got you all looking... well I've had my mini for over a year now and due to some uncontrollable circumstances, I have to rely on it to take me snowboarding... which sucks because I have the performance tires with 17" wheels and no roof rack.



Well my question is this... what the best way to go so that I can get a roof rack on my car. Should I have the dealer install their OEM rack or is there a better and/or cheaper brand and installation method. I've never had a rack before so I'm not sure but I'm guessing that I need to have holes drilled. Also are the roof racks universal? Will all snowboard holders work with the any type of rack I get?



Also I was wondering about snow chains. What brand is the best?



And last what should I do about tires. I have the S-lite rims and I guess I will switch them to an all season tire (run flat most likely) and suggestion?

How much is all this gonna cost do you think?


Well thanks allot any input will be appreciated.
Shin

 

re: chains

Page 94 of the ('04) manual says that chains are only 'permitted' for use with 175/65-15 or 175/60-16 tires - so S-lites are out. On the positive side, you should be able to pick up a set of those (holies, most likely) for fairly cheap.

re: rack
Lots to read if you do a search on 'rack' or 'roof rack'. You can get the OEM rack which requires drilling into the roof, and permanent mounting points. Others have used racks from Yakima, Thule and Monte Blanc succesfully - the latter attach to the rain gutters or thereabouts.
Your decision will depend on whether you want permanent mounting points, or not, and how much you want to spend. Aftermarket racks will cost less in the long run, as there are no installation costs.
From a cost perspective, it would be cheaper to have a friend drive and pay for gas and appreciative beverages. :smile:

 

The factory roof rack is the best quality roof rack option. Much less chance for scratching the roof than with the other roof racks. But some people don't like the idea of having holes drilled in the roof. If you're okay with that, get the factory roof rack.

For a snowboard carrier, avoid the MINI factory one - it's junk. Get a Thule Flat Top ski / board carrier as it will fit on the factory rack. the Flat Top 6 is very nice as it almost completely fills the MINI load bar.

I believe I posted something here years ago about fitting the Flat Top 6 onto the MINI load bars, so a search may find it. If not, here's a thread on the other mini board for it:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?p=308894

The Thule guide books will tell you that the Flat Tops will not fit a MINI factory rack, so you have to ignore that and do it anyway.

 

Well thanks for the advise on the rack...i still haven't decided on what kind of rack i want either the permanent ones or the temp i guess it is going to depends on the price. But thanks for the heads up on the OEM snowboard rack. As for the tires/wheels, i guess i will be on ebay looking for a deal.

Thanks again

 

I have the factory rack on my '02 MCS and my '06 MCS is having another one installed as we speak. It is the best, most solid, quietest (provided you are carrying something on the rack) I have ever owned. Much better than any clamp on.

The clamp on racks such as Thule, Yakima clamp over the stuck-on plastic rain gutter. The rain gutter is not structural in any way shape or form and needs to be protected to keep it from being pulled off.

As for winter wheels and tires, I have a set of the 7-holies and just had some Nokian Hakkapiilitta 2 studded snow & ice tires mounted on them. I'll let you know how they are after the first snow.

 

is there any way to have the factory racks intalled but also have the chance to take them off once the snowboard season is over?
The whole permanent installation would drive me crazy (its like having the mini with a prince crown on top forever

 

The factory rack is bolt-on / bolt-off. You can very quickly take the rack off (5 minutes or less).

 

Hi snid:
I read your mini2 post and I am geting quite convinced. Did you install the factory racks yourself or got it done at the dealer's? Do you foresee any rust problems? feel a little unconfortable with the idea to have metal exposed while installation and th dealer doing a bad job.
Anyways, love the idea of the stock rack plus thule showboard rack.
I tried to click on the thumbnail pic but it didnt work. Do you have additional pics? and if the racks are off, do you have a shot of the plugs whith the racks off?
thanks,
d

 

I hade the rack installed by the dealer. There are tiny signs of rust starting to show on mine, but where I live pretty much everything rusts.

All my pics are on my home computer, so I cannot post any right now.

 

The rack comes off quite quickly (8 bolts), but the mounting tabs are permanent. The rack comes with roof colored (or at least white or black) covers that slide over the silver mounting brackets when the rack is off.

 

If you go the factory rack option, get the dealer to include an extra set or two of covers that slide over the rack mounting points when the rack is not installed. They slide on and off quite easily and sooner or later you'll lose one. (They may also discolor over time.) And they're relatively cheap for a set of 4.

 

I have a question about chains..you said that manual says 15's or 16's, what if you have BBK and can only fit 17's?? Am I SOL to taking my mini up to snow :-/ If so, I'll prolly go with the gas money and appreciative drinks to another driver

 

Hey MINICOOPER, if it's just you and one passenger going snowboarding then all you have to do is put the back seats down and angle the board with the tip between the passenger door and seat. I got a nice thin carrying bag for it and it fits perfectly. You could even fit 2 if you moved the passenger seat up a bit.

 

Ill have to try that. i guess with that set up, i could maybe take 2 people one person behind me. and on in the passenger though that may be a very uncomfortable 3 hour drive for some and i guess three boards may be pushing it. Well i still have some time before my first trip to Tahoe, Thanks for the tip

 

Trying to put the boards inside the car is iffy. If you have long-ish boards, like 160cm or more, it's a tight fit. And you'll probably end up scratching up the seatback.

 

I'm the opposite of most of the people in this thread. I would not drill holes into my roof, i think thats just plain retarded. I have the "Thule" rack with the snowboard attachment. It was a bit pricey, around $425, but from what i heard the factory rack cost more? Yes they are attached to the rain gaurds, with rubber mounts that sit on the roof, when mounted tightly, you can not move this rack with great force. I pull mine pretty hard to make sure it isn't going anywhere. I have autocrossed with it, ran it on a track at over 100mph and it holds up fine. I have a fairing on mine which keeps the wind noise down, so sound is not an issue. I love my rack, and I have it on for over half the year. When taking it off, it's really simple and there are a few marks from just being there for over 6 months, but since it's rubber, there are no scratches at all. I also Zaino my car twice a year, once before the rack goes on and once when it comes off. A claybar takes care of the rubber mount marks perfectly, no sign of a rack being there. well thats my opinon, here's a few pics:

 

I went with Thule racks. DJ konky is been quite helpful for the past couple of months in that regard. I was only entertaining the idea of the original mini racks but drilling holes into your car does not seem like a smart idea. Especially after I read proof of rusting starting to emerge on a previous post.

Anyways, Thule for my mini (but only for snowboarding! I dont love the idea of having racks on the car anyways)