Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

Started blacking out the chrome on the car. Since I am doing a red and black theme, song of the trim may go red. Haven't decided what would, maybe the mirrors. For now, I have the headlight trim rings blacked out.

What are you using for the blackout?

The headlight trim rings I bought from Baron. I found a black grille that will fit and an upper trim piece for the grill but Samer said that because my car is an LCI, the bottom black trim piece on the upper grille won't fit so I am probably going to pop the grille pieces off and plasti-dip them and then apply a glossifier to the plasti-dip so that it matches the car. The chrome finishing rod on the lower grille I'm thinking of plasti-dipping red just for kicks.

Plasti-dip leave more of a rough finish so it will be interesting to see how well it matches with the headlight rings. I guess "close enough" will work

MiniManiac wrote:Plasti-dip leave more of a rough finish so it will be interesting to see how well it matches with the headlight rings. I guess "close enough" will work

It leaves a rough finish if you don't do it correctly. Apparently deliberate application versus spraying like you're using krylon creates a smooth finish. Worst case scenario I peal it off and try again.

Looks good. I'd look at using wrap vs. plastidip.

Duell AG use the Justa grill in black for their vehicles. Has a different look than the typical S/JCW. The kit isn't my style (nor the tire lettering, which I can't stand), but here is an example:



I bought the black headlight & taillight rings as well as the Justa scuttles. I need to get some gloss wrap to do the headlight washer nozzles. Since I have the black headlight housings they stick out.

My only issue is the lower part of the black Trim on the grille will not fit my car because it is an LCI. That's why I'm doing plasti-dip and glossifier on it.

Edit: Actually, I figured out the reason the black trim piece won't fit under the grille. It's more to do with that that piece was designed for the Cooper S and JCW bumpers and not the base Cooper since the base model has slightly more rounded edges at the bottom.

I'm done for now with the project. They make a black trim piece for the top of the grille, but because I have a Cooper and not an S they don't make a black trim piece for the bottom part of the upper grille. So my plan when it gets warmer is to mask off the rest of the chrome, remove the bits that can be removed, and then plasti-dip and glossify those pieces. I won't bother with the door handles. Not necessary. For now, I have the trim rings and the grille replaced.

Stay tuned. Black out continuing.

Ordered so far:
Black Mirror Caps
Black upper grille lower trim piece
Black Door handle covers
Beltline Blackout Kit
Shorty Antenna (unrelated to the blackout)

Other plans:
Ordering the upper grille upper trim piece from Baron and an unpainted (black) lower grille finishing rod for a Mini One
Removal of lower grille chrome trim ring and extending the stripe on the bumper to compensate for the removal of that piece of trim

Other plan is the removal of the chrome trim pieces inside the foglight openings since I don't think those are standard on the car without the chrome trim package but since my headlights are not blacked out inside I may leave the chrome trim pieces to tie the headlights and foglights together.

Let me know what you think of the door handle covers. I'm curious if they feel cheap or not when on the car.

Which beltline kit did you get?

kenshin138 wrote:Let me know what you think of the door handle covers. I'm curious if they feel cheap or not when on the car.

Which beltline kit did you get?

Going with the matte black one and doing it myself. If it doesn't come out well I may have Todd do it for me.

kenshin138 wrote:Let me know what you think of the door handle covers. I'm curious if they feel cheap or not when on the car.

Which beltline kit did you get?

Some members have the ones they sell on outmotoring and they look pretty good. I went ahead and painted mine and I haven't had any issues. Of course, painting is a more permanent solution

MiniManiac wrote:

kenshin138 wrote:Let me know what you think of the door handle covers. I'm curious if they feel cheap or not when on the car.

Which beltline kit did you get?

Some members have the ones they sell on outmotoring and they look pretty good. I went ahead and painted mine and I haven't had any issues. Of course, painting is a more permanent solution

The belt line black out kit I bought was from Outmotoring.

Did do a temporary attempt with black electrical tape. Looked pretty good.

Door handle covers on, black mirror caps on, partially finished the beltline before it started raining. Looks decent. Pictures will come once finished. The next time will be the grille, upper and lower, and removing the chrome ring around the lower grille, and the chrome inserts in the fog lights, and then getting the stripes readjusted on the bumper. May even have them continued onto the black grille pieces.

Done for Now.

The lower piece on the upper grille doesn't fit perfectly but it looks good anyway. I can't do the lower pieces on the bumper as that will be a bit more labor intensive, that is to say more parts need to be bought to make that work.

Here are the pictures. I would put more in but for some reason it keeps uploading them upside down.

I attached some detail photos of the trim pieces as well as the bike rack installed.

Looks good.

Ok I have bit the bullet. The chrome trim ring on the front bumper is removed and with Todd right now getting wrapped in Gloss black along with the lower piece on the upper grill. Didn't like the other lower piece I bought as it didn't fit perfectly.

Currently the grill and trim panel are attached to the bumper with zip ties and painters tape until Tuesday. Looks like crap but it will be worth it come Tuesday.

Stay tuned for pictures.

Also, just purchased a set of Power Fold Chili Red Mirror Caps, brand new in opened box, imported from the UK, only place I could find them right now. If I decide I don't like them, look for them in the MINI Market if I decide to sell them.

All blacked out, except for the washer covers and the foglight trim.

Why not the headlight washers?

MiniManiac wrote:Why not the headlight washers?

For one they're just the covers. My car didn't come equipped with them. Secondly, since I have chrome trim around the dogs and the insides of the headlights are chrome it doesn't stand out that much right now.

All shined up for Concours D'Elegance tomorrow.

Zackattack28 wrote:

MiniManiac wrote:Why not the headlight washers?

For one they're just the covers. My car didn't come equipped with them. Secondly, since I have chrome trim around the dogs and the insides of the headlights are chrome it doesn't stand out that much right now.

I am just curious since you blacked-out the headlight rings but not the washers. What do you mean your car didn't come equipped with them? Are you saying that you added them or are we talking about two different things?

MiniManiac wrote:

Zackattack28 wrote:

MiniManiac wrote:Why not the headlight washers?

For one they're just the covers. My car didn't come equipped with them. Secondly, since I have chrome trim around the dogs and the insides of the headlights are chrome it doesn't stand out that much right now.

I am just curious since you blacked-out the headlight rings but not the washers. What do you mean your car didn't come equipped with them? Are you saying that you added them or are we talking about two different things?

The car came equipped with Bi-Xenon headlights. It didn't come equipped with headlight washers since the the turn signals in the headlight housings are amber. To get the headlight washers you have to also spec the car with white turn signals. So while it does have the covers and the assemblies behind it, there are no hoses going to them, in fact one of the attachment points on one headlight is snapped off. The car isn't programmed for them either. I just left them alone cuz it doesn't look bad right now since the headlights are chromed inside. But, I will probably black them out when I remove the chrome fog light houses and install the standard foglight rings, they come only primered so I am going to paint them Chili Red. But that's down the road.

The next thing to be installed, assuming they look good, are the red mirror caps I ordered from England.