Minis For Sale on BAT

[94touring]

Good looking and looks to be a well sorted Mini it should do well.
I would have binned the wing mirrors when it was repainted.

Agreed on the mirrors.

[cstudep]

Good looking and looks to be a well sorted Mini it should do well.
I would have binned the wing mirrors when it was repainted.

Agreed on the mirrors.

Agreed as well, was that an actual mounting place from the factory or was that just something people did? I am not real fond of the look and they are completely useless as actual mirrors.

[MiniDave]

It's a requirement for Japanese spec cars, they all have them mounted on the fenders - I find them worthless, but then I'm not used to them on my daily driver.

All the discussion and bids seem to have stopped on the Red Mini....nothing but crickets over there right now.

[BruceK]

Yeah there’s only been three bids total, and the last one was 5 1/2 days ago early on Saturday morning.

Crickets? Maybe we should start talking about tires or something.   

[94touring]

I guess the bidders got tire-d of it.

[MiniDave]

I guess there's only so much you can say about the Bruce Brown connection....and it's all been said! 

If I were selling this car, the first thing I would be before advertising it for sale is remove the MiniMania stickers.....

And why the heck when they were doing all the body and paint work did they kept those ugly side markers? (Did Bruce or someone already ask this?)

[BruceK]

I guess there's only so much you can say about the Bruce Brown connection....and it's all been said! 

If I were selling this car, the first thing I would be before advertising it for sale is remove the MiniMania stickers.....

And why the heck when they were doing all the body and paint work did they kept those ugly side markers? (Did Bruce or someone already ask this?)

No, I didn’t ask. But the sidemarker lights are a topic of discussion now tires have been retired. 

[MiniDave]

And we have a new batter!.....erm, bidder!

[cstudep]

Those side markers are terrible looking. Not helped by the fact that the placement of the rear ones is absolutely terrible. They are just slightly forward of the centerline of the tire. If they weren't going to center them over the rear tires I think they should have pushed them more toward the back, just slightly in front of the rear seam would have looked a lot better. Still not good, but better I think.

[BruceK]

Yeah, I think the rear ones were placed there for ease in building the Mini at the factory.

[Jimini II]

It's a requirement for Japanese spec cars, they all have them mounted on the fenders - I find them worthless, but then I'm not used to them on my daily driver.

Not sure on the mirrors being a requirement as I have imported several Minis from Japan and several had door mirrors and did not have wing mirrors fitted.
All the J spec Minis I have seen with original paint have the factory holes for wing mirrors with the screws in them or a small aftermarket emblem so they are definitely add ons.
Maybe they are Only required in certain areas of the Country.

The owner of the red bitsa Mini has now added a you tube video link of the two movies that Bruce Brown made.

[BruceK]

I just googled it and found that fender mirrors were required under Japanese law until the early 1980s, when regular door mirrors become legal. 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/11/18/reference/fender-mirrors/

I think the reason a lot of JDM minis have fender mirrors, or wing mirrors, is because the classic Mini is very much a retro car - especially in the Japanese market - and fender mirrors suit a classic car better according to Japanese automotive tastes.

[Jimini II]

That sounds right.

What does not sound right is the red bitsa ex movie producer Mini just sold for $14,333.

[BruceK]

Too much?   I thought it would sell for about $15,000 so that seems good to me. 

I would have been shocked if somehow bidders paid more due to the celebrity association. 

[MiniDave]

I guessed $13500 I think....I think $14,333 is a decent price for that car.....depending on what the new owner wants to do with it....good motor, good body, good paint, comfy seats....seems OK to me but at the limit.

[Jimini II]

I guessed $13500 I think....I think $14,333 is a decent price for that car.....depending on what the new owner wants to do with it....good motor, good body, good paint, comfy seats....seems OK to me but at the limit.

Considering the owner dropped his reserve he thought it was worth more too.
Everyone's perception of a perfect Mini for themselves is different i am just not a fan of Minis that are modified to an owners personal taste and pieced together or appear that way.
I could see the new owner dropping $5k + or - into this to bring it up to scratch based on the way i would want it to look but of course the new owner may be fine with it the way it in its current condition.
Imo the only thing that the car had going for it was the drivetrain and who knows how old or how many hard miles it has had done with the racing background of the po.
I know you could buy a nice unmolested 1275cc Mini in that price range, this one did not check the boxes for me.

[MiniDave]

Yep.....

[BruceK]

Yeah.  The black JDM Mini currently on BaT is a lot more attractive for that sort of money.

The solid bodyshell with rust repaired, shiny new paint, and working a/c are good features.  So is the fact it is still mostly as it left Longbridge.  Nice interior, nice exterior.  Being mostly stock may make it too ordinary for some bidders who desire more of a boy-racer or sporting Mini, but others will like it.  I think it might go for about $15K to $18K. 

[Jimini II]

I think you are on the money at $15 to $18k.
He is also a very active seller with good videos which helps a lot on these auctions.
I am not sure if it is black or a very dark blue which is a color the Japanese seem to like.

EDIT: I guess it is black as the description has it listed that way.
Unusual to find a factory black Mini as there were not that many made.

[BruceK]

Probably more black Minis than you think, especially from the late 80s onward. My car was a special edition Mini 1000 called a Jet Black.  There was also another black special edition called Checkers.  And I believe that all of the Mini Coopers of the 1990s were available in black too, starting with the RSP Coopers and on to the regular production Coopers.  Even special editions like the Monte Carlo Mini Cooper could be had in black.   As to how many were actually built in black I don’t know.

[Jimini II]

The black J spec Mini just sold for $16,500 right in the middle of your $15 to $18k guesstimate.

[BruceK]

Yeah.  The black JDM Mini currently on BaT is a lot more attractive for that sort of money.

The solid bodyshell with rust repaired, shiny new paint, and working a/c are good features.  So is the fact it is still mostly as it left Longbridge.  Nice interior, nice exterior.  Being mostly stock may make it too ordinary for some bidders who desire more of a boy-racer or sporting Mini, but others will like it.  I think it might go for about $15K to $18K.

The black JDM Mini Cooper just sold for $16,500.  I think that’s very fair price for a car that nice. 

[MiniDave]

A better buy than that red Hollywood car was, IMHO.....

And another black car, this time a Mk1....this one has no chassis plate and is titled according to it's "body number"?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-austin-mini-cooper-5/

[BruceK]

A better buy than that red Hollywood car was, IMHO.....

And another black car, this time a Mk1....this one has no chassis plate and is titled according to it's "body number"?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-austin-mini-cooper-5/

That VIN issue may put some people off. But I don’t think it’s going to hurt the auction. This is a customized Mini that is going to appeal a lot to some people, but other people may not be fond of the color or the various customized details.  Personally, I am no fan of 13” wheels and big fender flares on a Mk I or Mark II car.

It does have a 1275 and it is a Mk I so those two things are going to win it over in the end.  Plus it can be registered in California. Unless there is a cranky seller or something negative comes up about the car, I could see this one going in the high teens possibly. 

[Jimini II]

The lack of a correct vin number could bother some bidders but at least it has a number that corresponds with the actual body number not some made up one.
A comparison would be to look at all the Mini owners with re vins which do not match the car they are on at all.
As stated this is not your normal Mini but one that is built to the owners taste and I have seen cars like this built on a salvage title bringing a lot more money than this Mini will.
If the car as it sits appeals to the buyer I am guessing it will not make a difference in the selling price.