1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Exterior emblems

I have many of these and this is my process for making black MINI emblems.

Buy a set at the Stealership, tape over the center MINI logo with 3M blue painters tape and trim the circle with an Exacto knife.

Next, I scuff them really well with a women's emery board / nail file to get into the tight spaces. * If you do not scuff them the paint will not stick to the chrome that well.

For paint prep I use lacquer thinner to remove any oil and then spray a very thin layer adhesion promoter spray. After the adhesion promoter drys in 5 min use Krylon fusion paint that you can pick up at any hardware store like Ace. * you can also get a spray can of adhesion promoter at Ace.

I use a piece of cardboard to hold them emblems while I paint them. Just poke the emblems into the cardboard and they will stay. This is also good for moving them as you paint out side then you can set them down and let them air dry.

Make sure you do many lite coats of paint from all different angles several time and let them dry for 5 - 10 min each. If you spray to much too fast it will run quickly and take forever to dry.

When you are all done let them dry for a day or so and the paint will cure nice and hard.
Remove your old emblems with strong fishing line and gloves. Use a heat gun to warm up the left over glue and rub it away. Use a small amount of lacquer thinner to remove any wax and left over glue. Just wipe a few time and all the glue and none of the paint will come off.

Test fit the emblems with the tape still on the back of them them and make sure everything lines up.

Next peel back the tape on your new self made custom black MINI emblems and warm the glue with your heat gun or hair drier to make the glue super tacky.

Place on car and line them up quickly and press.

WALLA ! You now have custom MNI badges, congrats!

 

Def talk to Lyle at Vinyl Styles...ive had his blacked out emblems for years and no matter how many times i wash the car it never cracks, peels or fades...and he can make them anyway you want...i had mine done in flat black with the MINI letters and circle around the letters done in dry carbon vinyl

 

Only way I know to get black ones is to paint the ones you have. That's what most do anyway.

 

Try http://mini.sewellparts.com/. They are an MA sponsor and sell "black" emblems. I have a set on my car. They are more of a very dark gray than truly black, but they look really nice.

 

If you want me to make you a set send me a PM and I will give you my address and you can send me a set of new emblems and I will make them for you.

I really think you should give making them a try. They are easy to make and will look professional if you follow my instructions.


You can do it!

 

Consider contacting Lyle at Vinyl Styles. He does a very nice job covering anything with vinyl. His emblems unique and tastefully done.

 

Kinda OT here, but always, liked this.....

 

Only on my car in my garage on M/A.

I will be at the Dragon if you are going, look me up.

 

A quick trip in my media blasting cabinet should scuff them up enough to take the paint better and easier than sanding. If anybody rather go that route just hit me up and I would be glad to do it for you. I will blast them and then send them back to you so you can paint them.

 

Hi!

I'd like 2 keep my current emblems and just fill-in the black portion (they're totally silver now). Can u tell me if there's a stencil out there somewhere I could purchase and stick on, or if it's possible to repaint the black on while still mounted 2 the car? Any info would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

Scoopie's mom.

 

You can go to a graphics shop and have them measure the center MINI circle and logo and they can print you a sheet of them on vinyl in any color combos you want.

I had Dick of Dicks Garage custom paint me a set of emblems and jet Black mirror caps. for the centers of the emblems he had someone make vinyl centers, black with MINI in Chili red added them and clear coated the whole emblem a few times. They look awesome.

 

I might have a couple vinyl replacements. I'll look this weekend.