Lesson Learned

"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
09/22/2016 at 18:40 • Filed to: None

When the instructions say you can just push it in around all the other stuff, don’t trust the instructions.

Getting all J.J. Abrams up in here

This is the storage tray from a 2005 or 2006 Cooper hardtop. It drops right in to my 2004 Cooper and would give me a nice place to put my phone.

Hi R2! He’s about the only thing that fits in those cup holders.

It replaces the panel at the back there and fits up against the cupholders. The instructions for retrofitting (from the store selling it, the part just came in a Mini bag) this part (which is OEM Mini btw, not aftermarket) basically amounted to shoving it in between the pillars and wiggling it into position. Being that getting any more access is a royal pain in the arse I followed the directions.

Mmmmm, mangled tabs

It didn’t work. Contacted the store I bought it from and they said it takes a bit of force but it should go right in. Force just led to the thing being stuck in my dash.

Both sides are a bit chewed up too. Lesson learned, take the dash apart when doing dash mods.

I think it will still look fine once it is installed being that it is under the dash and in the shade but still, bad instructions. Luckily it is softer than all the parts around it so nothing in the car was damaged. Though I did discover the wiring behind the panel is greasy. I don’t know why it would be greasy.

DISCUSSION (14)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
09/22/2016 at 18:52

Previous owner probably spilled happy time lubricant down the dashboard if the wiring is greasy. Only explanation.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
09/22/2016 at 18:55

Well the previous owner appears to have put a car bra on it so questionable actions by the PO are par for the course.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
09/22/2016 at 19:02

Ugh bonnet bras make me feel strange. A couple stone chips are much less ugly than those things.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
09/22/2016 at 19:04

Except this one completely fucked the hood. You can see where rocks got underneath it and shifted against the hood. Its bad enough I need to respray the hood at some point.