Here is why I cant angle the parcel shelf in.

The dash has a premolded > shaped mold into it, which matches exatctly the one on the parcel shelf. The only way this is going in.. is straight in. No wiggling, no twisting, nothing. And since it only goes in straight.. the lower tabs dont reach the lower dash to clip into place. I even tried using a putty knife to wiggle the clip on.



And no amount of "smashing" will do it.

(See pictures)

 

I have one of those parcel shelves on order. Can't wait for all the fun. If all else fails there's always the BFH method!!!

Chuck

 

Not sure how safe it is to just wedge it in there, in an accident, it could become unwedged and privide you with a source of serious injury.

The thing i remember about those clips is that it is easy to screw in on one side, but not the other. When you screw them in in your hand, are you screwing them in all the way? And those clips are the main thing holding that puppy in place, so you want to get it lind up, and once you have the screws in the clips apply liberal amounts of elbow grease until they are snug. a little bit of brute force will go a long way here. If you have a trained gorilla, that might help, but make sure you start the screws.

I never did get the bottom clips to clip, so you aren't the only one there and the section that the blue clips clip onto has a lot of annoying wiggle room (but as it seems, you are more familiar with this than I).

 

It looks like the parcel shelf solves the problem of the steering wheel lower trim falling in your lap. True? If so, I have to seriously consider one.

 

I think screws solve that problem . . . . but the parcel shelf does solve the problem of hitting your knees on the stock piece and gives some nice out of sight storage. . . .

 

scatpack, did you find a solution? I have a parcel shelf waiting to be installed on an '06 during the holidays.

 

Not yet.. maybe tomorrow. I picked up some tighter speed nuts to replace the blue plastic ones that come with the kit. These should move less and screw in easier.

 

So why are we buying this shelf if it is so difficult to install. If we returned them explaining the difficulty - don't you think the manufacture would get a hint?

 

When I installed mine, it took about 5 minutes. . . . I'm trying to figure out if something has changed since the 2003 models that is making it difficult for people now. . . . ?

 

That hppened to me twice on the ride home. It occured once again but hasn't happened since. Perhaps I slammed it hard enough???

 

It happened on my ride home, and then the past two days (a month on down the road) it has happened several times each day - tonight on flat pavement, not even an expansion joint to blame. I'll have to look at it this weekend.

 

I have an 06 MCSC and putting the parcel shelf in took less than 5 minutes. Nothing has changed on the car (at least not on mine) that makes it tough to put it on.

 

It took me maybe 15-20 minutes in my '06. I had trouble with the screw on the right side too. I loosened the left downtube and put the blue nut thing facing sideways so it wouldn't slip downward when I was trying to get the screw into it. It didn't just drop right in but it fit.

 

It took a while on my '05 to get the top screws lined up with the blue clips (I actually had to use small pieces of tape to hold them in place), but the bottom clips went in fine. It was a pain in the *** for sure, but nowhere near what some of you guys are experiencing! In any case, I definitely think it was worth the hassle!

 

Ok.. its in there now.. sorta.

The bottom clips never 'clipped' No amount of force could get them to go over the edge and clip in. And i could see that my force was just bending the mini's lower dash 'bar' where they are supposed to clip on. My guess is.. either my bar is not straight, or the euro parcel shelf isnt. I even tried to spackle knife the clips over the edge. No luck.

I had ALOT more luck using my own speed nuts instead of the blue clips. Got them for $70 at Lowes. They clipped on and stayed put so I could easier screw the torx's in.

Another problem i had was with my foglamp switch. It fit in the hole.. too much. It wouldnt "clip in". I ended up spreading the metal clips on the switch as far as i thought before they would break.. and even then its stilla bit loose.

Some quality product we got here...

 

well I'm glad everybody else is having the same problems as I did... I was thinking I was the dumbest person on the planet if I couldn't install such a simple thing.. on my 05 MCS, my clips didn't clip in, and my screws didn't line up.. .I got the left one in pretty easily.. but the right side.. impossible.. so it's got one screw... I'll work on it again tomorrow and see if I can get it in..

 

That should say ".70cents" not dollars!

 

Keep trying scatpack. I remember thinking at the time that there was no way the bottom clips would work on mine either but they just sort of popped in place once and that was that. Sorry I can't tell you how - I'd have to remove the shelf and start over and I'm not about to do that.

 

Im also toying with taking mine back down to install another cigerrette adapter in it.

Why do i torture myself!

 

I had a successful modfest tonight. Installed a new toggle switch panel and installed aux input (stereo had to be pulled out to connect the cable because I have Nav). This meant removing the downtubes, which requires removing the knee bolster. On reassembly, the parcel shelf went in its place. I was anxious about the parcel shelf because of this and other threads, but it was a good fit in my car and maybe I am just lucky (I have a 2006 MCC, September build).

As with everybody else, I had trouble getting the screws started into the loose clips. The holes in the shelf were small for the screw, so I drilled them out larger (still leaving the screw heads much larger than the hole), and this made it easier for the screw to find the clip.The biggest help was that I taped down the clips so they wouldn't move while I was trying to screw in.

 

Using the "stock" blue clip I've found that if I start the right-hand screw first with the shelf partially lowered so I can see the tip of the screw meet the clip I can get it started. Then I raise the shelf up and go for the left screw and tighten both up. Once the shelf is pretty well snug at the top, a light 'bump' with the palm of my hand will seat the bottom of the shelf in the clips at the base.

This has always worked on both of our MINIs but I'd like to find a better steel speedclip to replace the blue plastic one which doesn't allow me to tighten it up as snuggly as I'd like. Guess I see what Lowes has to offer...

 

I did not have too much trouble when I installed mine a couple years ago. I was able to get the screws in fine. I do have a little clip thiung that seems like it should engage and be flush with the top part of the shelf, but instead hangs down about 1/8" It is actually kind of sharp so I am a little careful jamming my hand in there. It just will not seat in right.

 

Had a few problems with my installation as well. April 05 build. It turned out that we had to tape one of the screws in place, then tighten the screw and remove the tape. I have a custom iPod install on the left downtube so that made it even MORE fun. Seems to be secure though.

 

I'm glad I didn't try doing mine before leaving the dealer!

It took me about 30 minutes I think. About 20-25 of that was the stupid right-hand screw.

The blue clips were very tight. I held one with a pliers while screwing in the torx screw to try and tap it. This was after not getting it to screw down tight while in place. (The blue clip would flip around the corner from vertical to horizontal while trying to tighten the right side.) Once I had tapped is like this I then used a needlenose to help hold the screw while I tightened it in place. As most people have stated the left one went in no trouble. I also didn't have trouble with the bottom clips.

In retrospect I should have taped the clips into place after tapping them before installation. I think If I had done this the process would have taken about 5 minutes start to finish. If I decide on installing the aux input to the parcel shelf this is waht I'll do to put it back in, or when I get the stuff to add a power port in there. I should have taken pictures but didn't think of it. I will if I re-do it anytime soon though!

 

Installed mine on an 06.
The bottom doesn't clip in. The shelf is held into place by itself when you slide it onto the tabs on each side.
I held the blue tabs with a pliers and prethreaded them with the screw first before I installed them.
I found I had to push pretty hard to get the right side to line up. I just used a piece of masking tape to hold it in place cause it slides back.
I downloaded the template for a rubber mat and bought a peice of rubber mat remnant in the carpet area of Lowes for a dollar. Fit perfect.
Shelf template link
http://www.outbackbob.com/mini/parcel_template.pdf