Bert

There is a USB Retrofit available; http://www.shopminiusa.com/PRODUCT/590/MINI-BLUETOOTH-RETROFIT-KIT-WITH-USB-AUDIO-INTERFACE I don't know what is involved to install it but it is an option.

Okay. I understand. If it works for you then it should work for me too. That will give me a working solution. Thanks again. Let's compare on Saturday.

They are definitely the rim pattern that I am interested in, I just don't know if I want the white or black rims. The black would sure work better with the brake dust... a little better at least.

I do appreciate the thought and effort. Just giving you some grief, you appear to make so few mistakes, if any at all, we just had to rib you this once. :embarassed:

Sevan, tell me about the black rims. They look like 17 rims, can you tell me anything more about them? In the last picture, of the black rims, there appears to be a little curb rash on it. Do I see that correctly? I'm interested and don't live too far from you in MoCo. I am just wondering if they will work on my 2012 MC S R56.

I appreciate it, but you found A cable, not the right cable. I will show you on Saturday. Please don't spend any more time looking, it doesn't exist right now. I already spent a LOT of time on the internet, in Best Buy, Micro Center, Radio Shack, etc. The cable for the iPhone to the MINI has a 3.5mm stereo plug with 3 black rings (dividers), the Kensington cable like all the others that I have found has only 2 black rings on the 3.5mm plug. The BMW cable has 2 but the MINI has 3. 2 rings works for an iPod but not for the iPhone.

Come on, here is your chance... Craig is confusing my posts. He posted a response for the USB cable to the Cup Holder thread.

I appreciate it, but you found A cable, not the right cable. I will show you on Saturday. Please don't spend any more time looking, it doesn't exist right now. I already spent a LOT of time on the internet, in Best Buy, Micro Center, Radio Shack, etc. The cable for the iPhone to the MINI has a 3.5mm stereo plug with 3 black rings (dividers), the Kensington cable like all the others that I have found has only 2 black rings on the 3.5mm plug. The BMW cable has 2 but the MINI has 3. 2 rings works for an iPod but not for the iPhone.

Have you tagged this ride? That is a sweet GP, and I like the GP without the side stickers on the new GP2. I noticed that it has the move expensive tow hook inserted. Does that come with the GPs? I know that is over $100 aftermarket.

P.S. - and on the cup holders themselves, I found this guys mod: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/2970181-post5.html http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/91220/ppuser/20272 I've taken a shot at putting this PVC cup holder together. I got the pvc and smoothed, cut, sanded, and mated the pieces last night. I have even glued them together and I will see what it looks like this evening but... I'm not thrilled with the results. I will bring it to the meet & greet on Saturday but I think I'm going to try the aluminum one instead (I just have to find a reasonable source for the aluminum pipe sections and plate. I just need scraps). The exercise of building the pvc one gave me useful insight into the next version so all is not lost, except a few dollars and time.

I don't know why it didn't work... it is supposed to be a 30-pin extension and it should work... but doesn't. We'll see what you have on Saturday.

I bought that cable already and it doesn't work with the MINI. It works fine with my wife's iPad and other "i" devices at home but there is something with the MINI set-up that it doesn't work.

I mean the problems people create at work, not here. :embarassed: These are fun and interesting... even though I do like what I do. Enough said Bert. Good Night. It's past my bed time.

You got me. I'm crashing here. :sleep: I should not be reading posts after that much sushi and that long of a day at work solving the problems of other people. :banghead: Besides this board, give a call to your sales person and they might be able to recommend a good shop, other than themselves. A number of places "farm it out" and have a third party come in and do the installs, as with the Lo-Jacks.

Which port(s) do you have under the switches? Do you have the USB and the 3.5mm stereo jack or just the 3.5mm? If you have a USB you can do a lot more. If you only have the 3.5mm you can connect any audio device but will have to control it using the device and not the through the car controls. We can compare on Saturday.

Ask around and you should get a few good recommendations. I don't know how much work they have done on MINIs but Hurley's Auto Audio has always had a good reputation; http://hurleysautoaudio.com Hurley's used to do a lot of installs (alarm, audio, etc.) for the auto dealers up and down Route & in Tysons and Vienna. I found out about them from Tysons Jeep and Don Beyer Volvo and they did 2 radio replacements for me. They have a small shop off of 7 and the Toll Road, tucked into a light industrial area and group of auto repair and body shops. Check out their web site and give them a call.

Will, the Mini Connected iPhone app still works, and it does a nice job giving the driver useful information but I don't like it DJing for me. I used to DJ, long ago, and I have a very broad range of music interests. The new small flash drives are working great. I was sitting on the American Legion Bridge this afternoon rocking it out. I even called my wife and told her how much I LOVE THIS Car... and her. She sees the smile on my face, even after driving home in rush hour for an hour... a trip that usually averages 30 minutes in the afternoon/evening. :motor:

Craig, I'll be there on Saturday but I can't do the scavenger hunt. I'll take a look at the cable you have. Thanks.

Well, after spending way too much time and money on this... I have done extensive web searches and blog trolling, talked with MINIUSA, the dealer (MoCo MINI), BMW Parts (checked out there cable, only a 2 ring 3.5mm stereo plug), bought a few connectors and cables (extension 30 pin iPhone cable, 3.5mm headphone cable, and others), I am still getting a bad connection with the 3.5mm plug. Channels (left and right) still just drop out or the singers sound as if they are in the back of a room when I move the connected device or hit a bump. I like to have my iPhone (not a Galaxy ) mounted in a cradle to the left of my steering wheel, so..... I am giving in, leaving my phone in the cradle and loading my playlists onto USB flash drives. I just went to Best Buy and picked up 2 SanDisk 16 GB Cruzer Fit, low-profile flash drives (on sale for $12.99 each)http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=-4711211890812975343&id=pcat17071&type=page&st=sandisk+cruzer+fit+16gb&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=15&sp=&qp=&list=n&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960 These things are really small and will not get in the way of the cup holders or anything down there. I tested another USB drive before doing this and, as stated on a number of MINI boards, the sound quality is great and the album covers and lists still display. Moving onto the next project. :rock:

Did he just post his personal emoticon record? I think he is passionate about this topic. They are well placed, but I don't get the dancing elephant for texting. Will Sbucks put Will's vente, triple shot, low-fat, sweet, no cream, carmel, latte, with a shot of full synthetic 0W-30, in a camelback for him?

I just checked the page again and they have posted new photos from this past weekend and have STKRS on the winners page. Way to go Celia :congrats:

A Flow Jet machine is a metal cutting tool that uses super high pressure water to cut metals. Where in years past you would have to use a torch or milling machine to cut out shapes in sheet steel or aluminum now you can place it on the machine's bed and the computer controlled water jet cuts out the pattern. It's cool to watch. My brother was a machinist and had access to one when he was with the FDNY. That all changed on Sept. 11th.

Check this one out, I don't know if you stumbled across this. Supposedly, it was offered by mini-stuff.com through 2006, until they went out of business. It was aluminum and retailed for about $75+. Clean design though. Anyone have access to a flow-jet? I'll supply the materials for the top and bottom plates.

Let's keep an eye on the VW... you are at 850 and they are at 619, and they could make that up today. Let's get you a little more votes during the day.

I went to HD on the way to work this morning and picked through the pvc parts and connectors. PVC pipe comes in 1-1/2", 2", 3" and 4" sizes and I wasn't happy with the 2" and 3" pipes with ODs (outside diameters) of 2-3/8" and 3-1/2" respectively. I was trying to find something with an OD around 3" and an ID (internal diameter) of around 2-1/4". THEN I found a 3" extended toilet flange ($10.67, I will provide pictures later). Once the drain screen top is cut off the 3" flange will fits nicely into the passenger cup holder and still gives you useful space in the middle (I like to keep a pump bottle of waterless hand cleaner there). For the cup holder I have picked up a 3" DMV Soil Pipe Adapter ($3.89, tapered inside and appears to be the one in the picture) and a 3" PVC Cap for the bottom ($3.95). I have some scrap 3" and 4" PVC in my shop at home, for the cross pieces, and should be able to epoxy all this together, once I make the section cuts and smooth sanding. I wish I had my brother's bandsaw, that would make the cuts much easier. I hope to have a mock-up before Saturday's Meet & Greet at Passport MINI Alexandria.