3 replies to this topic

[twig101]

i was just wondering if anyone on the forum could help me.


i have recently purchased a mini and i am thinking of doing some modifications to the mini and was just wondering how difficult it is for me to do these modifications.

they are as follows

putting on diffrent mirrors. dtm mirrors i am drawn to.

installing central locking, remote locking, door poppers and then shaving door handles?

installing new side repeaters?

any help is much appreciated.

many thanks

twig101

[Pavel]

Mirror mounting is basically unscrew your current mirrors and take a look at the door panel where they screw on. Then look at the mounting of the new mirrors. If these aren't mini-specific items they'll usually have a fairly universal mounting so you have to kind of look to see what you can do for each case individually. If they are those ones that form a little triangle on the front of the window rather than bolt onto the door, then you'll have to do a bit of work and perhaps weld a mounting plate.
If you've got around 100 quid, you can get very nice racy (real) carbon fibre mirrors from smudger (a guy on here that does very good carbon and FG stuff), i THINK. Sure I saw them somewhere, hope it was his not someone elses

Central locking isn't very difficult and places like minitrailers and Wood and Picket do actual tailored kits so you pay more, but you don't have to make up all the levers and mountings etc, eveyrthing you need is in the kit. It's basically cut a few holes in your door panel (from inside, later to be covered by the door card), drill a hole in door and body near the hinges for the wires, and bolt eveyrhing up and connect it as per the instructions. Not terribly hard.

Door poppers is a bit harder, but not undoable. In 90% of cases this means that the solenoid will stick out so you'll need to do something interesting with the door card to cover it or put something there etc. Why you need central locking with door poppers i don't know... (if you have shaved handles).

Shaving handles isn't a very easy task unless you're good with body work. Basically you can remove the old handles and fill the holes with welded metal or even fibreglass if you're so willing, but you'll be left with that indentation in the door (that scoop). If you want THAT removed, its a bit difficult since you have to weld a flat-ish piece in place, you can't just fill the dent in with filler because it will crack rather quickly. People have done it before (although I can only remember 1 guy on anotehr forum that did it), so its definitely not impossible!!

As for siderepeaters, couldn't be easier, if your mini already has! Simply unplug the wires from your current ones, buy new ones, stick in place of old ones and connect to wires (if connector is different, cut wires and crimp on necessary connectors!)

[twig101]

thanx for your help. ill let u know how it goes

[twig101]

I have heard that if i put door poppers on my car. you have to get the solenoids in just the right place or they will not work?

is this a hard job to do?