Hi All!
Well, after dealing with the front end of the car since this past winter hitting a deer, I am now on to an interior project.
The rear seat of the R56 MINI coupe is enough for a bag or two, possibly a small child or animal. Eventually I will move to a two seater JCW or "rocketman" vehicle for work commutes. However, for the next few years, the MCS 2009 will be my only car, and daily driver. I can not imagine driving anything else!
Before I wandered off there, I was talking about the rear seat area. Throwing a bag or two in the back has caused the breaking of one of the speaker grilles on the passenger side. I went to the MINI dealer for the front end of the car, hoping the repair/replacement of the speaker grille would be a fair price. This plastic piece does not look very daunting, and I even thought I could do the repair/replacement myself. When the dealer mentioned it would cost several hundred dollars I almost fell over!
So, given the issue, and the leisure time of summer, I am taking my time on this. First, I would like to garner opinions and options. My wish is to replace these grilles with something more sturdy, even a more hardened plastic would be fine. The dealer mentioned he heard of someone cutting a custom metal grille and gluing it on the plastic frame. This would be my last option I must tell you.
Regarding upgrading the speaker system. I do not think this is worth the money. The car is a work car commuter, and is not used for anything else.
DIY folks I would love to hear from you on this. Either reply here or e-mail me at michael.rebar@gmail.com.
Check out our website (therebarizedworld.com) where I have more on this MCS. After driving a MCS for the last several years I can not imagine going back to a Honda or others like it. Lexus, Porsche, even BMW are nice brands. Porsche (et al) are brands for fast cars. Jaguar is nice for luxury (I can do without the cat coming off the hood). Audi is ok. Volkswagen has some parity with the MINI brand as it is a working peoples' car. However, once I saw and drove the MINI, it was like the moment I saw the 2002 PowerBook. Simple, elegant, a touch pricey. However, with years of use, the costs have come about to be the same. Expensive up front, and sometimes expensive to fix, but what a ride; the MINI brand has in me a devoted consumer. Even if I won the lottery the MINI would still be my car, Apple would still be my computer. Some things work best from the manufacturer. However this speaker grille thing is something I think could have been done more with quality in mind!
Michael Rebar

 

JL audio has6x9replacement speakers4rear speakers&subwoofer2go in the boot.The sub has space4amp in middle of box!Best I can do4U!!