Decided to black out my headlights, taillights, hood scoop, gas cap, and front grill.

I was thinking about doing the trim under all the windows going around the entire car, but I'm not so sure I want to. Honestly, not sure I love the hood scoop done either. I'm going to give it a week to see if I like it and if not remove it.

EDIT: I just realized the images attached upside down, no clue why but I'm entirely to lazy to fix it so just hold your computer upside down

 

Nice job man!
I'm doing the same thing to my R53, Not sure If I like my scoop blacked either.

 

I broke my neck. Thanks.

 

I told you. Way easier to just flip your computer over.

 

You are correct , it is easier to just flip your computer over. Saw this and thought of you immediately.

 

Problem on an iPad is the picture rotates as fast as you can flip, until of course you get dizzy.

On the serious side. Great blackout job.

 

Yeah! No chrome.

 

So weird to sign in and see this thread. I just did the same thing yesterday. Giving this new Plasti-Dip trend a shot as it's removable. I figure if there's any reason to, I can peel it right off. I did not do my scoop though, as I agree that I don't think it looks great like that.

But on the note of blacking out the beltline molding, Outmotoring.com has a "kit" which basically just consists of black vinyl that is exactly the right width to do it.

 

damn those tires grip well!

 

So why did you decide not to do the beltline?

 

Honestly, it's not nearly as "shiny" of a chrome. It's more of a brushed chrome than "chrome" chrome.

I also personally think it wouldn't look that great. Just a personal opinion. I will probably leave the handles chrome too. I mean the MINI emblem is chrome, as well as the "s" on the front sides... I probably won't black those out either.

 

Yeah I agree. I left my door handles chrome and gas cap, but I could always send my gas cap for $50 to Vinyl Styles. But I love my black out trims, getting my belt line done Friday at Detroit Tuned since I became impatient doing it myself haha.

 

Ah, I see. I Plasti-Dip all my stuff. Never done the vinyl route.

I actually quite like the gas cap done. Think it looks nice.

Bottle of dip is $6 at Home Depot. Do that on your cap to see if you like it.

 

I would love to use plasti dip, since its a flat black color, but my whole car has shiny or a little semi gloss to the blackout on my trim pieces and my semi-gloss black rims.

 

There is a "glossifier" or clear coat specifically for the Plasti-dip. The reason I personally went the Plasti-dip route is it's ease or removal, durability against rock chips, and because I'm able to try to flat black look and then make it glossy if I so chose down the road.

What I've blacked out:
-Side Scuttles(cut/removed the "s" so the red S is against the black scuttle rather than chrome)
-Head light trim pieces
-Tail light trim pieces
-Grille trim pieces
-Gas door

I'm leaving the door handles because plasti-dip does not lay down like paint so even when doing a good masking job, you'd have to run a blade along any masked edges and I'm just too picky about how clean and tidy things are on my car. Also planned on doing the "cooper" portion of badging on the back but opted out for the same reason.


With that said, I'm planning to do the beltline molding. So the only chrome left on the car will be badging and door handles.

 

 

I've been done this road before. Please refer to this thread.

I wanted a glossy finish, but I couldn't achieve it with Plasti-dip--this was before I heard about the Glossifier, though. I liked the "automotive finish" I achieved from painting and buffing, but pebbles and bugs would eventually chip away at my hard work. Even when an autobody shop did my grille trim (as part of a collision repair, long story), it still got chipped.

I eventually cracked and went with the Blackline kit from Mini. They match my all black 2011 R56 beautifully.

Maybe I'll try the Plasti-dip & Glossifier combo on my gas cap and door handles. Thanks for mentioning it here!

 

If you do, post up your results. I have been more than pleased with the flat black look blending perfectly with the unpainted plastic skirting on the car, so I haven't bought the "glossifier" clear spray.

Remember, though you do not need to sand and prep the part like you do when doing a proper repaint, you DO need to thoroughly clean it as you would suspect. When you first spray Plasti-dip aerosol, it lays down kind of watery looking(almost fisheye looking as if you sprayed paint on a glossy or wet surface), but stick with it and don't fret. It lays itself down nicely and if you ever change your mind, peel up a corner and you're back to a clean, unharmed chrome gas lid!

 

I sprayed 6-7 extremely light coats on the grille trim and gas cap and it turned out looking exactly like the black trim. People ask me if it came like that. They don't believe it's plasti dip.