# How to remove stripes of a BMW Mini bonnet



## electric_cooper (Feb 28, 2008)

I have been put in charge of sourcing a Mini Cooper S Convertible for the other half and have found the perfect one...aside from the bonnet stripes

I have assured her that they should be relatively straight forward to remove but she (understandably) wants to make sure that removing them wont leave any marks underneath, etc

The Mini is question is a 2010 model and has only done £12k miles so I dont imagine that they will be as weather and "stuck on" as some older/higher mileage models but equally, I want to be extra sure

I certainly dont want to ask the dealer to take them off (the car is at a Vauxhall dealer) so I would expect that they would just try and rip them off but I sure as hell don't want to spend a full weekend picking them off with my bare hands :wall::lol:

Any suggestions? :driver:


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## furby-123 (Dec 3, 2011)

id try a heat gun, or even a hair dryer, start at a corner or edge and it should peel straight off, then the glue residue, spray some tardis on it, cover with a cloth or even tissues, leave for 5-10 minutes and the residue will wipe off, then a quick machine polish to bring up all the paint to the same colour again, job done, about 1-2 hours should do it at the max


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## Bradders (Mar 2, 2013)

^ this. Spot on


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## Astro (Dec 4, 2005)

Use the hot sun light to your advantage too, plus as suggested a hair dryer


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## Ben_W (Feb 15, 2009)

We very recently bought a Mini and the wife also wanted the stripes removing. I had the place I got it from do it. However, they were a Mini specialist.

I think the stripes are vinyl. Furby is bang on tho


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## Danny B (Apr 14, 2010)

furby-123 said:


> id try a heat gun, or even a hair dryer, start at a corner or edge and it should peel straight off, then the glue residue, spray some tardis on it, cover with a cloth or even tissues, leave for 5-10 minutes and the residue will wipe off, then a quick machine polish to bring up all the paint to the same colour again, job done, about 1-2 hours should do it at the max


I work at a MINI dealer in Kent & this is how our in house 'valeter' does it with the exception of a machine polish at the end, once they are warm you will have no worries (a hair dryer is ok for factory fitted stripes)


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## Wax Tec (Jun 19, 2013)

We've removed / replaced a fair few sets of these and as people have sugested, hot air gun to warm them up and peel them off nice and easy. Wipe away any residue with a tar remover then machine the whole bonnet.


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## JasonKruys (Dec 1, 2012)

Agreed with all of the above, a hairdryer will do the trick!


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## Ben_W (Feb 15, 2009)

I did notice on the wifes bonnet though the the outline of the stripes is still visible.

Its not that the paint is a different colour, or that there are any marks in the paint (though it maybe something in the clearcoat) but i can clearly see the outline. Its almost like its a RDS in the clearcoat but i dont understand why this would be for something thats just stuck on........this is after the onnet has been reasonbly agressively machined.....


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## Wax Tec (Jun 19, 2013)

Ben_W said:


> I did notice on the wifes bonnet though the the outline of the stripes is still visible.
> 
> Its not that the paint is a different colour, or that there are any marks in the paint (though it maybe something in the clearcoat) but i can clearly see the outline. Its almost like its a RDS in the clearcoat but i dont understand why this would be for something thats just stuck on........this is after the onnet has been reasonbly agressively machined.....


You may have UV fading of the base coat paint that wasn't covered by the striped buddy. All depends on how long they were fitted for.


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## Ben_W (Feb 15, 2009)

Wax Tec said:


> You may have UV fading of the base coat paint that wasn't covered by the striped buddy. All depends on how long they were fitted for.


Crap. I wondered if it might be something like that...........odd its just the outline and nothing else i can see........... LIke i said, its just like a bad scratch but its not if that makes sense......


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## Wax Tec (Jun 19, 2013)

Ben_W said:


> Crap. I wondered if it might be something like that...........odd its just the outline and nothing else i can see........... LIke i said, its just like a bad scratch but its not if that makes sense......


Its very hard to tell without seeing. Can you get a pic up that shows the problem?


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## Ben_W (Feb 15, 2009)

Possibly bud. Wont be now tho!


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