Bugler welcome to the NAM Community and I'm happy to see another MINI running around Bowie.

 

I pm'd him and e-tagged him!! Hope he joins our cult, I mean club..

 

Your not supposed to talk about C3M out loud...its like talking about fight club

 

LMBO....I have a friend that just bought a 2012 Coupe and has called me a couple of times asking what this is or what that does. One day I was over at his house and he says come outside I have something to show you. I am thinking that he has something really cool to show me. so we walk outside to look and he shows me that. He was so thrilled that he has one. I nodded and told him that was cool he is officially a MINI owner now.

But back on topic, you may be able to remove the glove box and then get to some hidden screws that hold the secret compartment in place. Not sure but that sounds logical to me.

 

Hey, I NEVER said "C3M"!! oops You said it first!

 

That's the least of the problems considering pictures are being posted!!! I understand the black copters are on their way to JoanieB's right now.

 

Warning! Thread Hijacking in progress!!!

 

OOPPS oh yah I did
Yup...oh man I sure got us off topic..

 

Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed to get started. If I can get that panel off, I need access to the hinges. The left one, I think. I may end up having to drop the glove box but I will not continue without that "secret!"

To the thread hijackers, I'll allow it cause you all make me laugh. Huzzah!

 

Ooh! Where in Bowie? I'm near Town Center.

Cult? Did I hear something about a cult?

 

Sorry, didn't have reception for a while... had to go down to the bunker because there seemed to be black helicopters all over the skies... not sure why. They are gone now. Wish they would have taken that dead cow with them, though.

 

Fixed! I should have taken pics of the whole thing but on the left side is a metal bracket that can lock the thing closed if seized up. I fixed that, lubricated the 47 little gears in there and the right side was a tooth off so I fixed that as well. It now works as it should. Biggest pain in the *** was taking the dash apart to get to it. Woo! *ducks black helicopter*

 

Opps did not scroll far enough to read the last post above before responding.



Okay from experience some of the 07 models had sticky tape between the cover trim and the base as well as screws as shown above.

Now more about the secret compartment. In North America they are normally set to open but in many other parts of the world they are not set to open unless you have certain accessory packages.

Setting of the opening function is done by a small spring clip on the side of the sliding mechanism.

Once you have the cover off then you should be able to get the two small plastic covers off one on each side of the opening that recesses into the dash. behind those covers are torx screw and once those are removed the whole secret compartment mechanism will pull out. Then on the left side you should see a small "v" shaped spring clip and depending on how that is set makes the difference if the compartment opens or not. With the whole unit out you can easily play with it to see how it works and what damage may have been caused by the previous owner.

Also of note is that I have had to take mine out a second time and put some white lithium grease on the sliding parts to make it move easier.

 

Yup, that V shaped spring clip was the culprit. And I assume all that pulling and yanking I had to do to get the thing to open enough to get to the screws probably put it off a tooth.

 

What part of "secret" in "secret compartment" don't you understand?

 

YAY!!! Congrats!

 

Given recent liberalization of certain, shall we say, personal protection laws in Maryland one can only guess the use Bugler has for that "concealed" compartment.

 

Wait, what is this? Is it time to modify the compartment for my Taurus Judge? Or should I stick with the 1911?

But seriously, what? I have not heard.

 

Here is link to info -- not sure what it will mean practically with Maryland being Maryland:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/201...al-authorities

That compartment will take some expanding for a Judge or 1911 but a Ruger LCP fits very nicely (or so I have been told -- wouldn't personally know anything about that. )

 

Well looks like next time I get home to PA I need to get a Maryland non resident.

 

It appears that decision is being appealed? Oh well.

 

Yeah -- that probably is to be expected based on what happened with liberalization efforts in the like-minded Peoples Republics of IL and DC. Last year I was on a ride with a Goldwing mototcycle group in WVA when the ride captain decided it would be neat to take a detour into MD. He couldn't understand the panic on my face.

BTW, the Goldwing has a similar "concealed" compartment.

 

Hah. Yeah. Maryland is awful about it. I hope the ruling sticks though. I'd love to finally be able to carry. I'm from Mass where getting a permit is fairly easy. But I think it's ridiculous that a legally obtained permit from anywhere else still isn't good enough for Maryland.

(not to turn the thread into a political debate...)

 

We all really know its a compartment to stash the "stash"

 

LOL, not sure it is airtight enough to keep the "K-9's" from finding the "stash".

The versatility of secret compartment does show the forward-thinking of the MINI product planners. It has utility of purpose for every generation of potential customer.