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 Posted: Dec 13, 2014 06:04AM
 Edited:  Dec 13, 2014 06:05AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Moffet

Jamal said (among other things) "When are they going to stage a demonstration showing how all motorcyclists have a death wish?  Why they haven't even mandated airbags for those lunatics riding around unprotected, or seat belts even!

 

But here's a picture of a Mini that was rear-ended by a motorcycle fitted with an air bag....

 

Smiley                  Smiley

 Kristina

Famous 32 Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm! 

 Posted: Dec 13, 2014 05:52AM
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CA

Jamal said (among other things) "When are they going to stage a demonstration showing how all motorcyclists have a death wish?  Why they haven't even mandated airbags for those lunatics riding around unprotected, or seat belts even!

 

But here's a picture of a Mini that was rear-ended by a motorcycle fitted with an air bag....

 

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 08:12PM
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Well, these images are high-res, and show what is clearly a LHD Mpi, and them VERY CLEARLY looking in the "obvious places" for genuine VIN #s...

//www.autoblog.com/2014/12/12/watch-feds-crush-classic-mini-caught-in-importation-dragnet/

//www.autoblog.com/photos/mini-crushed-for-operation-atlantic/full/#photo-3198907/

//www.autoblog.com/photos/mini-crushed-for-operation-atlantic/full/#photo-3198912/

 

And this yahoo vid states at the beginning that this "event for the well-being of all americans" had officials from the US government and Britain... Interestingly the Gordon Roberts chappie sounds somewhat un-american...

https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/watch-the-feds-crush-a-classic-mini-for-breaking-the-law-160959576.html

 

 

 

 

It's been fun, but this place is done. I have no hatred, and appreciate the good times. But this place now belongs to Tony and his pink mini. 

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 08:12PM
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The problem is that politicians main goal is to get re-elected. The collective voice of every automotive enthusiast in America isn't loud enough for them to pay any attention to us.
They're much too busy introducing legislation that appeals to the masses...

I look at it as "Well, them's the rules. I'll play by 'em."
Others might try to skirt them but take the chance of paying the price. (Don't do the crime if you can't do the time and all of that nonsense)

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 08:00PM
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Image Gallery

At MMW 2013 in Hood River, I told an interested buyer from California that my 1980 Mini would not be legal to register ownership there...but I drove it there or through there in 1997, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012...and a 1976 Mini in 1996 and which my son drove in 1997.

I have driven "illegal to own/register Minis" in the following states - Arizona, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, ennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, wisconsin, Wyoming,....   

So far as I know the people of California and all the other States and their chattel and real property survived our rapacious audacity.

Boys & Girls (in government)...they are not making them anymore.

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 07:47PM
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Well I hope those numpties cheerfully gleeful of the photo op, end up getting the flu...

It's been fun, but this place is done. I have no hatred, and appreciate the good times. But this place now belongs to Tony and his pink mini. 

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 04:40PM
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And they are working with the Uk to stop these imports but have no choice but to crush them as their true identity is not known ???? So between them and the UK "help" they can't find the second vin ???? On top of this the car was impounded in May so it took SEVEN months to accomplish the destruction of it, i can only imagine the amount of man hours and dollars that went into this fiasco.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 04:27PM
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What I find amusing is that an MPi mini has an airbag, side crash bars and an engine that met European emission standards that were at least as restrictive as the US. Meanwhile older minis have none of this but are OK. How is that protecting us?

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 03:01PM
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Kinda sad to consider the Marijuana laws are changing faster than the automotive requirement laws in this lovely USA! For a Safer objective item! 

OK SURE= Im all for defending and protecting and rightful ownership of  possible Stolen property== but as we know= Airbags are safer than Solid steering columns. ABS works better than non abs (Land rover defenders case)  And a Car is a Truck is a Van-- they've all improved with age! and Reduce Smog. 

Good thing now - time is passing us byand the USA 25 Year old rule will be allowing them all in! Sorry Cali!

   YAY Canada 15YRs a minor can be had! 

 

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 01:13PM
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Amen brother!!


 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 01:08PM
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Yes, don't we all feel safer with our Nanny State protecting us from the evil unsafe Mini Cooper from that backward little country over the ocean? Just think of all the poor people who have "legal" ones risking their lives with these horrible things that have never conformed to US DOT standards.  Oh yes, our government has protected us from these by banning them since 1968, don't we feel all warm and fuzzy?

Yet any deranged person can go pick up a slew of firearms from Walmart!   And our borders are like sivs, letting just about anybody waltz right into the country, but I'm sure none of those good folks intend us any harm!  When are they going to stage a demonstration showing how all motorcyclists have a death wish?  Why they haven't even mandated airbags for those lunatics riding around unprotected, or seat belts even!  But I sure feel safer now that such a dangerous car has been taken off the road, PERMANENTLY it seems!

Now I'm not defending the 'revin industry', but our laws simply do not reach over the ocean with much for teeth! Do we go after Chinese counter fitters blatantly violating trademark and intellectual property laws? OK bad example... we owe them rather a lot of money and don't want to piss them off! Talk about selective enforcement! Easier to just stick it to the ignorant buyer, who shelled out maybe $20K for what they thought was a legal '88... Yes that's much easier than going after the real problem!  My sincerest hope is that any politician who points to this staged event and tries to gain some advantage in a speech to show how they are 'protecting' constituents gets taken to task and ridiculed mercilessly for a government that just takes personal property away from citizens, like so much of the backward world!

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 05:35AM
 Edited:  Dec 12, 2014 05:41AM
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CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotelcalif

//www.myfoxny.com/story/27607776/car-junked

Story Link

Video Link

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 05:04AM
 Edited:  Dec 12, 2014 05:34AM
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"Watch as feds rip apart illegally imported British car"

//www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2014/12/watch_as_feds_rip_apart_illegally_imported_british_car.html

 

Apparently a 2000 Mini revin.

snip from article:

"Since the vehicle's VIN was intentionally manipulated, destruction of the vehicle is our only recourse," Hayward said. "We do not take such action lightly.

Hayward said a number of factors led to the conclusion that the Mini destroyed today was not from 1988, including that the VIN was for a right hand drive car but the Mini was a left hand drive vehicle. Also, he said, the engine was not built for a 1988 model and the dashboard had a light for the airbag system that would have not been found in the older model.

The classic Minis were built up until 2000. BMW Group, which now owns the Mini brand, introduced a new model to the United States in 2002.

When that new model was introduced, Don Racine, owner of Mini Mania in California, said that the desirability of the classic Minis exploded.

"The Mini stayed the same from '59 to the year 2000. The body design had changes but for somebody that wasn’t a car person, you can’t tell from one another," he said. "It’s still a Mini."

 end snip


Various web sites repeat the same thing.  None of them name the seller.  The buyer gets punished (he is not reimbursed by the Feds), does anybody know if this Operation Atlantic law enforcement collaboration ever goes after the reVINners to make them repay the buyer?  Do the reVINners just get away with this?

 Posted: Dec 12, 2014 04:48AM
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//www.myfoxny.com/story/27607776/car-junked