Cooper S Gas Cap Conversion

Ever since I got my MINI, I disliked the gas cap door. It just looked too plain. MINI got the one on the Cooper S right. It looks more like an original Mini cap. I wanted one on mine. I ordered the parts and had Elwood Body Works paint the trim ring to match my car.

Follow along as I install the new cap.

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Stock door. Boring!		Here are the parts of the Cooper S gas cap conversion. The trim ring (upper right) comes unpainted. I had Elwood Body Works in Scottsdale paint it to match my car.
First step is to remove the original door. Here it is in the normal open position.		Rotate the door about 10 degrees clockwise and it comes right off.
the 10 degree rotation seen from the rear.		Metal door removed.
Next, the inner fender needs to be removed. Start by jacking up the car and removing the rear screw near the rear marker light. The car has to be jacked up to get clearance to remove the screws. Some say to remove the tire, but I did not have to and besides, my wheel was stuck tight to the brake rotor.		Then the screw slightly lower and down from that one
Next, these 2 screws are removed. Yeah, the photo is blurry. I'll take a better one later.		The last screw to be removed is located under the side skirt in front of the tire.
There are also 2 nuts that need to be removed. They are directly behind the black plastic arch in the wheelwell. Shown here is the rear one.		This is the front one.
Finally, the inner fender liner can be removed.		Next, look up in to the wheelwell and remove this nut holding the gas filler neck in place.
Then, follow the neck down and you will find this nut. Remove it also.		Gently pry the rubber lip around the gas filler over the filler.
Pull the gas filler neck in to the wheelwell.		This is the hardest part. GENTLY insert a small screwdriver between the body and the gas filler bezel to release the three tabs holding the bezel to the body. It is VERY important to have something between the screwdriver and the body so you do not scratch or chip the paint. As you are releasing the tabs, pull on the filler and it will eventually pop out.
Here are the top two tabs that need to be released. I just kinda wiggled the screwdriver around while pushing the tab and it slip past, releasing the tab.		This is the bottom tab.
Old door assembly removed. The arrows show the three metal lips that engage the tabs shown in the previous photos.		Now, the gas cap needs to be transferred to the new door. This is where its rubber lanyard attaches to the old door.
Release it from the tab.		Now, grab the new door and attach the lanyard to the new tab.
Time to install the new door bezel. Close the door arm about halfway and slide the assembly in to the hole.		Keep sliding it in until the tabs on the new housing engage the metal lips.
Now install the trim ring. It just clicks in to place.		Now, reinstall the filler neck and the nuts that hold it in place.
Here is the new gas cap door. The arrow shows the single screw hole.		The door is installed on the arm. It slides in to a slot at the rear and is screwed in place at the front with a single screw. I used some blue threadlock on the screw.
All done. That looks SO much better.

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