Understood, same as me. Someone else will be doing mine when it goes. I follow that thread so I am informed when having someone else do the work. Towards the end of the thread is a discussion about mount upgrades, including the one for the GP3. You may want may want to make sure of the part number that is being put in.

 

My daughter and I added a phone mount to her R52S. Details are here .

 

I really like this idea for the phone mount you've just installed. Mostly for the fact you can still keep an eye on the road while using the touch screen (if you have to)...
as opposed to the one I installed in my Mini.

Since I had installed an aux in/output, bluetooth and did away with most of my CDs'; I purchased and installed one of those CD slot mounted phone holders.
Love the placement. However...


Unfortunately, I don't like to have to take my eyes off the road to look down, even for a split second (at which point anything can happen!), Another bad thing about this mount is that the "tongues" that insert into the CD slot (to allow the holder in place), nearly wrecked my CD player!
Luckily the "tongues" were slim enough to slide/fit between the radio bezel and the dash panel below the speedometer. Fits nice and snug, no vibration and most importantly doesn't cause any damage to the dash or radio.



Still not a perfect placement if you have to interact with your device while driving.
Your new phone/device mount looks pretty good, safer and makes a whole of of sense!

 

My '04 R53 being the first new modern car I've ever bought (2003); I'd sometimes wondered (why?), when new cars stopped coming standard (or became an option) with locking glove boxes?
Nevertheless...
Today I replaced my original standard glove box with a locking one I'd scored from a salvage yard, '05 R52 - about a year ago.


Nothing wrong with it - My original glove box is in pristine condition. As is the locking R52 replacement. I just always wanted a locking one.

I had initially intended to just swap my existing exterior pull handle with the locking R52 one.
That proved to be a precarious task without breaking any 20+ y/o plastic. So I figure I would swap out the entire box, pull the key lock cylinder and re-key the wafers/pins to match my existing key.
Having read some old "how to" posts on how to pull the cylinder (trying for hours with no success), e.g: "insert any Mini key, turn 1/4 way to the left and yank"...Unfortunately no joy. So months went by...

This afternoon I decided to give it another try. The universe seemed to be in a good mood today and within 2 seconds I was able to pull the cylinder with one swift tug.


Extracted cylinder lock from the R52 glove box.


After successfully pulling the lock cylinder, there remained only one small problem - The glove box cylinder is only comprised of 4 wafers/pins as opposed to 8.
I had previously discovered that if I inserted my original key 3/4 of the way in - the lock would lock and unlock as if the key was factory matched!


I inserted my key 3/4 into the cylinder to engage the wafers/pins. I then filled in the void at the end of the cylinder (key stop) with a bit of Apoxie Sculpt and waited until it set up before removing the key.


The slightly modified cylinder reinserted back into the glove box pull handle....


Unlocked...


Locked.



Will I ever have a need to lock the glove box?
Probably not that often - but I figured for a $20 (salvage yard) upgrade in perfect condition...
Why the heck not?

 

Past month or so been fighting aux wanting to work when it wants and the volume **** was also acting up, but have the steering wheel controls for that part. With the upcoming move from Ohio to Florida, right around the corner, have the aux port functional would be nice. I picked up the updated stock radio from all mag, the one typically found in the 07-08 R52(s). Before you ask, I have the h/k system, so cheapest easiest route for now. Kinda hard to justify spending double what the radio cost for just the adapter, shipped from UK. Took less than an hour to swap, but I’ve had the center console apart before.




Raceseng shift ****, like the shape and way it feels in hand, but that metal gets warm, even with sun shade closed and **** covered.

 

I've been collecting excellent condition salvage yard parts from R53s for a long time now.
I can't keep storing and moving all theses gems indefinitely. It's time to start replacing some of the original, moderately worn interior pieces in my R53.

Today, I replaced my moderately marred interior rear hatch panel with a beauty I'd pulled from an R53 at a salvage yard years ago.


My original 20+ y/o from my '04 R53.


Replacing the original with this perfect, like new condition, salvage yard find.... I had paid $15+ tax at that time.


12min R&R'd - out with the original in with the (like) "new".

Although I have managed to keep my Mini in like new condition for the last 20 years; I can't help but feel a bit sentimental about replacing certain (non mechanical) parts that are/were original to the car with new/used.
In some atomized way, in the back of my mind... my Mini loses a little piece of it's soul each time.
We've been through a lot of awesome road adventures over years with those original parts. Each and every little blemish brings forth memories of - 'remember that time when...'

 

Seems like that volume **** is a common wonky trait throughout the 1st gens.
My original ('04) factory Alpine head unit power/volume **** got to the point where there was no way to adjust the volume no matter how many times you would turn it.
I agree - the steering wheel controls also saved my sanity.
Somewhat like you've done; I had also purchased a good used salvage head unit from an '06 as a replacement about 4 years ago.
All was great until recently, the same issue with the volume **** occurred as before with my previous unit.

This time rather than rolling the dice and replacing the unit (again); I decided I'd try and fix/clean the internal **** control (shaft) by spraying it in and around the shaft with 90% isopropyl while turning the **** forward and back.
I did this for about 2minutes.
Back in business. The volume control works beautifully now.

 

volume **** wasn’t really the main problem, having to plug and unplug the aux port like 100 times in 4 hours, was the main one. When I picked up the r53, he told me about the volume acting up. Aux port worked fine for damn near 18 months, but my last trip down to Tennessee wasn’t the most pleasant.

 

I've been very busy on my r58 , here's an update..

 

Thanks!

After using it a few times, my daughter decided to try flipping the mount to have the phone to the left of the steering wheel. Sitting to the right of the steering wheel, she thought it affected here sightlines in that direction too much. So, she and I went up to the shop garage last night and switched it around. We'll see what she thinks after a few drives with it this way

 

My friend found this one in a salvage car. Tucked in under the center speedo bezel. Never was able to find any info about it.

 

Works for me!
Although (for me), I'm right handed and a lefty on the wheel at all times...It would just be a case of learning to switch to my right hand steering while making (dexterity) screen adjustments with my left.
I think daughter is right - in preferable placement with respect to vision interference.

 

I hate those speedo mounts. I also hate those top dash mounts. The whole idea is to reduce distractions while driving, and then you go and mount the phone right in your line of sight? Seems to me like a bigger distraction... [/rant]

 

Actually, my daughter is a lefty, so it works out for her

 

When using Nav, not having to look down/away is beneficial. But, yes, it can be a distraction, too.

 

Yep - agree with both of you.
As much as some people dislike it; I rely heavily on audio navigation so I don't have to take my eyes off the road (to look down) as often.

Notwithstanding:
I remember back in the early 90s' my best friend had a newer Nissan 200SX (?) which featured a unique holograph that displayed the mph, fuel and temp projected onto the lower left of the windshield.
I'd thought it was a really cool high-tech feature back then. I guess now; modern cars have a heads up display(?).

 

My last comment is this: don't rely too heavily on nav systems. Better to know where you're going before heading out, and give yourself some buffer for time. If you know the general direction you need to go, you likely won't get lost. And, if you give yourself a time buffer, if you do get lost, it won't matter as much to pull over and reorient yourself. Good life skills right there.

 

The thing is; many times I don't know or care where I'm going.
It's all part of the adventure.
Hence = "Here2Go"

But point taken.

 

I have had many a case of knowing where I wanted to go, didn’t know how to get there and got there anyway. Maybe someone or thing was helping, but I have surprised myself doing that.

I grew up with Rand McNally road maps, but love the audio available these days. I do agree with looking over a route before starting out so the audio makes sense. When it doesn’t, don’t follow it. That dirt road is likely not the way you want to go.

 

Maybe best suited to a whole other discussion thread but...
Hopefully this will be received as nothing more than just another page torn from my anecdotal diary -

< >I've definitely wound up in some of the most unexpected and 'less than familiar lifestyle' locations during my unplanned journeys: the outskirts of Miami, Houston, Austin, Macon (early 80s'), Louisiana, Boston, New Mexico and 2wice ending up in "the wrong part" of LA (Compton and parts of East LA). Not so much "scary" as it was -"unexpected".

I didn't get my dl until I was 19. I didn't have/build my first car until the age of 21.
Since then, I've always loved to drive long distances. So it's not a stretch for some of us to wanderlust.
I grew up with the big Atlas...but seldom ever used it. That is - not until I'd come to the realization thatI had to find my way back home...Or find a motel for the night

</end of my story>

 

I approve of your daughter's relocation. That's where all the phone mounts live in all of our cars. And we're both right handed. It's just the logical place to be able follow a nav screen without it being in the way. And once things are up and running, no need to futz with it. Eapecially with hands free calling in the R55 and now in my E46. (Shameless plug: Love the BlueBus! Highly recommended product to update older Mini and BMW vehicles!)

Talked to my buddy yeaterday who bought our R53. He had a non-Mini question and said the car is great.

 

Our old Bonneville SSEI had a heads up display. I loved that thing. I know you can get aftermarket units but they just sit on the dash. The factory unit was recessed and you couldn't see it.

 

MINI has gone to a heads up display on the 2025 models.

 

Scored an awesome deal on some OE Bixenon headlights for Ziggy today! Now to make the wiring changes and warm up the laptop for the coding! They each have one mounting tab that's damaged, but I'm not upset since I got such a crazy good deal on them. Especially with the lense condition and the intact washer assemblies. First thing I did when I got home with them was open the hood and spray the mounting bolts with penetrant!

 

Wow.
Like brand new.
Nice score!!!