Since I paid off my car a few months ago I've started thinking seriously about getting an classic Mini as a fun car. I haven't yet really gotten into the research into owning a classic as I had wanted to, and then this appeared on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Coupe...orcev4exp=true

So now I'm having a bit of a crisis. My head is saying all the right things about not buying a car on ebay that I haven't checked out in person (and it's unlikely I'd be able to get up there to see it), but on the other hand this is pretty much exactly what I've lusted over and the price is right.

My main question is, how crazy would I be to actually get in to this? Is there anything on the page that's an obvious red flag, or is the simple fact that I'm coming into this green reason enough? The seller seems to be trustworthy, but I know that doesn't really mean anything. I've asked about reliability and he responded that previous owners have babied it and that it's is daily driver condition (I'm in NC), but I only really plan on making it an occasional driver.

Anyone want to talk some sense into me?

 

Guy us not a big volume seller but has 100% positive feedback. Mini appears to be well kept, not to mention gorgeous.

No red flags as far as I can see. If you are too far to go sedition, I bet someone on the board would look it over for you. I had someone 3000 miles away look at an 05 MCSC for me back in 07. This is a helpful community!

 

If anyone in the Pitt area wants to go check it out, I'd be willing to send some beer money their way

I'm working on putting together some more questions to send to the seller. One thing I've noticed is that in the two under shots of the rear, there are some areas on what I presume is the frame that look brown and rusty, but is maybe just dirt or non-rust discoloration?

 

Except for some surface rust on that rear subframe there doesn't seem to be a lot of rust on that car . . which I am very surprised about. The first thing I'd do is get high resolution versions of those photos emailed to you and also ask for photos of (i) the areas under both headlights, (ii) the bottom of the windscreen frame, (iii) the A-panels (i.e. between the front of the front door and the back of the front wheel arch) (iv) the bottoms of both doors and (v) the area of both doors just below the windows.

I had a 1999 model and the rust was awful - even after repairing it all (my Dad is a mechanic) it had started to come back less than 2 years later. The painting of Mini's in the Rover factory was very inconsistent - some, like the ones that went to Japan, are immaculate, and have zero rust on them, others, likes the ones that stayed in the UK or went to Ireland, are horrendous. Mine came from Scotland originally, and was imported by me into Ireland - they must have bypassed a couple of the dipping stages in the factory - maybe it was finished on a Friday and the boys just wanted to get to the pub!!

I've been tempted by another one myself - and style-wise I'd prefer a 1996-2001 version which came with the 1275cc MPI engine and the 'sports pack' (flared wheel arches and 13" wheels). But thats purely a question of taste. Some people will tell you that it's difficult to find a US based mechanic to look after the MPI engine, but any decent mechanic can look at any engine, particularly one as simple as the one in the Mini!!

 

looks like a nice car but after personally owning two re-vins in the past, if i were to spend 10K on another classic mini (my current one didnt cost that), i would stay clear of one. the seller certainly has some guts stating in his auction his car was imported illegally into the US. the likelyhood of you buying a re-vin car and it being seized and crushed is very small but is it worth the gamble? the 25 year rule puts the latest car that can be imported is 1987 so you should have no problem finding a similar car but legit. buying on ebay is probably not the best idea with these cars as rust can be hidding anywhere/everywhere.

youre in NC? there are lots of classics closer to you. look on minimania.com's classified section. there is also a dealer/importer in charlotte that gets cars regularly from the UK. i bought one from him two years ago when i was living in charlotte. pm me if you would like his contact information.

good luck!

 

I would think you could just register as Historical.. You just cant theorectically drive to work everyday unless lets say your going to have a mechanic take a look at it after work... maybe tune it If you know what i am saying... I had to edit.. Maybe classic since its still 21 years old.. But it will vary per state

 

You can engage a car mechanic to check it out. I remember finding some that will do house calls in other cities and will provide you with a full report. Perhaps this can put your mind more at ease.

 

3 words ... "gray market car". Although the car looks in good nick and is at the right price I personally would stay away because even today it's still too new (1991 = 22 years old) to be legally imported into the US (IIRC the current requirement is 25+ years old to be legally imported through customs).

For that one reason, I would skip it.

On the plus side it's carbureted and not fuel injected, which IS a huge plus. The body (in the pictures at least) doesn't appear to be rotted away, and the car appears pretty clean. You can get most if not all parts for this car from the couple of US mini parts distributors.

Good luck with your purchase. Just be aware though that discussions about revinned cars (this one was revinned to 1976 to be illegally imported) is very much frowned upon here on this forum, so tread lightly.

Good luck with your Mini purchase (this or a future one).

 

Just for clarification, the classic Minis do not have either a traditional "frame" or a unibody construction - they have the body (which is structural) and bolt-on subframes at the front and rear. I can't speak for the fronts but the rear subframes are notorious for rusting away. A replacement rear subframe will cost $200-$500 depending on the quality of part you buy.

 

a couple of editorial comments

if the car is currently titled I doubt you'd run into any problem getting a new title in 49 of the 50 states. Your 'illegal import' issues only come up at the port of entry and this car is long past that. I say 49 of 50 because California is simply a different ball game with getting a used car from out of stated titled. NC will probably issue an automotive title to a cow if you pay the money so I wouldn't sweat that. When I got mine VA was only interested in determining an accurate value of the car for their tax purposes. When I moved to FL they had to inspect the VIN in person but never cared it was held in place with pop rivets.

be aware that what's considered the "real Cooper" (incl S) is the models produced from 1961 thru 1971. In 1967 - the false year of your car - there was no Cooper model in the line up. And in 1991 the "Cooper" was well, kinda like buying 1981 Mustang Shelby Cobra .... yes it had some badges but just not the same as a 66 now is it. So if you are looking at the price as a "Cooper" I'd say false advertising. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the car, it just suggests to me that either the seller is trying to run up the price by calling it a Cooper or just doesn't know the difference but sees a sticker on the body (which can be bought for a few dollars)

As a modified 1991 the question is whether the price is good for you.

On a quick glance I see red overspray on the underside as well as a lot of missing bottom black exposing red ... recent re-sprays can cover a LOT of cancer, and a peeling topcoat of bottom black would have me wondering just how good that spray was done.

On the other hand back 8 years ago I made a full price offer on my 79 from just a handful of pictures on a web post. And I've still got the car ... but have sunk another pile of $ into at or exceeding the original price. SURPRISE the car did NOT turn out to be everything the pictures and description had me envisioning.

 

Thanks for the info, guys. After sleeping on it I think I've tamed myself enough to pass on this one, but I think it's going to spur me into properly researching these things. Are there any good resources and guides out there on stuff like what's out there (since there seems to be lots of model differences) and what to expect? I've already got here and MiniMania on my radar.

 

IMO a really good place to start is with a subscription to MINIWORLD magazine from the UK. I find it to be an EXCELLENT source of information about my 'classic' and learn something every month from their tech articles. You used to occasionally see it on the rack at BIG bookstores .... but today you hardly see BIG bookstores so

http://www.miniworld.co.uk/

It ain't cheap .... but I've been subscribing for years now and it is the one mag I renew without a second thought. p.m. me your snail mail address and I'll send a random back issue I have collecting dust. They always have a couple of pages of classifieds too, so you see a lot of models and UK prices.... AND their web site has a lot of 'free' information
http://www.miniworld.co.uk/the-scene...ry-of-the-mini

You can find "Mini Cooper and S" by Jeremy Walton in some libraries and at Amazon (used one today is under $2!) as well as mini I mean MANY similar titles

Just googling "mini history" leads to many sites

Watch for "all british" car shows near you .... odds are a Mini or two will show up.

this should get you started . . .