There was an OEM European factory arm rest which had a storage compartment in it and was available from Germany by a group buy on another MINI website. The factory was going to sell them in the U.S. but then decide not to and redesigned them arriving at the current factory design. Does anyone know if the European version with the storage compartment is still available and if there is any way to order them from overseas? They were, supposedly, available from a German website but the website was, naturally, in German so I can't make anything out. Thanks.

 

Within the next week or two, I will be visiting the local Italian Mini dealer for just this purpose. I will report back on availability.

 

Is this the arm rest that bolts to the seat track? If so, does anyone know of a source that we can still get these?

 

You talking about something like this?

It's a Seat mounted adjustable armrest. Not sure if this is what you had in mind though.

 

No, the one I'm talking about is shown in post #5 in this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=81747

It doesn't require any cutting or permanent modifications to your car. Apparently this was a european accessory, and is difficult to get in the US now.

 

Here you go. I and few others have bought ours from this seller some time ago. He is reliable. Right now he has two available.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-BMW-Arm...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Hmmm, interesting, so these do attach to the seat track?? No problems when you move the seat forward or backward??

 

None.

 

Holy crap! I've been looking for something like this for a long time!

The problem I have had with all the armrests out there was that I have my seat positioned so far forward (short legs) that I can only get the tip of my elbow on the front of the armrest.

This one is attached to the seat itself so seat position doesn't matter at all. Genius.

Gotta order one of these. Thank you!


Edit to add: after typing this I checked ebay for the heck of it and MiniMania had a returned one for $100 less than their regular price. Definitely fate, so I snagged it.

 

The armrest arrived today and I just finished installing it.

In a word, it is AWESOME. Very well made, and well engineered. Attaches to the side of the driver's seat so it's in the same position relative to your arm, no matter where you slide your seat. Easily flips up to allow access to the parking brake, and storage inside to boot.

Finally, an armrest that allows us short-legged people to rest more than our elbow on it!

All I need to do now is paint the lower silver part anthracite to match the dash and it will be perfect.

I'm very happy!

 

How strong is it? Can you lean on it? Would it be OK carrying the weight of long cargo after a trip to ikea?
That's something the euro armrest does better than others.

 

How hard was the install on this?

 

The install was actually easier than I anticipated. I had looked at the Installation PDF from the Minimania page beforehand and it involves taking the back trim plate off the driver's seat and peeling forward the upholstery on the side bolster of the seat. Then you install a bracket that integrates with the lumbar mechanism (if present) using two bolts. The bracket is not only bolted to the metal seatframe, but it also sits on top of the lower part of the seat frame that protrudes out a bit (looks black in the picture below). So it's supported by that as well. It's tough to explain - here's a picture from the PDF:


The PDF makes it look more daunting than it is. Once I peeled the upholstery forward, it was very obvious how the bracket would work.

The only "no turning back now" moment is that once the bracket is installed and you re-secure the upholstery over it, you must cut a round hole in the leather(ette) for the shaft of the bracket to come through. Included is a black trim ring that slips over the shaft and covers the edges of the hole. The "axle" of the armrest slides into the shaft and is secured with an allen wrench.

The axle that the armest swivels on is made of steel and seems very rugged. I can lean my full weight on it and I don't feel any give at all.

 

Thanks Might add it to my mental recommendation list. I just wish it was more reasonably priced.

 

Keep your eye on ebay. Whoever returned this one to them put the mounting hardware in the storage compartment for the trip. By the time Minimania got it back, the hardware had caused some scratches inside. So they put it on ebay for a reduced price.

 

I just ordered the MINI new armrest for my 2004 MCS. $200 including installation at the dealer. Good deal!

 

I just ordered the factory "euro" mini armrest from the ebay vendor mentioned by goaljnky earlier. Hopefully it will arrive here w/o any problems. The only other ebay item I've gotten from another country were the little stick-on flags from England.

I'll post pics up once I receive the armrest and get it installed. Can't wait!