1978 Mini Classic Mini

1300

Manual

SABTVR03062118880

Clear

Gasoline

My dream of owning a PROPER, REAL, CLASSIC mini was dashed when I saw on ebay that they all cost $13,000 to $35,000 for a shiny one. However, when I found that I was going to make several trips to England a few years ago, I hatched a plan to buy one there and import it. That is why this car is for sale here now. I purchased this car for a few thousand dollars, and spent as much to ship it here. All tolled, it still cost half as much as the cheapest ones already in the U.S. and listed on ebay. This fun little car is a bit rusty, though, and I expected to pay a couple thousand dollars for new panels on the minimania website. Having fun with the car while fixing her up, there is still a LOT of room for profit once all done. But she is so fun and I really don’t care what she looks like that I have not bothered with her body. I’m a quiet and assuming guy who was denied a go-cart as a child…that’s why I have this mini. Even though she’s rusty, her paint job is red-orange and rust isn't so noticeable at a distance. I find that wherever I drive the car I frequently find myself being photographed by people in other cars or walking by. I hate it but I can’t blame them…she really is very very cute even with her complexion issues. She’s fun and I love her, but life sometimes gets complicated. My daughter is a couple hours away at school, I work much more than full-time, I have added university studies to my schedule, and my aging parent has moved in with me. So I haven’t had much time for the mini at all. Last summer I put on 4 brand new tires and have probably put not even 20 miles on them. I took her battery out over the winter and just popped it in this week. She started right up and took me zipping around the neighborhood. What a girl. But she needs to have fun, and I don't have the time. It’s time to let her go. If you think that you might pop across the pond and pick one up yourself in England, think twice. As it turns out, titling and transferring a car in England is a rather daunting task. As difficult as it is, though, making arrangements with a transport company and putting the car on a ship is considerably more difficult. Believe it or not, even THAT is nothing compared to dealing with US Customs and getting a security clearance just to get the car from the docks. If only that was the end. Titling and registering an import in the U.S. is fraught with ridiculous Catch-22s. But now that it’s all done, (*sigh*) I only paid $25 total for 5 years of registration as an antique. Insurance has also been ridiculously cheap. Who is the right match for her? You must be okay with manual transmission (4 speed), manual choke, right-hand drive, and doing the needed body work. Right-hand-drive, by the way, is an easy transition and quite good for your neurological development. You'll soon realize that your dominant hand SHOULD be on the wheel while you shift with the other. I am 6 feet tall, weigh over 200 pounds, and am very comfortable in her. Although I had a fun solo adventure driving her from Crewe to Southampton, England, and then from Baltimore to Illinois --- please don’t. I drove in terrible fear of semi-trailer trucks. As soon as I got her home 5 years ago, new hoses and odds and ends stopped all leaks and I haven’t seen a drop since. A simple switch is needed for her headlights and I found myself out after dark on a couple of occasions. To light my way home, I held the Hi-Lo beam switch towards the steering wheel as that kept the rally lights on. The rally lights may be illegal in your locale and you may be required to disconnect them. I was also stopped once for a verbal warning because she can be rather loud, though if you watch the video of a recent drive, you’ll see that it’s not that bad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwBT1QeHYQs&feature=youtu.be Classic Mini Coopers have names, you should know. I didn’t approve of the name her English family gave her, and I won’t tell you the name she has gone by for the past 5 years. She will enter a new era with you and you should know what she wants to be called after you get to know her. Bid often and enthusiastically. The reserve is low enough that you couldn’t do better if you stumbled upon her in an old spinster’s driveway in jolly ol’ England.