My turn signal has the integrated horn and works well... The Valve Cover is green, as that's what's on it, and I know no one touched the paint or modded it, as pretty near to all, or all of the records are with it... even MOT certification records and Maintence records from it's homeland.

I don't think I'll be True OEM on this girl though... I still like the merging of modern and old, and plan on keeping a lot of the old look/features, but incorporating modern touches in regards to electronics and convienience.

I love it to look old, but feel new. Keyless entry, AutoWindows, Digital Ignition > Points and such. Also Non-Sealed Beam Headlamps, as they don't perform well enough to make me comfortable at night.

I've been reading up, as re-dying the OE vinyl flooring inside and in the boot and the seats / door cards / dash is going to be one of my first things to play with.

I could probably clean them and be good, but bringing back a "Newish Car" look is going to be fun.

I'm dreading the real paint work, as stripping it all the way down to a rolling frame is scary to say the least...

 

how come these arnt importable these are sweet i want one now lol... hey what was the cheapest you saw a mini for?

 

Wow Tim that car looks like it's been taken very good care of!! Congrats!

I'm so jealous... Minis have always been my side-passion other than Toyotas. I was actually looking at a new Mini when I settled on the tC. Dare I ask how much you paid for it?

Oh yeah, isn't RHD trippy?? Took me a while to get used to shifting left-handed the first time I drove in England.

How did you track it down btw? I'd like to get an idea of what they're running in the area. My wife would totally LOVE to have one... being that she's British

 

Pez... the US has different DOT/Emissions/Importing Rules for vehicles under 25 years old, which the austin minis don't fit with... But, there are a few importers who are tweaking the system and registering newer cars with older vins, since it's impossible to know really, but it is illegal.

The best plan is to get ahold of an older one that has been restored, or restore an older one yourself.

There are still good importers who find GREAT cars over 25 and bring them over, but most, if not all of the RHD nice Minis I've researched were brought over by military, or British Guys with them.

I used Craigslist for this one....

There is a great utility for finding them nationally...

Craigs Little Helper !!!! Allows you to "Click" through all cities/states and search each one for what you are looking for.

If you want a REALLY good one... think about 10k... If you want a decent project, think 5k, if you want a shell, think 2k or so. That's about the going rate around the states right now,

 

OK... Picked Her up today...

Wow, that was a long trip.... 3 hours up, 4.5 hours down due to traffic and me taking it easy just in case...

I feel like a sideshow, as people wave and even take pictures.... golly...

Here's some fun Scionish shots...

Sorry for the camera phone quality...

 

She looks great! How did she feel?

Tom

 

Like a Dream... Totally responsive like a go cart, Decent Get-up (more than my '72 beetle) and a ride similar to an xB on coil-overs (Feeling every bump!)

It's hard staying in the middle of the lane... always drifting left! LoL

 

BTW - Filled up to full in Seattle in my 6.6 gallon tank...

Still have just about 1/2 a tank... somewhere around 37-40 MPG... HEHE!

 

Wow... DEQ is a challenge to say the least... I'm 9 times allowed on 1 criteria and 4 times on another....

So, I'm surrendering the girl to British Motorworks to let them work their DEQ magic for me... I haven't learned enough yet to figure that challenge out. Cha Ching

 

DEQ? Enviromental tests? On a 33 year old car?

I thought old cars eventually outgrew the need to pass the tests.

Tom

 

Good ol' Environmentally Friendly Portland... It's a 75. 74's are exempt.

TRAGIC.

 

Well... it made it through... with a ton of help from British Motorworks here.... although it took them a few tries to pull it off too... golly...

Tint and Alarm are this weekend now...

plus a good ol' scrubbin'

 

Whew! Even at the best of times, those little engines were tricky.

Glad she made it!

Tom

 

Tim, I haven't met you, but from various pictures, you look like you hover around 6' tall. How the HECK did you fit in that little guy? =D

 

Now that's a good question... Think xB... The squarish design is what makes it all work...

Actually, if feels much roomier than my '72 superbeetle... I feel cramped in that VW, the Mini feels like a nicely fitted shoe, comfy and super-grippy!