Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper Engine Bay Bling

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by agranger, Feb 4, 2011.

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  1. CHKMINI

    CHKMINI Club Coordinator
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    ..."leave the bling for the Escolade's" :p
     
  2. Mr. Jim

    Mr. Jim Mudshark
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    Werd :cornut:
     
  3. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Black out & carbon fiber are the new improved bling....

    I really respect folks who can make their engine bays sparkle. :Thumbsup:
     
  4. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    Ok... So I was helping a friend with a brake job today and applied a few coats of plastidip between wheels.

    Before:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    AFTER:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  5. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    More fun with paint.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    Installed

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Looks great...now the MINI on the valve cover
     
  8. Mr. Jim

    Mr. Jim Mudshark
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    When I looked at that picture I thought the same thing.
     
  9. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    LOL. I had the same thought, but that part sees much more heat than the others.

    I think I saw some tinting spray... Like transparent paint. I wonder if it would hold up to the heat?
     
  10. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Soooo.....
    Are you going to have a tent set up in the Fontana parking lot???:Thumbsup:
     
  11. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    OK I give up... What's the trick??? It's gotta be more than a steady hand...:beer
     
  12. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    The trick is to use a paint pen... Like a fat Sharpie (fiber/felt tip), but with an opaque paint instead of transparent ink... The kind like the metallic markers from a few years ago where you depress the tip to recoat with paint. The raised letters make it surprisingly easy to get good results, though I recommend using a water-based paint and having a good supply of q-tips at the ready to fix your mistakes.
     
  13. CheckersSD

    CheckersSD New Member

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    I love the way it turned out. Something I would love to try myself.
     
  14. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    Very Cool! I've done stuff like that before with good results and I kinda thought maybe that's what you may be doing. Thanks for the info and now I'm off to be a copy-cat.....:beer::Thumbsup: Thanks.
     
  15. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    I checked last night... After a 45 min highway drive and 30 min to cool, that valve cover logo / metal plate was too hot to touch for more than a few seconds. Vinyl won't work and regular paint (like a transparent tint spray) may have a problem as well. A high-temp paint may work, but reproducing the logo in paint may be more than I'm ready for.
     
  16. Batrugger

    Batrugger New Member

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    FYI, if you remove the MINI plate from the valve cover, it says "1.6L 16 Valve" under it in raised letters that could probably be easily painted with red brake caliper paint.
     
  17. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    [​IMG]

    I finished the inner Intercooler scoop (an aftermarket piece that comes with the big Intercooler). It was scratched and overly worn from the previous owner... Time for a clean-up
     
  18. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    I've got a new custom solution you will like for this issue... It is in the mail!
     
  19. Crashton

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    :popcorn:
     
  20. Mr. Jim

    Mr. Jim Mudshark
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    :popcorn::beer:popcorn:
     

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