Interior/Exterior Interior and exterior modifications for Cooper (R50), Cabrio (R52), and Cooper S (R53) MINIs.

Interior/Exterior Any DIY's for black-out door handles, light rings, gas caps?

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  #126  
Old 09-08-2008, 08:37 PM
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I wasn't really diggin the whole roof being plasti-dipped (and I'm a fan of it as I've done my gas cap and side repeaters) but now that the sunroof is uncovered I think it looks great. I guess I just needed to see some type of contrast. Great job though and I'm drooling over the Electric Blue...wish I had gotten it over Hyper Blue!!!

Steve
 
  #127  
Old 09-08-2008, 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted by duvinclunk
Got my car back and bought some pasti-dip to test out. I am currently doing the tow hook to practice and see how it all works out. Quick questions: How hard are the headlight rings to get off? How do you get them off? Has anyone cracked the rear lights open and sprayed the chrome trim in there?
I bought the dark smoke taillight tint from Bimmian.com and it gets rid of the chrome completely even in sunlight. If you stare at it closely you can see it underneath but it completely loses its shiny chrome look to it. Either way not a bad option if you're not willing to bake apart your lenses
 
  #128  
Old 09-08-2008, 08:43 PM
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The only problem that I had with the tint is that it shows wear after a while. That why I went inside, to get away from the elements.
 
  #129  
Old 09-08-2008, 08:51 PM
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ahh i see so I guess I have something to look forward to! What exactly do you mean by wear so I can keep an eye out for it?
 
  #130  
Old 09-08-2008, 10:13 PM
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Originally Posted by xnotfunkylex
I just did my tails that way. Sprayed the lenses as well. Look at my thread.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...71#post2460871
Thanks, thats what I was looking for. Was it hard to crack open the tails? I am thinking about doing just the chrome rings or tinting the whole thing ruby red...

Originally Posted by Vernon29RW
I wasn't really diggin the whole roof being plasti-dipped (and I'm a fan of it as I've done my gas cap and side repeaters) but now that the sunroof is uncovered I think it looks great. I guess I just needed to see some type of contrast. Great job though and I'm drooling over the Electric Blue...wish I had gotten it over Hyper Blue!!!

Steve
I'll trade you my Electric Blue for your Hyper Blue! Haha.

Originally Posted by Vernon29RW
I bought the dark smoke taillight tint from Bimmian.com and it gets rid of the chrome completely even in sunlight. If you stare at it closely you can see it underneath but it completely loses its shiny chrome look to it. Either way not a bad option if you're not willing to bake apart your lenses
The only reason why I am not too sure about that (which was my original plan) is because here in Utah I know of several people who have gotten tickets for window and taillight tint in the last few months. Seems like Utah may be cracking down. My boss got 3 tickets in a week for his taillight tint...
 
  #131  
Old 09-08-2008, 11:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Vernon29RW
ahh i see so I guess I have something to look forward to! What exactly do you mean by wear so I can keep an eye out for it?
The top edge started to show some weathering. I think they make a wax or something you can put on vinyl that may help prevent this. I didn't do anything so it was bound to happen. They did last a long time though, and it wasn't too bad.
 
  #132  
Old 09-08-2008, 11:32 PM
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I just want to say I love this thread.

Plastidip...who knew?
 
  #133  
Old 09-08-2008, 11:32 PM
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Originally Posted by duvinclunk
Thanks, thats what I was looking for. Was it hard to crack open the tails? I am thinking about doing just the chrome rings or tinting the whole thing ruby red...
Not too hard. I used a dremmel tool with a small cutting tool and went all the way around and then it popped off with a little prying.

The first time I did it I used the screw driver method and broke one lens and messed up the second one, so I would use a dremmel if you could.
 
  #134  
Old 09-08-2008, 11:33 PM
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Originally Posted by MLPearson79
I just want to say I love this thread.

Plastidip...who knew?

I didn't, but now I love the stuff.
 
  #135  
Old 09-09-2008, 05:55 AM
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Originally Posted by duvinclunk
..........The only reason why I am not too sure about that (which was my original plan) is because here in Utah I know of several people who have gotten tickets for window and taillight tint in the last few months. Seems like Utah may be cracking down. My boss got 3 tickets in a week for his taillight tint...
Ah yes the police always have a way of ruining our fun no? I had a cop stare me down pretty hard yesterday on the highway...i dont know if it was because of my tinted taillights and windows, or because I was doing 70 in a 55, or just simply cuz my car looks so HOT!!

Originally Posted by xnotfunkylex
The top edge started to show some weathering. I think they make a wax or something you can put on vinyl that may help prevent this. I didn't do anything so it was bound to happen. They did last a long time though, and it wasn't too bad.
Yeah I'll look into the vinyl wax. I do have Vinylex made by Lexol so maybe if I use that it will help it stay soft and vinyley. But if I only get a few years out of them that will be alright too. Thanks for the tip

Steve
 
  #136  
Old 09-09-2008, 06:52 AM
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+2 on loving the plasti dip
 
  #137  
Old 09-09-2008, 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted by xnotfunkylex
Not too hard. I used a dremmel tool with a small cutting tool and went all the way around and then it popped off with a little prying.

The first time I did it I used the screw driver method and broke one lens and messed up the second one, so I would use a dremmel if you could.
What do you use to re-glue these?
 
  #138  
Old 09-09-2008, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by duvinclunk
What do you use to re-glue these?
I used a 2 part epoxy and then siliconed over that to ensure a waterproof seal, and fill in the gap.
 
  #139  
Old 09-09-2008, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by xnotfunkylex
I used a 2 part epoxy and then siliconed over that to ensure a waterproof seal, and fill in the gap.
Scary. I do not currently have a dremel. Does cooking it work? Also, scary.

Again, how do you take off the headlight rings? Is this hard?
 
  #140  
Old 09-09-2008, 08:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Vernon29RW
I wasn't really diggin the whole roof being plasti-dipped (and I'm a fan of it as I've done my gas cap and side repeaters) but now that the sunroof is uncovered I think it looks great. I guess I just needed to see some type of contrast. Great job though and I'm drooling over the Electric Blue...wish I had gotten it over Hyper Blue!!!

Steve
Thanks Yea, I was not pleased with the sunroof and just kept staring at it Glad I pulled it off. The roof looks MUCH better.
 
  #141  
Old 09-09-2008, 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by pauliekeys
One of the things I love about the "Plastidip" is that it looks as good as a painted piece (IMOP) and is removable if one ever want's to go back to chrome !

We'll see if it holds up but, if it doesn't, I'll just spray it again. I didn't do four coats so, we'll see how it holds up over time.




did you do any preparing (sanding/stripping) before spraying?
 
  #142  
Old 09-10-2008, 01:52 AM
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Originally Posted by call it spade
did you do any preparing (sanding/stripping) before spraying?
Just clean with alcohol or something similar. Remember to start with a light coat first to paint though.
 
  #143  
Old 09-10-2008, 08:47 AM
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That's all I did !

QUOTE=xnotfunkylex;2462528]Just clean with alcohol or something similar. Remember to start with a light coat first to paint though.[/QUOTE]
 
  #144  
Old 09-10-2008, 11:53 AM
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awesome!
i'm excited to do this when i get back from school! haha
 
  #145  
Old 09-10-2008, 12:24 PM
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Ok so I got a can and decided to practice on my tow hook. I have only done a couple of coats but at first impression, I am not impressed. I imagined it was going to be a lot more rubbery. In fact it felt very chalky to me. I was worried that if I were to put it on my handles then when a female entered my car a ring could easily scratch it and it would be noticeable. Is this the case for those who have had it on for a long period of time with several coats?
 
  #146  
Old 09-10-2008, 12:29 PM
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I encountered the same problem on some of my first attempts. For some reason one of the cans I got sprayed on really rough almost gritty. I let it dry and peeled it off. I used another can and it went on really smooth. Another way is to put it on a little heavier than you normally would. I think my problem was the can/nozzle or both.
 
  #147  
Old 09-10-2008, 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by jtack
I encountered the same problem on some of my first attempts. For some reason one of the cans I got sprayed on really rough almost gritty. I let it dry and peeled it off. I used another can and it went on really smooth. Another way is to put it on a little heavier than you normally would. I think my problem was the can/nozzle or both.
Mine weren't so much gritty but just felt like holding chalk. Like the paint was sucking all the moisture out of my skin. No but I always try to avoid spraying too much. Do other people have the same problem where they spray it on a little heavier?
 
  #148  
Old 09-10-2008, 07:59 PM
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I think you may need to spray it a little heavier. The instruction say to give each layer a good "wet look" and I think that really makes the difference. You gotta remember this is basically liquid rubber so it needs to be applied thicker than normal paint.

I say buy a new can and give it another shot with a heavier coat and maybe on a different part instead of the tow hook
 
  #149  
Old 09-10-2008, 08:36 PM
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I didn't know about the Plasti dip when I had my headlight rings and door handles done in Vinyl other wise, I would have tried the Plasti Dip (can't beat the price ! My door handles were VERY expensive to have done) ! I've read that some have had good success with plasti dip on those parts but I think in the long run that the vinyl is a better choice especially on the door handles that get so much use and abuse !

Originally Posted by duvinclunk
Ok so I got a can and decided to practice on my tow hook. I have only done a couple of coats but at first impression, I am not impressed. I imagined it was going to be a lot more rubbery. In fact it felt very chalky to me. I was worried that if I were to put it on my handles then when a female entered my car a ring could easily scratch it and it would be noticeable. Is this the case for those who have had it on for a long period of time with several coats?
 
  #150  
Old 09-11-2008, 12:10 AM
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Originally Posted by pauliekeys
I didn't know about the Plasti dip when I had my headlight rings and door handles done in Vinyl other wise, I would have tried the Plasti Dip (can't beat the price ! My door handles were VERY expensive to have done) ! I've read that some have had good success with plasti dip on those parts but I think in the long run that the vinyl is a better choice especially on the door handles that get so much use and abuse !
Yes but a lot of money can still be saved if you still use pasti-dip. Even if you have to redo them every 6 months you will still not be up the the vinyl wrapped handles for a lonng time...
 


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