Low Buck MINI Mods

With all the talk of modifications and hop-ups the warmer weather inevitably brings up, I bet there are a few out there that are feeling a bit left out. Not all of us have the time, interest, know-how, facilities or cash to perform a major makeover. No worries! Here’s a short list of things you can do to your MINI that won’t cost much, but can make it just a little better, a little more “you”. Each mod is ranked on a 1-5 scale in terms of difficulty with 1 being easiest – not that you’ll need it. These are simple, non-performance orientated mods that anyone can do… so enjoy!

Remove Your Visor Decals (3) Attached to every new car are decals warning passengers about airbags. Most likely, if you picked up your MINI new, you’ve removed the big sticker on the dash that warned of the hazards of children in the front seat by now… if you picked up your MINI used, most likely they’re long gone. But why not remove the warnings printed on the face of your sun visors? They’re rather unsightly, and the whole deal is spelled out at length in the owner’s manual. But how can you get them off? At first glance, those decals may seem stuck on there, but rest assured, there’s a way to get ‘em off:

What You’ll Need:

• Denatured Alcohol (not rubbing
• alcohol)
• Rag or sponge
• Gloves (optional)
• Phillips-head screwdriver (optional)

How-To First. make sure to do this procedure with the car windows down, and in a well ventilated area, as the fumes can be hazardous. Before starting, test your visor material with the alcohol for color fastness… there should be no problem, but just check to be sure (I’ve only ever done this on Ses with light headliners). You can remove the visors from the headliner with the screwdriver (2 Phillips screws), or simply leave them in place. Saturate a sponge or rag with the alcohol, wring out excess, then rub all over the decal surface. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes. Resaturate the sponge or rag, wring, and briskly rub from the center label out, turning the rag/sponge often. The label will begin to rub off in large eraser-like booger things. Keep going until it’s all gone. Once you’re done, a slight “ghost” may remain where the label was, but you won’t see it unless you’re up close and know where to look. Wipe the area with soapy water to remove any residue. Remount the visor if you removed them from the headliner. All done! A nice little modification that really helps to clean up your interior.

Debadging the Boot (2) A smooth, clean boot – I always like that look on a car. Stealthy. Sophisticated. Uncluttered. But our cars come equipped with big “COOPER” or “COOPER S” lettering adhered to the hatch. Some people like it there, but for those who don’t, here’s how to get ‘em off:

What You’ll Need:

• Spray can of WD-40 (or similar)
• Rag or sponge
• Dental floss (any flavor!)
• Gloves (optional, but see above)
• Hair dryer/extension cord (if needed)

How-To The lettering on the hatch is adhered with double-sided foam tape – once removed, there will be no holes or indentations where the letters were. The trick is to cut the lettering off at the foam between the adhesive and the lettering, not at the surface between the paint and the adhesive. This is important, as trying to cut the whole thing off all at once might scratch the paint. First, let the car sit in the sun for a few hours, or heat the lettering with the hair dryer. This makes the foam and adhesive more pliable. Next, pull a long string of dental floss, slip it just behind the lettering, and use it to slice off the letterforms using a sawing motion. The plastic letter will fall off, leaving a foam and adhesive outline behind – leave it there for now. Repeat this step on the remaining letterforms until all have been sliced off. Now you should have remaining adhesive and foam residue where the lettering was. Spray a rag or sponge with the WD40 and wipe the area continuously, turning rag/sponge often, until all the sticky residue is gone. Wash the area with soapy water to remove trace adhesive and WD40. Voila! Smooth as a baby’s behind. And heck, should you decide to go back to the lettering, numerous online retailers offer stock self-stick replacement sets, pre-aligned.

NOTE: Don’t try this with the winged MINI badges, as they have mounting holes drilled into the metal body panels to keep them there – removing exposes these holes, and most likely breaks the badge.

Stealth EZPass Install (1) If you frequent toll highways or often cross toll bridges that have EZPass (or similar) lanes, you know how convenient and money-saving it can be. But you also know how there really isn’t a good place to mount the device in the MINI – it takes up a big chunk of real estate on your windshield. And you’re also probably aware of just how ugly the device is. You can get a front license plate unit, but what if your state doesn’t require front plates? After much testing, an alternative yet completely functional mounting area has been found:

What You’ll Need:

• MINI equipped with panoramic sunroof
• EZPass unit
• EZPass holder, or automotive trim adhesive tape

How-To Roll the interior shade in the rear portion of the sunroof forward. Using either the EZPass holder, or the (more permanent) trim tape, mount theEZPass unit in the center of the rear sunroof glass as far forward as possible (you may need to add a piece of foam between the device and the glass if using the holder, as it may rattle otherwise). The unit will slide well into the recess, hidden from the interior by the crossmember panel that houses the overhead interior lighting, but is still visible through the roof glass. The shade will operate normally, as the EZPass is not deep enough to affect its operation. Due to the MINI’s short bonnet length, the overhead sensors in the EZPass lanes still detect the car in plenty of time, even when going through 5MPH lanes, and even when the front panel of the sunroof is fully deployed over the back panel. Plus, the device is completely removed from your field of vision. You can even cover the inward-facing surface of the unit in black tape to further blend it in with the interior. Trick, huh?

NOTE: I’m pretty sure if asked, your local DOT would probably not like this idea, but I’ve had my EZPass unit mounted year-round this way for the past 2 1/2 years without a single problem…

There are a whole bunch of nifty little things you can do to “you-ify” your MINI a bit more. Attending MINI gatherings, sifting through online forums, and some searching through MotoringFile’s growing How To section can turn up some neat tricks and spur some ideas. So start looking, get out there and do something!

BTW, the above suggestions are not intended as a professional reference or guide. Always follow standard safety guidelines for car repair, and when in doubt, do not undertake any project that you are not qualified to perform. If you have questions about any of these projects, you should consult with experienced professionals and your MINI dealer before undertaking any task.