I replaced the trim piece (MINI calls it a "pressure lip seal") in front of the driver side wheel that I broke this winter in a hasty driveway exit.

 

I got them from http://www.aesthetic-creations.com/c...id_category=23
I just happened to get lucky last week by checking their website and they had some in stock. They come flat black. I am getting mine painted Absolute Black to match the car.

 

Using black plasti-dip, I successfully painted the "Cooper" part of the "Cooper S" on the rear hatch. Came out pretty nice, too, considering I did most of the work at 11:00 p.m. I am decidedly un-handy and have no real experience with spray paint (er, plasti-dip) and found it pretty easy to do.

Let me know if anyone wants to see pics and I'll post some up along with instructions.

 

today i checked out the damage on the driver side mirror from my wife clipping the side entering the garage

 

bummer. how bad? If its just paint a good detailer and probably fix it. If not, at least the covers are available instead of a new unit.

 

Bummer....

 

the paint scratch it not to bad, it may buff out some. but somehow she creased the plastic ring between the mirror and the cap on front. i think thats part of the mirror frame

 

I am curious on how this process turns out. Also curious on how you did the individual letters; where they removed or just taped off? I want to do my door handles beacuse I hate fingerprints! Plus I think it would look good in black including the taillight/headlight rings, cooper letters and rear Mini flag. LMK

 

With platidip there's no need to remove the letters. If done correctly (which is very easy) the plastidip peels away at the edge of the letter. As you peel away the excess it breaks at the edge of the lettering. You'll tape around the lettering leaving about 1.5" of paint exposed.

That probably sounds confusing, it's super easy. If you've never used plastidip before start on something easy like the MINI badge or something with more surface area. You can peel it off if you don't like it black. See the below pic, I have the badge and Cooper logo done already.

Check out youtube, there are tons of tutorials on how to use plastidip.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I will check out youtube. I also planned on something small like the mini wings, since I have seen it done before and it looks great. So what are you drinking? Is it a requirement for using plasticdip? I'd agree either way.

 

I forget the beer at that time of pic but definitely a nice IPA, probably a double.

No requirements on using plastidip, it's just that it's cheap, easy to use, not permanent, looks good, and gives me a reason to hang out in the garage drinking good beer with good friends.

 

Wow, 1bigpea! I had to do a double take when I saw that picture you posted because our Countrymen look identical and I used the exact same approach with newspaper and blue masking tape. I thought, "Wait! I didn't post any pictures of my setup, did I?" VERY WEIRD!

Everything 1bigpea said is right on. Plastidip is very forgiving and tears very cleanly at right angles, so tearing away the plastidip around letters is very easy. The hardest part is getting it out of the center of the "Os," "P" and "R" in "COOPER."

Toothpicks and tweezers (with the tips wrapped in a bit of masking tape) are useful.

Also, maybe 1bigpea can confirm, but my impression is that you get a "flatter" texture by going slow and waiting for each coat to completely dry before adding another. Also, for each coat, less is more. In other words, a dozen thin coats are better than 3 heavy ones, in my experience. (Again, others can correct me if I'm wrong.)

I should also mention that you should resist the urge to make the plastidip too thin. It is counter-intuitive, but to get it to stick together and tear off in large sections cleanly it needs to be somewhat thick. Too thin and it will disintegrate into flakes rather than peeling off in large swatches (which is what you need in order to get clean edges). Bottom line, err on the side of being too thick rather than too thin.

Lastly, I found this material VERY helpful in understanding how to do the process:

http://g35driver.com/forums/v36-diy/...s-minutes.html

 

You got any after pics of the "wings"? I rushed it and got too much "texture" and ended up peeling them off. I nailed the "COOPER" though. (Given my skill set, anyway.)

 

Installed my CARBONMINI carbon fiber door handles to match the carbon fiber mirrors

Before:


After:

 

here are some shots

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE our Poochstyles mat. We have 25k on our Countryman now and this mat not only works for our dog but we use it for EVERY camp trip or hauling trip of ANYTHING. Material is bullet proof (don't know which material you went with). Cheers and enjoy

 

That looks good. How do the door handles work, are they covers that snap on?

 

Dropped my door handle covers off to be painted this morning. Should be done this afternoon.

 

They appear to be covers, very very expensive covers. But they look great

 

Had the tires rotated.

I'm a few hundred short of 5k so I'm about to do the oil too...

 

Received the belt line blackout, black headlight and taillight rings and burnt orange S's for scuttles and rear boot. Hopefully get to installing parts of it tonight. All depends on the month old son and whether I can get into the garage.

 

Where did you buy the rings and other bits?

 

Drove it to work for the 1st time. ha
:P

 

I got my rings, belt line and S's from Lyle at Vinyl Styles and the door handle covers from Aesthetic Creations. Hopefully get a few pieces installed tonight and the rest on 4th of July. Have pictures after it's all done.

 

Excellente'! Ordered the door handle covers from AC earlier today myself! Let me know how easily they stick on.