As Rosebud suggests, any of us old enough to remember pre-regulation of emissions understand the necessity and accept it. And being sea-side did not just cause the pollution to blow way. Mainly because the pollution was being generated faster than it could drift away, and then there's the days when the wind doesn't blow. Such polluted air was caustic enough to chemically erode stone and metal on buildings etc.

i really can't exhaust thinking why California is indeed so paranoid about their emission Law thingie, when in fact the State of California is geographically situated alongside the pacific ocean, where there is a continuous supply of wind , the pollution that accumulated in the city proper is continuously being blown away by the monsoon wind coming from the ocean, so why worry??  Arizona on the other hand has the most reason to tighten up their emission law because it is situated far from the ocean, the closest body of water to arizona is the Salton sea, which we all know that it is considered a Dead sea.(google it), you can smell the aroma of a dead fish as far as 2 miles away.
California needs to loosen up their smoke law.or ask people to wear mask everyday when they go to work.

More like institutionalized and if he isn't he should be.

Crayons were considered "Sharps" in his ward??? :)

I seriously think this person is perhaps hospitalised and maybe only allowed internet access once in a while.

 

I went to elementary school in the San Fernando Valley (L.A.) in the mid 60s. There were several days each year we weren't allowed to go outside for recess because of the air-quality. On those days our 10-year-old lungs felt like we'd smoked 3 pack of cigarettes. Today there has to be 10x more people and 10x more cars, yet the air quality in L.A. is better than it's ever been. I too get annoyed at Cal's clean air standards when they infringe on my hobby cars. Small price to pay to be able to breath.

Always go through the Auto Club (AAA) when dealing with California registration issues. They can make the transaction go much smoother. My AAA agent actually knew the DMV clerk (and her family!) by name. Great service!

Looks good.

Mine is an 89 Jap MINI..... unfortunately mine was automatic,....got that all fixed now
Your carbs wouldn't have been factory, hopefully someone has tuned them properly and they run well..... twins do look great also.
The front rubber springs on mine were completely squashed when I got mine some 11 yrs ago......yours looks a little low in the front so I would expect the same.....or perhaps it has adjustable suspension fitted.

How well does the AC work?

In reality, I would be suspicious of every rubber item in the car, from the suspension cones to the hoses and on down to the engine and subframe mounts. That era of mini had wiring harnesses that I find to have short life cycles. I would expect the brake master cylinder to fail unless it was recently replaced.

Nothing that rob/tony/specialist wrote is correct. If I were to make generalizations about Japanese market minis it would be that they are lightly used, rarely show signs of regular preventative maintenance, but can be mostly rust free. Your car might very well be a nice car as it is, the maintenance could be up to date and competently done. 

Good luck with your new purchase.

In what area are you located?

Just be sure to check what your state requires as far as emissions equipment, emissions testing or federal emissions or federal safety-standard stickers.

California has ridiculous standards. While regular cars and trucks that are pre-'76 are exempt from emissions-testing, that (sometimes/often/technically) doesn't apply to classic Minis built after 1967. (Because '68 and up weren't built for U.S. sale, they are private imports.) Depending on which agency you call, the answers get a bit wobbly - and, at the DMV, you may end up with The Clerk From Hell and you'll get even more grief.

If you are considering a classic Mini in California, the general advice is to get one that is already titled in California - but that is no guarantee you won't have issues in the future. If it's a legitimate '67-or-older classic Mini, you typically won't have problems.

For other states, some have emissions standards that apply to metropolitan areas, but not to less-populated areas. If the car is registered elsewhere in the state, you're home-free.  I believe Nevada, Arizona and Colorado are that way, but I'd check. I'm not sure which states may have similar requirements.

For some states, the emissions-testing is only done the first time the car is registered.

On the "Consignment - For Sale by Owner"  page of my website, at the bottom with all the relevant disclaimers, it reads:

"BOTTOM LINE: This is a case where it pays to do your homework. Be careful what you buy, you may not be able to drive it in some states, including California."
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Hope that helps...
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Just some advice,,,
1.  Drive it
2.  Join CMU so you can drive in fun drives with a lot of other Minis
3.  Looks classic enough for me
4.  Don't worry about it's heritage, provenance, etc,  it's YOURS now!

Oh, that is exactly what I plan to do. Can't wait to drive it as I've never driven one!

Looks nice. Just drive it and enjoy it before you make any changes.

Finally, after it being a childhood dream to own a Mini, I'm picking one up today!

I'm purchasing a 1990 Japanese import Rover Mini. See PHOTOS:

I've started to do some homework, but would love any input. I know the Japanese imports have AC, which this does, and it seems to work based on a FaceTime walkthrough I did with the current owner. Any input, watchouts, tips, tricks, etc., would be appreciated. And I will continue to research on the vehicle.

I know it's not an MK1, or "classic" in the true sense, but I'm OK with that.
Thanks!