[kezman50]

About to embark on my first exterior mod in the next few weeks - contemplating the full areo kit or just the side skirts....to my 05 MCS (dark silver body and roof). Not looking for an after market solution.

I appreciate BMW were probably going for subtlety but to me the front and back bumper of the Areo kit is of course not that different to what an MCS owner has already. Certainly not proportional to the price you'd pay!

As for Grill change....well it does look admittedly more sporty, but you also loose the crome, so basically I'm not really drawn to that change either!

What I am drawn to about the kit is the side skirts! These, mainly I think because they are body coloured deepen the body of mini even more than it is...to me this is well desirable, so knowing you can get the skirts seperately, i think I'm leaning towards this option. However maybe I'm missing something. comments would be appreciated if i am. Is anyone else to my thinking here ?

Also, couple of points of interest. Two Bmw dealerships in the midlands here in the UK. One in Notts, the other in Leicester (where I got my MCS from) differ wildly in price. Notts quoted for skirts painted in house and fitted about £720 inc vat. Leicester were £435. I was aware there are variations between dealers but thats dramatic!!

Also, the notts dealer in a spin to sell me the full areo kit fitted etc for £999.99 but explained that they come pre-painted unlike the skirt only option that are painted on your car. surely a pre painted kit would have colour matching issues!. Those out there with the full areo are you pleased with the result??

[scone]

Ive had the Aero kit for about a month now and i am really made up with it. Even though my car was 18 months old when the kit was fitted you have to look really hard to see that the Aero kit is only slightly darker and if you dont like losing the chrome grill it is possible to keep it with a bit of work pestering the dealer.

[ABG]

I was thinking about just side skirts and ended up getting the whole thing after both bumpers were dinged over the course of the last year. Pre-painted is a perfect match IMO. The aero rear has a chrome mesh in it instead of black plastic which IMO looks very nice.

I did want to keep the old grille but although it can be done it is a bodge - so if you ask for it to be done and it doesn't work out (i.e. bits fall off) then it's your problem and not the fitters After thinking about it for a while I grew to really like the black mesh grille.

I love the overall effect.

[AussieMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by scone

Ive had the Aero kit for about a month now and i am really made up with it. Even though my car was 18 months old when the kit was fitted you have to look really hard to see that the Aero kit is only slightly darker and if you dont like losing the chrome grill it is possible to keep it with a bit of work pestering the dealer.

Hi Scone,

Did they give you all the leftover parts such as the original S skirts and the back and front bumpers to keep? I am pretty keen to keep my chrome bits on too once the kit's fitted to my S.

[scone]

Hi Aussiemini,
My dealer swapped the the chrome and single blue piece of grill from my old bumper and fitted it to the Aero bumper and gave me all of my old parts back.

[AussieMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by scone

Hi Aussiemini,
My dealer swapped the the chrome and single blue piece of grill from my old bumper and fitted it to the Aero bumper and gave me all of my old parts back.

Fantastic Scone,

I'll get the black ones on first then if I really hate then I'll fit the original chrome and LY grill back on myself.

Danny

[kezman50]

ABG and Scone thanks for the replies (sorry about the spelling mistake with aero) Your cars do look the business and wondering now if I should go Full Aero !!

[GBMINI]

Just to switch you the other way, GBMINI has only the aero side skirts - price was $1600 instead of $3000.




(and many more pics on my website)

[Tinkerbell]

I had the aero sideskirts fitted to my Dark Silver/white MCS in June - and absolutely love them even at the cost of £550! I held off getting the whole kit because I wasn't sure the difference in looks warranted the cost, IMO. I absolutely love the skirts and think it really adds to the look of the car - go for it

[kezman50]

Been doing some more research into the prospect of having the side skirts fitted. After speaking to my dealer today I'm now informed that they come in two versions. A pre-painted, fitted/inc Vat price of £435.57 which sounds reasonable to me. Or.... a primed only version which you purchase and then get a body shop to fit and of course paint. The skirts come out at £141 inc vat each but will be far the most expensive option by the time fitting and painting have been taken into account!

What I'm confused about is my dealer seems to feel though there are no colour matching issues with the pre-painted ones and that more likely if anything will have matching issues if you have them sprayed to the car. I would of said if anything it would be the other way round. Can any one shed any light here? What about when you had it done tinkerbell and GB Mini ?

[GBMINI]

I don't know if pre-painted parts are not available in USA, or if they simply weren't available in Jan '03, but my only option was to have them painted by the body shop.
Since I wanted the wheel arches and lower front/rear bumpers sanded & painted also, it was not a big deal.

[Tinkerbell]

Quote: Originally Posted by kezman50

Been doing some more research into the prospect of having the side skirts fitted. After speaking to my dealer today I'm now informed that they come in two versions. A pre-painted, fitted/inc Vat price of £435.57 which sounds reasonable to me. Or.... a primed only version which you purchase and then get a body shop to fit and of course paint. The skirts come out at £141 inc vat each but will be far the most expensive option by the time fitting and painting have been taken into account!

What I'm confused about is my dealer seems to feel though there are no colour matching issues with the pre-painted ones and that more likely if anything will have matching issues if you have them sprayed to the car. I would of said if anything it would be the other way round. Can any one shed any light here? What about when you had it done tinkerbell and GB Mini ?

My dealer didn't give me a choice, they had the primed skirts sprayed dark silver and once ready I took my car in for fitting. The only challenge they had was they had 2 right hand skirts so had to wait an extra day while they sorted out the left one .

[Johnny225]

I've got the full kit, and I think it looks great. It really puts it apart from other MINIs.
Go for the whole kit(unless you don't like the grill, of course)

[Nick16vCooper]

GET THE FULL KIT, it looks the dog's ballerics!

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture35900.html

I LOVE mine to bits

[ScoobyDoo]

I had the aero-kit fitted onto my 51 reg One when it was over a year old. It came pre-painted and you could not tell the difference between the colours of the paint. I have now transfered the kit onto my 54reg Cooper (Still black) and there's no difference there either. (Been to see it today).

My Mom has just the side skirts on her Chilli Red Cooper, looks great, but I think seceretly she wished that she'd had the full kit. D:

Good luck with your decision making. BTW - there was over a £400 diff. between the cost of the skirts between Rydale (Oldbury) & Benham's (W'Ton).

[paulworthing]

Love the aero kit on my MOC - 'butches' the whole car up a a bit!

[kezman50]

Ok.....so after much deliberation wether to go Full aero, or just side skirts.....have gone for............................just side skirts !! With xmas round the corner and the tax man wanting his bit soon, plus other committments...the purchase reflects my finances really.

Interesting point though.....as alot of you of course will know you have to pay for the parts in advance and settle the balance of the labour when the parts have arrived and have obviously been fitted......Down payment for the parts then, £405 and then £30 to pay later on. Clearly structured so that it doesn't make sense to fit them yourself. Either that or the actual fitting time is about 20 mins !!

[nylo]

Damn! Just saw this post too late- was going to add my 2bits worth and say go for the whole kit- it sets your mini apart, but no point me saying that now, too late Hope you're happy with your choice though

[kezman50]

Cheers for the input Nylo.......don't get me wrong the BMW aero kit is the biz, got the balance just right - not too in your face to appear tacky and after market, (for some reason not been drawn to any after market body kits) but subtly different....it's just the finances at a particularly busy period at the moment but I wanted to get an order in for something coz' I've a sneaky feeling post Jan they'd wack the price up !!

Just looked at your car.....loads of nice touches happening.