Minis For Sale on BAT

[MiniDave]

64 still had the floor starter button?

[BruceK]

64 still had the floor starter button?

Yeah.  I think it stopped in early 1964 or so.  Of course the starter button was only on the plain Mini 850s.  The Mini Super 850 , De Luxe 850, and later the Super DeLuxe 850 had the sheer luxury of key start.  And since the Cooper models from 997 onward were based upon the nicer trim of the Super DeLuxe they had key start to begin with.

[MiniDave]

I'm not keen on the brown interior, but it's a nice change I guess - still those miserable seats tho. I don't know why those are so popular.....must be cheap to buy.

Seems like every engine ever built these days is a 1380 - I'll bet it isn't......you have to offset bore the block to get a 1380 and very few places can do that unless they're using a CNC to machine the block, and how many engine shops have those?

I'm betting it's a 60 over 1275, which is what -1360?

[Jimini II]

I'm not keen on the brown interior, but it's a nice change I guess - still those miserable seats tho. I don't know why those are so popular.....must be cheap to buy.

Seems like every engine ever built these days is a 1380 - I'll bet it isn't......you have to offset bore the block to get a 1380 and very few places can do that unless they're using a CNC to machine the block, and how many engine shops have those?

I'm betting it's a 60 over 1275, which is what -1360?

I bought a pair of those seats and they were awful plus you need a 32 inch waist to fit in them, luckily for me a Moke owner wanted them and wanted to trade his metal Moke seats
which was fine with me.
The blue 64 Mini should do well but I don't remember 64's having four wiper wheel box holes in the scuttle, maybe it has been changed for a later one.
The brown interior is a nice change and I am sure was expensive but imo would look better with a different coloured exterior, I think a lighter beige/tan colour would look better with the blue exterior.

[MiniDave]

The Red Italian Job car brought $16,800......I think that was strong for that car, but it was a decent car.

[BruceK]

The Red Italian Job car brought $16,800......I think that was strong for that car, but it was a decent car.

I agree. 

The blue Mk I is already up to $17K with 4 days to go.  Looks like it is popular.

[MiniDave]

So, the Mk1 tax is still in force!   ;D

[Jimini II]

Looks like a bitsa to me. The "welding" and filling of the new front wings is awful in fact there is a work order for correcting cracked filler on the wing, the gaps are terrible with over spray everywhere.
The vin plate is held on by one rivet all the flares are filled in and bonded to the body which is just asking for trouble if they are not welded on metal flares.
This car has had a rough UK life.

I think that red car was lipstick on a pig, if you look at the pictures closely it is easy to see it is a tarted up UK rust bucket.
I think the new owner will have it back up for sale very quickly.
$16,800 was way too much for it but I am sure the seller was happy.
Just my 02c.

[MiniDave]

Whew! The blue Mk1 with the brown seats sold for $35,500!

[BruceK]

Whew! The blue Mk1 with the brown seats sold for $35,500!

That is insane money for a Mini 850 dressed up as a Cooper S.   I thought it might go to maybe $22K or $23K.   I guess that color combo with the unusual interior helped?  And the fact it was a Mk. I.

But the very weirdest thing about the auction was that MiniGuy didn't bid.    ;D

[Jimini II]

Whew! The blue Mk1 with the brown seats sold for $35,500!

That is insane money for a Mini 850 dressed up as a Cooper S.   I thought it might go to maybe $22K or $23K.   I guess that color combo with the unusual interior helped?  And the fact it was a Mk. I.

But the very weirdest thing about the auction was that MiniGuy didn't bid.    ;D

Yes that was insane money to pay for that car and getting into Cooper S territory at $35,500.
Strange that Mini guy did not do his usual low bids in the first few days, imagine out of the 180 plus Minis he has his on this could have been the one lol.

[BruceK]

A Mini and half another Mini are now up on BaT.  Or is that 3/4 of another Mini?  And a 998 is pulling them along.   It's already registered in California, so that should expand the pool of potential bidders.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-austin-mini-6/

[BruceK]

And a VTEC Mini in Canada is also now on BaT.   Nice to see a Mini in a grey color for a change.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-rover-mini/

[MPlayle]

The listing on that blue one with the trailer indicates it has been upgraded to a 1275 from a MG Metro.

[MiniDave]

A lot of discussion about whether that Vtec Mini can be imported into the states -  they seem to think you can only bring one in with the original, unmodified engine. I've never heard this rule before, is this something new?

[BruceK]

A lot of discussion about whether that Vtec Mini can be imported into the states -  they seem to think you can only bring one in with the original, unmodified engine. I've never heard this rule before, is this something new?

Not a new law at all.  Generally speaking, we all know of the 25 year rule for the cars themselves from the DOT, but that same imported car must also follow the EPA regulation stating the vehicle must at least 21 years old and it gets specific about the engine.  Why the 4 year difference? Left hand not paying attention to the right hand I would say.  Anyway, the EPA says: "vehicle at least 21 years old (calendar year of manufacture subtracted from year of importation) and in original unmodified configuration is either exempted or excluded from EPA emission requirements, depending on age. Vehicles at least 21 years old with replacement engines are not eligible for this exemption unless they contain equivalent or newer EPA certified engines. Customs may require proof of vehicle age."   So, yes all the talk about the Mini with the VTEC engine not being legal for US importation is technically 100% correct.  And since laws are explicitly written to be "technical" there is no grey area.  It can't come in.

Here's the EPA 3520 import document used.   

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-07/documents/form3520-1-2020-07-secured-enabled.pdf

On the flipside, I'm aware of a VTEC Mini that just this week was shipped from Canada to a local guy here.  So you takes yer chances...

[MiniDave]

If I went and got it in Canada and drove it to my house I doubt I'd have any trouble registering it in Kansas - or any number of other states - like Texas. They check the vin - if it matches - they're good to go. Much like your Toyota pickup....

On classic Mini engines (A series) I doubt they could tell whether it has an 850 or a 1275, or would really care as I'll bet they don't have books to check..... the funny thing is the Honda motor will run far cleaner than any A series save maybe an SPi/MPI.....

Just went thru the VIN check process with the Audi we bought for Rose (bought new and titled in Austin).....pull into the station, hand paperwork to masked  Hiway patrol employee who checks vin on dash, pull out of station to parking area and wait 5 min., employee brings out form stamped and signed. Done.

[MPlayle]

Bruce is correct regarding the rules and technical aspects.  Enforcement at any given port is a whole other thing.  Some ports (especially the east coast) seem to be very stringent, others are not.

[BruceK]

Yeah, states don't really care. One more car on the road is just an additional opportunity to collect sales tax, annual registration and inspection fees, and have a tax revenue stream from ongoing fuel purchases and maintenance costs that keep the car going.  More $ makes the state happy.

It's only the Feds that care because of the strict import laws that were largely enacted by vigorous Mercedes Benz lobbyist actions back in the 1980s.

[BruceK]

If I went and got it in Canada and drove it to my house I doubt I'd have any trouble registering it in Kansas - or any number of other states - like Texas. They check the vin - if it matches - they're good to go. Much like your Toyota pickup....

Yeah but.  You still have to get it through the border.  I imagine they'd look at your US passport and there would be a few questions about who does the car belong to and why is it registered in Alberta or whatever province.   The state also require some form of a title, and if it's a foreign title/document the state DMV will require all the DOT & EPA import paperwork as well, including customs documentation from the port of entry. 

On classic Mini engines (A series) I doubt they could tell whether it has an 850 or a 1275, or would really care as I'll bet they don't have books to check..... the funny thing is the Honda motor will run far cleaner than any A series save maybe an SPi/MPI.....

There's nothing in the regulations about displacement. So I would argue that any A Series engine is equivalent to any other A Series engine.   Geez, we're not talking about more than 25 or 30 hp difference between any of them.

[MiniDave]

Maybe have the Canadian owner drive it over the border as a tourist?

Then meet up, trade the money and each goes their own way?

Wonder if there are rules about if you leave with a car you have to bring it back?

[BruceK]

Maybe have the Canadian owner drive it over the border as a tourist?

Then meet up, trade the money and each goes their own way?

Wonder if there are rules about if you leave with a car you have to bring it back?

Pretty sketchy. Hypothetically you're still gonna have the issue of a provincial Canadian title when you go to your DMV that is not supported by any importation paperwork.  Look at the small hoop you had a jump through just for getting an Audi from Texas registered in Kansas.    And you know Kansas and Texas both recognize the validity of official paperwork from each other's states. You can be sure no such arrangement exist between Kansas and say, British Columbia. 

The only clean way I can think of – and I'm not suggesting this at all – is a VIN swap with an existing Kansas car once it is driven from Canada to Kansas.  Car A magically "becomes" Car B.   It sounds like a great way to get in some serious trouble crossing state lines and misrepresenting the VIN of a car.  The authorities tend to look at that stuff as what criminals do when operating a chop shop. 

[BruceK]

Wow.  No recent bids on the VTEC Mini in Canada.  It has been bid to $18,000 and then for the last four complete days there have been no bids on the car at all.   

Of course there's still time and many people wait until last minute to bid, but I wonder if all the discussion about difficulties importing to the US have taken the shine off this car? 

[MiniDave]

Yeah, I think the Canadian provenence is the problem, it doesn't sound like it can be imported into the states the way it is. But, we'll see what happens tomorrow....

[ADRay]

Looks good, but look at the way they handled the turn indicator delete...