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[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by ned78 (original)

Someone said that recently in a thread I was posting in, and I checked part numbers for both the Cabrio and the Hatch, and they appeared to be the same.

It may have been me who said that, I actually had one of the genuine factory fitted ones that had been removed from a cabriolet version of the MINI, I tried to fit it to my other ½'s hard-top, I then realised that it was actually shorter, by this I meant the handbrake console part of the kit and not the actual armrest (I think in the other thread, the person was thinking of buying a used one of eBay, so I mentioned it so that they would be aware ), this is due to the shell being strengthened in the cabriolet and you loose about an inch approx 30cm in floor space hence the handbrake console is shorter on the cabriolets to the hard-tops .

If you get the parts diagram up off post #5 provided by "MINIAC" bottom pic "2005-02 Version - Factory or Retrofit" the parts that are actually different in length are #2 & #6, #15 & #16 may also be different, as I said I think the actual armrest will be the same, but as a kit, the kit will be different for cabriolet & hard-top models (inc sun-roofs) .

The 1st pic in post #5 by "MINIAC" top pic "2004-09 Version - Retrofit" is the one that fits under the rear of the front seats (I don't actually like this one myself), due to the way it fits in it'll fit in any 1st Gen model soft-tops & hard-tops .