I know that Mini is a total police magnet. Whenever I'm around a police car, I always have the fear that I might get pulled over for the obvious illegal exterior upgrades I have or not have (i.e. front plate). Sometimes, I wish I didn't get the 20% tint. At one point I was so paranoid, I actually mounted the front license plate bracket. Now I painfully regret the 2 holes I drilled on the front bumper.

So, what do you have (or not have) on your car that's considered illegal?


_________________

 

front plate? Not needed in MI
tint? nope, don't want
coffee can exhaust? nope
altezza tailights? "not my bag, baby"
right foot?

_________________

 

No front plate is the only thing., the tint is 35%. I had tinted tail lights but removed the tint last week. I just didn't like the look with EB/W. I have 4 vehicles and none of them have the front plates. Can you say Photo Radar?

 

Lead Foot.

 

Hella 125dB air horns.

But you never saw this post

And I haven't run my front plate since I took delivery last AUGUST!

Marty

 

How do we know that this isn't some kind of a "sting" operation? We tell you and you tell them and we get busted

 

>>So, what do you have on your car that's considered illegal?



ME.

 

Nothing illegal on my car, but I'd really like all my windows tinted. They don't allow ANY tinting on the front windows in NH. :evil:

I did hear you can get an exception if an eye doctor writes you a note - I just don't know any "tint-friendly" eye docs...

 

>>So, what do you have (or not have) on your car that's considered illegal?
>>
And while you're at it, tell me every crime you've committed but never got caught.. believe me brethen, Herr Ashcroft's people are watching... and this stuff is part of a written record that never goes away...

 

here in AZ, no front plate is needed, and a significant majority of cars have dark window tinting here due to the summer heat. the cops really don't care.

however, i do have the white tailight and no red reflectors. that's not DOT legal......curious what a local copy would say about it. they've driven behind me before and not stopped me. but what i do is turn on my lights so i have some red lighting back there - this if of course if this happens during the day. at night, it's not necessary as there's plenty of red light coming from the rear.

 

um. . .. nothing. . . .until I turn my headlights on!

 

Black helicopters and special ops, all trained to ticket Mini owners with extensive mods......give me a break

peter

 

well, lets see here. Intake/exhaust/springs aren't carb approved, no front plate and smoked sidemarkers. Pretty much all modifications I've done to my MINI other than the wheels/tires aren't "legal" in CA. Good news is, I do some volunteer work about three times a year with the CHP here and have come to know most all of 'em local to me and they know my car and like it. Additionally, I don't attend any crazy late night street racing car meets or anything like that.

 

>>... i do have the white tailight and no red reflectors. that's not DOT legal......curious what a local copy would say about it. they've driven behind me before and not stopped me. but what i do is turn on my lights so i have some red lighting back there - this if of course if this happens during the day. at night, it's not necessary as there's plenty of red light coming from the rear.

Good idea with the light! I also have the clear taillamps but I also have a small refector at the bottom of the license plate, which is part of the reverse sensor. I don't think that's enough to be DOT legal.

For me, I usually open the sunroof to let the light into the car making the tint to appear less dark. Now, I'll turn on the light too. Boy, I'm really paranoid!

 

>>How do we know that this isn't some kind of a "sting" operation? We tell you and you tell them and we get busted

California is trying to pass a law that says if you run the police CAN NOT chase you. Even if they see you run out of the bank with the money and a gun in hand, you jump in the waiting vehicle and speed off and they can not chase you. Is that STUPID or what. I mean you just killed your wife, girlfriend, lover, and six neighbors and they CAN NOT chase you?

Not only that but what will we watch on TV without COPS??

Earl

_________________
SCURVES is NOW 1O851 CS

 

If you have white tail lights (MINI part option) then you need red reflectors mounted into your rear bumper of a certain size which is visible from a set distance from the back of the car. The MINI reflectors require cutting the bumper in two places so I added my own version into the black rear grilles of the bumper and they work for me and are legal. Although quite a few MINIs have white lights in my area I have only seen one with red reflectors so the rest are illegal.

Many MINIs in my area have no legal front plate which is required and many have illegal window tint. I'm legal there.
We don't have CARB sticker requirements like California but we have recon stickers for reconstructed vehicles. There are rules but it is difficult to determine what applies to the MINI. For example one rule is that every car must have something like one inch of rebound when pushed down on testing the suspension in one corner. Well a stock MINI of any type has literally no rebound. Therefore the stock MINI doesn't pass recon rules. If we modify any part of the engine, suspension, exhaust etc we would need recon stickers which is a hassle. I have no emission checks here, only safety checks (even illegal window tint isn't always caught at safety check).

If I just went around to see all the illegal cars of all types in my area I would say roughly 15% were illegal on simple exam. Mostly modded SUVs and trucks and some racer imports (cut springs, wheels that stick out, illegal tint). MINIs tend to be very good. I have never been stopped by the police.

 

I have a personalized Arkansas license RESMINI for my initials, RES and MINI. Since everyone calls me R.E., my wife put an apostrophe in it RE'SMINI like this. I think the apostrophe is illegal.

However, since this is Arkansas and very few laws have any meaning, I don't think I will lay awake worrying about getting a ticket.



R.E.

 

1

 

no front plate.

 

>>
>>Seriously, I don't care if you are cause the police don't have vehicles that can catch a MINI.
>>

That's what the "star wars MINI defense system" is for

 

Does what you have IN it count?

Regards,
Red :smile:

 

Yeah, let's all admit on a public forum, that we're breaking the law... Smart.. Real smart...

Not that it would happen, but legally Marc would have to provide your user information to a Law Enforcement Agency if subpeaned...

 

right, by posting here we're obviously admitting our flagrant snubbing of the law. so...have you ever SPED?

careful, the internet walls have ears.

whatever...

M

 

>>Yeah, let's all admit on a public forum, that we're breaking the law... Smart.. Real smart...
>>
>>Not that it would happen, but legally Marc would have to provide your user information to a Law Enforcement Agency if subpeaned...


Right....

 

exactly.

as an aside, ever notice how the writers in magazines like Motor Trend mention their travels at "super-legal" speeds? no one goes banging down their door.

M