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.