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2nd Gen Front Grilles

80K views 251 replies 39 participants last post by  fcminicoopers 
#1 ·
I still cant get my head around the grilles on the 2nd gen MINI :eek:

Ive ordered a new Cooper D (im sure most of you are well aware of that by now :eek: :p :D) and it will have the chrome grille (below)



Ive always liked the Cooper S front grille but believe this wont fit. I like the Aero grille (below) as it has the black honeycomb but I dont like the black surround...



So then ive found this one with the Aero grille but the Chrome surround (ScoobyDoo's Cooper below :)) and this is the perfect compromise! And will also fit in much better with the other mod idea of Chrome spotlights, plus it will match the JCW side grilles ive already bought :D



So...

Can the Aero grille be fitted to the Cooper D? Do I have to order one specific to the Dooper?

Can I use the Chrome surround off my original grille as per the Cooper above?

Also with regards fitting spotlights later, do I have to order a different sort of Aero grille in the first place?

And any ideas on cost?

Thank you :) :red:
 
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#2 ·
I think the black Aero grill should fit. Im hoping to pick one up next week for my Cooper. Should be about £35 quid, not sure how the black surrounds cost tho. :)

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-exterior/138116-alternative-grille-r56-mini-cooper.html

I think both of those pics are of Helens car (Scooby) She liked the look of the original chrome and kept them on. So yes you can use your original chrome surrounds.

New Dooper?...really I didnt know you were getting one! lol ;-)
 
#5 ·
I''ve been asking this question in another thread. I think the Dooper has a different bonnet and grill to the standard Cooper. i know for a fact the Aero grill for the S has a different part number for the one for the Cooper.

i'm going to ring my Cotswold BMW parts guy next week, and get him to look it up for me.

I'm still hoping the S grill will fit my Dooper. I'm going to try it tomorrow.
 
#6 ·
I''ve been asking this question in another thread. I think the Dooper has a different bonnet and grill to the standard Cooper. i know for a fact the Aero grill for the S has a different part number for the one for the Cooper.

i'm going to ring my Cotswold BMW parts guy next week, and get him to look it up for me.

I'm still hoping the S grill will fit my Dooper. I'm going to try it tomorrow.
If you ring Chris at woodmans (telephone number in his sig) you will get the parts at a discounted price. ;)
 
#23 ·
Thanks to Hickster for the information on the Cooper D.

I'm still confused though: Is what Jo and others are calling the 'Aero' grill actually the JCW grill? The Aero grill (as fitted with the Aero kit) is a black 3-louvre version designed to be sprayed the body colour.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=137204&d=1189716534

The JCW grill looks a bit like the S grill (with rounded holes), and can also have the black upper and lower parts instead of chrome.

MINI - John Cooper Works* - MINI Cooper S Areodinamic Pagkage*

Have I just got it completely wrong? Can someone clarify this?
 
#24 ·
Thanks to Hickster for the information on the Cooper D.

I'm still confused though: Is what Jo and others are calling the 'Aero' grill actually the JCW grill? The Aero grill (as fitted with the Aero kit) is a black 3-louvre version designed to be sprayed the body colour.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=137204&d=1189716534

The JCW grill looks a bit like the S grill (with rounded holes), and can also have the black upper and lower parts instead of chrome.

MINI - John Cooper Works* - MINI Cooper S Areodinamic Pagkage*

Have I just got it completely wrong? Can someone clarify this?
There's two Aero Kits - the MINI Aero Kit, and the JCW Aero Kit.....

The one you refer to with the bar grille is the MINI aero kit.... the one with the black surround and black honeycomb centre is the JCW Aero grille.
 
#30 ·
Right....... to clarify whats on my car (and yes the pics in Jo's first post are both of my MINI).

I had the JCW bodykit fitted along with, of course the honeycombe grille and the black surrounds. I then decided that I didn't like the look of the black surround so I took those off and put back on the chrome surrounds from the original Cooper grille.

Also the black surround that I took off......... I sold to another R56 owner who fitted them to his original grille. So he now has the opposite of me - a chrome Cooper grille with black JCW surrounds oh and BTW he doesn't have the JCW front bumper.

So yes you can swap quite easily between the JCW grille and surrounds and the standard Cooper grille and surround and all items fit both the original Cooper bumper and the JCW front bumper.
 
#32 ·
Right....... to clarify whats on my car (and yes the pics in Jo's first post are both of my MINI).

I had the JCW bodykit fitted along with, of course the honeycombe grille and the black surrounds. I then decided that I didn't like the look of the black surround so I took those off and put back on the chrome surrounds from the original Cooper grille.

Also the black surround that I took off......... I sold to another R56 owner who fitted them to his original grille. So he now has the opposite of me - a chrome Cooper grille with black JCW surrounds oh and BTW he doesn't have the JCW front bumper.

So yes you can swap quite easily between the JCW grille and surrounds and the standard Cooper grille and surround and all items fit both the original Cooper bumper and the JCW front bumper.

I thought it was something like that. :D
 
#33 ·
OK, as I first though and as Adam has said above, the exisitng chrome lower surround will not fit the JCW Aero Grille. As you can see in the image below, the surround is much deeper than the Aero surround and the clips are in different places (there's also fewer of them).



This is probably because in reality, the lower surround of the chrome grille is also the bottom slat - hence its depth. On the JCW Aero grille, it's just a surround.

Also, for those who are interested, the black aero lower surround will not fit correctly onto anything other than a cooper S or JCW front bumper as the corners are different (see pic below and Grifter's pic earlier).



All I can suggest is that you should talk to your dealer.
 
#34 ·
:)

I did try and tell everyone lol. I think you are right in saying that it is due to the chrome one being the depth of the grill vs. the aero surround only being a surround to hide the clips. However i think its silly that they only make them in black and not chrome too!
 
#51 ·
Well it doesn't sit at any strange angles or have any gaps, in fact it sits flush and inline like its supoosed to....... will see if I have a closeer up picci & post it. if not will take one tomorrow for you.

Just an idea, probably won't apply - but would it make a difference that mine is a Nov. 2006 build not a 2007 R56?
Yes, but you've got the JCW front bumper as well as the grile. The problem seems to be when you want to use the black centre of a JCW grille and the chrome surrounds from a Cooper.

Like Jo, I want to put the black grill plus chrome surrounds on a Cooper D.

jordangpboy - let us know how you get on.
 
#53 ·
I have been following this thread with great interest for a while - thinking about a black grille into my standard Dooper chrome surround.
Mini/BMW certainly don't make things easy for us :(
I have PMed Chris at Woodmans, to ask his opinion on what should fit. When I hear back from him I shall pass the info on.
Good luck trying to sort this out ;), I am currently bamboozled :D
 
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