Black Bumper Inserts VS Chrome Bumper Inserts VS Regular Bumper

[nattypang]

Hi everyone i live in New York and my dealer had advised me that i should think about getting the black bumber inserts because there are alot of bumbing between cars when you live in the city but i had preferred the regualar bumber inserts the one that is the same color of the car ,but he said that since people rub against your car during parking or traffic and tight squeezes he suggested that it would be a goood idea for me 2 get the black one that is the color of the trim,so it would not show the damage. what do you guys think? and i absolutely hate the chrome its too flashy.

[Ian Clark]

Thats perverted.. Bumbing?

You not mean BumPer? Or is Bumber an American thing?

[Paul]

What's better? Scratched black or scrathed body coloured? I've seen some pretty scrathed, even cracked chrome ones and they even hide it pretty well. It's your choice. I don't see it makes much difference, and you can replace them with whatever colour inserts you chose if needs must.

[Nathant]

Belive me, if something was going to "rub you" it will not be the bumber area, the MINI is too short, more like the brake light area... Unless u think they look good on the MINI I would not get them for anyother reason, and if something short enough to do damage to the bumper I am not so sure how well the plastic will help.

Hope that helps
Nathan

[stryder]

The simple point is that they'll all probably get scratched, but you can replace the black and chrome easily. To replace body color, you need to have it painted, which is expensive.

Also cars do hit the MINI at the 'bumper height' its SUV's you need to worry about.

[jasonfields007]

mmmmm chrome

[DJC]

Chrome !!!!

[Jen]

Quote: Originally Posted by nattypang

Hi everyone i live in New York and my dealer had advised me that i should think about getting the black bumber inserts because there are alot of bumbing between cars when you live in the city but i had preferred the regualar bumber inserts the one that is the same color of the car ,but he said that since people rub against your car during parking or traffic and tight squeezes he suggested that it would be a goood idea for me 2 get the black one that is the color of the trim,so it would not show the damage. what do you guys think? and i absolutely hate the chrome its too flashy.

Have had my Cooper 11 months. Body colored bumpers. No problems with scratches yet. I saw the black inserts on a yellow MC with black roof last week and they looked very sharp. My MC has a white roof and I think the black would not look as nice.

[NEMINI]

I added the black 'inserts' a few months back, did it for looks and they are cheap

[love you dead]

my biggest regret is not getting chrome inserts. they just look so good.

my body colored inserts have been bumped and, at least with BRG, it's not really noticeable.

still want chrome. sigh.

[jsteine2]

Must confess that I thought of getting the black inserts but I kept imagining trying to keep them looking good and not getting wax on them... decided on the chrome... and not sorry. They look great!

Quote: Originally Posted by nattypang

Hi... my dealer had advised me that i should think about getting the black bumber inserts....

[ontheroadagain]

Hello, nattypang - I bought my MINI with the express intention of driving it in and out of NYC all the time. At first I was going to choose the black for the reasons your dealer noted...but then with my cars Indi Blue and white roof...and reading a lot about the subject on this board - I went for the chrome because I thought it looked the best on my particular car.

The points about replacing chrome and black vs body colored ones make sense to me. So why not choose which you feel looks the best?

What color is your MINI going to be?

[NEMINI]

Quote: Originally Posted by love you dead

my biggest regret is not getting chrome inserts. they just look so good.

my body colored inserts have been bumped and, at least with BRG, it's not really noticeable.

still want chrome. sigh.

So what's stopping you from putting them on?

[love you dead]

mainly, i wasn't totally confident in my ability to install them.

[NEMINI]

snip the tabs off, sand where they were smooth, apply body tape to the inside, clean bumper with denatured alcohol, press insert into place ... pretty easy