Selling one of my classic Minis
Selling one of my classic Minis
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/cto/1816534227.html
RHD, Japanese Spec Mini with Aircon. $12,000 ovno.
Here's the full text:
1980 British Racing Green / White Japanese spec Mini. 4 speed manual. $12k or very near offer. RHD. Aircon. It's in great shape.
I am not interested in selling this car internationally. This car is for sale in Hawaii to someone I can meet in person. If you are interested in trying to scam someone... move along.
Grab a beverage of your choice and put some time aside. This is going to be rather long-winded. Why the hell would I spend my time on something that people probably won't read, you ask? Because the ones that read it are the serious ones. I'm not here to screw anyone over on this deal, so I want people that come look at the car to know as much as I know about it. I am presenting all the information I can, but this is in no way a binding document blah blah legal-ese blah blah. The car in question is a Classic Mini, so at some point **it will break down on you.** The most important piece of gear you can carry with you when you drive this car is a cell phone.
That being said, I've driven it all over the island and had no problems so far. Did a tuneup on it late last year new air filter, spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor. The only thing it could use right now is an oil change but I'm planning on that this week.
Could you drive it every day as your daily driver?
Sure, but you'd have to want to. If you've never driven a Classic Mini before, they've got a choppy ride. In the interest of saving space, Sir Alec Issigonis (the designer) used rubber cones instead of traditional springs for the suspension. Think sports car ride and you'll be close. There is a surprising amount of space in the car something like 80% of the length is available as interior space. At just a shade over 10 feet long it fits anywhere you need it to go.
Will you fit?
I'm 6'6", 290lbs, and I fit. If you weigh a bit less and are not quite as tall you'll be fine. I would guess that someone 6'2" and 240lbs or so would be able to drive this car quite comfortably. I've had 4 people in the car (including myself as the driver) and we all did ok. Climbing in the back is best left to the tiny though, 'cause while the seats do flip forward it's still a bit of a squeeze. I've been in the back though on a few occasions, so it is possible to fit a gorilla back there.
Where will I get parts?
There are parts dealers on the west coast as well as across the US, Japan, Australia, the UK, etc. They made 5.5 Million Minis from 1959-2000 before they switched over to the BMW based MINI. There are *tons* of parts out there from original style replacements to wild performance bits.
Now on to the description:
For sale is our 1980 Mini. (Originally from the Japanese domestic market, this car lived in New Zealand for a while before coming to Hawaii.) We've owned the car since the summer of 2007. Why am I selling it, you ask? I've got another classic Mini that I want to restore. I need to focus on one "play" car, and my other Mini is it. This car runs great, stops great, AC works, etc, etc. It's not a rusted out claptrap like some of the MOT (UK Inspection) failures you'll see shipped over from time to time. This one was taken care of throughout it's life.
How much space is in the boot (trunk)?
We've taken it to Costco on several occasions...and me being sasquatch-sized, I eat a fair amount. It's not a Ford Econoline van, but there is enough space if you want to shop.
What does it look like?
http://imgur.com/a/12AA5/brgmini
Will you trade me for my lifted Toyota / slammed Civic / Motorcycle? No.
Will you loan me money? No. I'm not a bank, sorry.
Can I give you a crazy lowball offer? No. I'll probably hang up on you if you do.
Specifics:
Right Hand Drive
1275 cc 4 cylinder engine, single point fuel injection (63hp from factory)
4 speed manual transmission
12" (OEM) wheels and tires (Dunlop 145/70 r12 tires)
Air conditioning (Rare factory option. Hard to find on a UK car. Japanese Minis had it more often)
"Magnolia" face Gauges in kph instead of mph (not difficult - 100kph = roughly 60mph) If you wanted to you could change them out for the mph gauge cluster it's an easy swap.
Weighs roughly 1700-1800lbs.
The Good:
-No structural rust that I know of. There is a tiny spot where the bonnet rubbed against the grille surround, but nothing structural that I've been able to find. Subframes, sills, A panels, windshield surround, boot floor, valences, etc - everything looks good to me. (I've owned some... 'special needs' minis, and this is most certainly NOT one of those!) No Fred Flintstone floors.
-Car runs great. At some point in its life it was fitted with a single point injected engine, so it fires up quickly and doesn't complain. I run 91 octane in it, but 87 would work just as well. It'll keep up with traffic on the highway with no problem.
-Moto Lita brand wooden steering wheel.
-Headlamp peaks. At first I didn't like them but they've grown on me. Gives the car extra character.
-Door escutcheons to protect against against scratches around the handle.
-Air conditioning works well. (Well enough that I have to turn it off if I've had it on for a while 'cause it's too cold in the car.)
-Adjustable suspension for the standard rubber cones.
-After-market center exhaust (not sure of brand). It's not too loud. Sounds sporty, not "ricer fart can" style.
-Dual (I think they were factory) driving lamps up front hooked up to the high beams.
-I haven't measured the tread depth on the tires, but they all are pretty dang new. I think I've put maybe a thousand or two miles on the car since I've owned it.
The Bad:
-A few small trim pieces missing:
Windshield wiper blanking plug (1 of 2) missing from driver's side (visible in front photo)
Roof gutter trim finishing piece missing on the rear (visible in rear photo)
Both front wheels ? cosmetic lug nut covers missing (visible in pics)
-"Beauty Ring" for radio not installed. I have it in the door pocket, just couldn't figure out how to get it on there without making it look horrible (and without gluing it).
-Driver's side seat has a little wear on the leather from people getting in / out. It's not torn, just not perfect.
-Dash face (not the top) has a few cracks, but nothing horrible. Floppy vent adjuster thingy missing from one of the A/C vents.
-Boot lid is a slightly different color than the rest of the car, so at some point it must have been repainted (although not while I have owned it.) To my knowledge it has not been in an accident.
-One of the (two) boot lid metal strap thingies is broken.
-The bases of both front wing mirrors are kinda lumpy - not smooth chrome like they used to be. The mirrors themselves are fine. The plastic plugs that covers where the door mirrors went are missing. I have not been able to locate replacements, but apparently they do exist somewhere in the world 'cause I've seen 'em on a few Minis on the Internet.
-Rear license plate light shroud isn't smooth like it used to be. It's plastic, so I'm not 100% sure what's goin' on there.
The clearcoat is coming up on a few spots on the roof. The last time I looked at it, they weren't huge areas or anything ? just something I noticed while I was washing the car.
There is a parking lot dent behind the driver's door. Maybe... 1/2 dollar coin size? (1.5" or so) That's the only dent on the car I know of.
The Ugly:
I can't think of anything I'd call "ugly" on this car. Honest. It's a great example of a Classic Mini that you can tinker with but that does not require work to enjoy!
So - there 'ya go. It's a fun car to drive, it's in great shape, and it's for sale. If you think it's something you'd like to check out, please e-mail me through this ad or leave me a clear message at 389-2096. If I can't understand your name or number I can't call 'ya back, now can I? The car is for sale at $12,000 or very near offer. Don't lowball me. The price is fair. Don't try to ask, "Oh, so what would you take for the car?" over the phone without even having seen it, k? I'm not tryin to be a jerk here...but don't waste my time and I won't waste yours.
RHD, Japanese Spec Mini with Aircon. $12,000 ovno.
Here's the full text:
1980 British Racing Green / White Japanese spec Mini. 4 speed manual. $12k or very near offer. RHD. Aircon. It's in great shape.
I am not interested in selling this car internationally. This car is for sale in Hawaii to someone I can meet in person. If you are interested in trying to scam someone... move along.
Grab a beverage of your choice and put some time aside. This is going to be rather long-winded. Why the hell would I spend my time on something that people probably won't read, you ask? Because the ones that read it are the serious ones. I'm not here to screw anyone over on this deal, so I want people that come look at the car to know as much as I know about it. I am presenting all the information I can, but this is in no way a binding document blah blah legal-ese blah blah. The car in question is a Classic Mini, so at some point **it will break down on you.** The most important piece of gear you can carry with you when you drive this car is a cell phone.
That being said, I've driven it all over the island and had no problems so far. Did a tuneup on it late last year new air filter, spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor. The only thing it could use right now is an oil change but I'm planning on that this week. Could you drive it every day as your daily driver?
Sure, but you'd have to want to. If you've never driven a Classic Mini before, they've got a choppy ride. In the interest of saving space, Sir Alec Issigonis (the designer) used rubber cones instead of traditional springs for the suspension. Think sports car ride and you'll be close. There is a surprising amount of space in the car something like 80% of the length is available as interior space. At just a shade over 10 feet long it fits anywhere you need it to go.
Will you fit?
I'm 6'6", 290lbs, and I fit. If you weigh a bit less and are not quite as tall you'll be fine. I would guess that someone 6'2" and 240lbs or so would be able to drive this car quite comfortably. I've had 4 people in the car (including myself as the driver) and we all did ok. Climbing in the back is best left to the tiny though, 'cause while the seats do flip forward it's still a bit of a squeeze. I've been in the back though on a few occasions, so it is possible to fit a gorilla back there.
Where will I get parts?
There are parts dealers on the west coast as well as across the US, Japan, Australia, the UK, etc. They made 5.5 Million Minis from 1959-2000 before they switched over to the BMW based MINI. There are *tons* of parts out there from original style replacements to wild performance bits.
Now on to the description:
For sale is our 1980 Mini. (Originally from the Japanese domestic market, this car lived in New Zealand for a while before coming to Hawaii.) We've owned the car since the summer of 2007. Why am I selling it, you ask? I've got another classic Mini that I want to restore. I need to focus on one "play" car, and my other Mini is it. This car runs great, stops great, AC works, etc, etc. It's not a rusted out claptrap like some of the MOT (UK Inspection) failures you'll see shipped over from time to time. This one was taken care of throughout it's life.
How much space is in the boot (trunk)?
We've taken it to Costco on several occasions...and me being sasquatch-sized, I eat a fair amount. It's not a Ford Econoline van, but there is enough space if you want to shop.
What does it look like?
http://imgur.com/a/12AA5/brgmini
Will you trade me for my lifted Toyota / slammed Civic / Motorcycle? No.
Will you loan me money? No. I'm not a bank, sorry.
Can I give you a crazy lowball offer? No. I'll probably hang up on you if you do.
Specifics:
Right Hand Drive
1275 cc 4 cylinder engine, single point fuel injection (63hp from factory)
4 speed manual transmission
12" (OEM) wheels and tires (Dunlop 145/70 r12 tires)
Air conditioning (Rare factory option. Hard to find on a UK car. Japanese Minis had it more often)
"Magnolia" face Gauges in kph instead of mph (not difficult - 100kph = roughly 60mph) If you wanted to you could change them out for the mph gauge cluster it's an easy swap.
Weighs roughly 1700-1800lbs.
The Good:
-No structural rust that I know of. There is a tiny spot where the bonnet rubbed against the grille surround, but nothing structural that I've been able to find. Subframes, sills, A panels, windshield surround, boot floor, valences, etc - everything looks good to me. (I've owned some... 'special needs' minis, and this is most certainly NOT one of those!) No Fred Flintstone floors.
-Car runs great. At some point in its life it was fitted with a single point injected engine, so it fires up quickly and doesn't complain. I run 91 octane in it, but 87 would work just as well. It'll keep up with traffic on the highway with no problem.
-Moto Lita brand wooden steering wheel.
-Headlamp peaks. At first I didn't like them but they've grown on me. Gives the car extra character.
-Door escutcheons to protect against against scratches around the handle.
-Air conditioning works well. (Well enough that I have to turn it off if I've had it on for a while 'cause it's too cold in the car.)
-Adjustable suspension for the standard rubber cones.
-After-market center exhaust (not sure of brand). It's not too loud. Sounds sporty, not "ricer fart can" style.
-Dual (I think they were factory) driving lamps up front hooked up to the high beams.
-I haven't measured the tread depth on the tires, but they all are pretty dang new. I think I've put maybe a thousand or two miles on the car since I've owned it.
The Bad:
-A few small trim pieces missing:
Windshield wiper blanking plug (1 of 2) missing from driver's side (visible in front photo)
Roof gutter trim finishing piece missing on the rear (visible in rear photo)
Both front wheels ? cosmetic lug nut covers missing (visible in pics)
-"Beauty Ring" for radio not installed. I have it in the door pocket, just couldn't figure out how to get it on there without making it look horrible (and without gluing it).
-Driver's side seat has a little wear on the leather from people getting in / out. It's not torn, just not perfect.
-Dash face (not the top) has a few cracks, but nothing horrible. Floppy vent adjuster thingy missing from one of the A/C vents.
-Boot lid is a slightly different color than the rest of the car, so at some point it must have been repainted (although not while I have owned it.) To my knowledge it has not been in an accident.
-One of the (two) boot lid metal strap thingies is broken.
-The bases of both front wing mirrors are kinda lumpy - not smooth chrome like they used to be. The mirrors themselves are fine. The plastic plugs that covers where the door mirrors went are missing. I have not been able to locate replacements, but apparently they do exist somewhere in the world 'cause I've seen 'em on a few Minis on the Internet.
-Rear license plate light shroud isn't smooth like it used to be. It's plastic, so I'm not 100% sure what's goin' on there.
The clearcoat is coming up on a few spots on the roof. The last time I looked at it, they weren't huge areas or anything ? just something I noticed while I was washing the car.
There is a parking lot dent behind the driver's door. Maybe... 1/2 dollar coin size? (1.5" or so) That's the only dent on the car I know of.
The Ugly:
I can't think of anything I'd call "ugly" on this car. Honest. It's a great example of a Classic Mini that you can tinker with but that does not require work to enjoy!
So - there 'ya go. It's a fun car to drive, it's in great shape, and it's for sale. If you think it's something you'd like to check out, please e-mail me through this ad or leave me a clear message at 389-2096. If I can't understand your name or number I can't call 'ya back, now can I? The car is for sale at $12,000 or very near offer. Don't lowball me. The price is fair. Don't try to ask, "Oh, so what would you take for the car?" over the phone without even having seen it, k? I'm not tryin to be a jerk here...but don't waste my time and I won't waste yours.
Last edited by Latka; Jun 30, 2010 at 01:16 AM.
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