O.K so i bought myself a genuine bmw mini armrest of e bay and decided to do a quick how to with some pics, so here we go.

Firstly you will need said armrest (obviously) i picked up a decent used one for £40 of e bay.

To fit the arm rest you need slide the seat's as far forward as you can for access to un-bolt the two inner rear most 40 torx headed screws which hold the seat frame/runner to the floor, this allows the armrest anchor points to slip underneath the seat frame and then be solidly mounted to the floor.

Official guides you may find on the net tell you to un-bolt the front and rear of the seat but in my opinion and experience this is un-neccassary, just the two bolts as stated above will do.

I used an old panel hammer to gently lever the runner up (2-3mm) just enough to be able to slip the armrest anchor points underneath the runners.

Then once the holes line up simply re-tighten the torx bolts for the runner back into position (as tight as you can obviously). Then all thats left to do is stand back and admire, Congratulations you have done it, easy peasy!

Maybe a mod could post this in the how to section as a clicky?

Few pics of the operation....

Few more pics of the armrest before and after fitting. A wothwhile mod in my opinion, its comfy and gives extra storage.

Official guides you may find on the net tell you to un-bolt the front and rear of the seat but in my opinion and experience this is un-neccassary, just the two bolts as stated above will do.

I used an old panel hammer to gently lever the runner up (2-3mm) just enough to be able to slip the armrest anchor points underneath the runners.
Loosening the front bolts prevents the runners from getting "bent" ;)

Official Center Armrest Retrofit Instructions (http://motoringfile.com/files/mini_armrest.pdf)

Loosening the front bolts prevents the runners from getting "bent" ;)

Official Center Armrest Retrofit Instructions (http://motoringfile.com/files/mini_armrest.pdf)

Hmm, if you go at the runer's like a mad man with a pry bar they "may" bend, but like i have just shown, a 2mm lift is enough and doesnt cause any issues at all. Trust me....i have just done it.;)

If I ever find an armrest to match my cream/black leather seats, I'll be revisiting this post in a shot! Loving your work Ted - looks superb.

Thats a great addition - does the armrest move much when your resting your arm on it? Also does it foul the handbrake lever when fully up?

Thanks for posting this.....(oh and vacuum your carpets asap!!) :D

Thats a great addition - does the armrest move much when your resting your arm on it? Also does it foul the handbrake lever when fully up?

Thanks for posting this.....(oh and vacuum your carpets asap!!) :D

Thanks for the comments guys.

The armrest is surprisingly solid once fitted and doesnt move about at all.

When the handbrake is fully applied there is a small amount of clearance so it doesnt catch it.

Now wheres my vac!....

(thread from the dead)
Anyone know if this version of armrest pivots upwards out of the way if need be?

(thread from the dead)
Anyone know if this version of armrest pivots upwards out of the way if need be?

You need a Gen 2 MINI they lift up out of the way, good excuse to tell your wife you need to buy a new MINI ;)

Would this disrupt gear changes in a manual?

I have the 2nd gen mini with the lift up armrest and no it doesn't get in the way of changing the gears.