patience, and perserverence. Oh, and a willingness to totally gouge the s**t out of the bumper - it's plastic. The bottom part of the bumper, which is painted, looks okay, except for a couple little bits where I actually think I dinged it with one of the tabs of the bumper I was putting in.... not sure. A little touch-up paint will probably cover them adequately.
The new bumper was a little... pinched, i.e. I had to reach in and spread it apart to get the tabs to align with their sockets. But once that was done I just gently tapped back and forth until a couple not-so-gentle taps at the end seated it completely.

 

for anyone needing detiled instructions and pictures, look at MiniDoMore hitch install. They describe how to remove and put back the rear bumper.

http://www.minidomore.com/mini_coope...iler_hitch.php