And Alex also recommends standing in the engine bay and taking a selfie...??

Thanks guys. I figured it was drive out the roll pins but didn't want to bugger it up in case I was wrong. Thanks for the tips about putting it in reverse. 

- Zoé

Select reverse gear and drive the pin up & out.  Don't worry about going all the way, as long as it has disengaged from the rod you're good.  Use a much bigger hammer than you think you'll need, the force required is deceptive.

I'd also advise against dropping the engine and subframe as a complete unit - they are a nightmare to handle, and getting them back in to the car is a recipe for swearing, hurt knuckles, bruised paint, and frustration.  Yes, the factory fitted them like that, but they had jigs and a production line set up for it.

Engine out the top and then drop the 'frame is a much easier way of doing it, and far, far easier on reassembly.

In your photo, the upper rod is a steady rod - undo the bolt.
The lower rod is the shift rod. The cylindrical connector can be disconnected by driving out one of the two roll pins - cylindrical spring steel pins.
You need a drift punch of the exact diameter of the pin and shift gears so that as you drive the pin upward it does not hit the transmission case. I don't recall exactly whch gear - probably first or third - which pulls the connector back and rotates it. You'll figure it out.

Hi, new Mini owner (72). I'm dropping the subframe with the motor attached as I plan a refurb. I bought the car after it was sitting for 16 years, so there's a lot of rust, but so far it's mainly surface and nothing terminal.
 
I'm at the point where all I need to do is unbolt the shocks, detach the gear shift lever and then the subframe bolts. But I've read the Haynes manual, a bunch of posts, but I'm unsure of what to do to remove the gearshift level.

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