Oh, one other gotcha. If you have an umbrella insurance policy, purchasing a mini might have a significant effect on the cost of that policy if you are not able to exclude it.

"The mini will certainly be RHS drive upon purchase, but part of the restoration will be to convert it to LHS.  "

 

You might consider starting another thread to discuss that. There are pros and cons to doing the conversation(technically it is very easy). I'd say the majority are kept RHS...

 

Since someone mention hagerty..How well they love to collect premiums, but paying a claim, that is totally different, can you believe they clipped me for $75.00 on a $450.00 claim, yes they deducted $75.00 from my check. They cannot be trusted when it comes to claims. Insure with Haggerty at your own risk, and when you make a claim you will also complain.

 dido what Malsal says about the  UK title..  you MUST have the original engine now from BIRTH.  Make you have the newer RED V5c.. and get BMHT cert for it. BEFORE you buy it..about $80.. what state will you be in ?/ California is real BITCH.. with anything newer than 1967 now..

The PO just has to fill in and detach the part from the V5 to say it is shipped out of the country not a big deal as i understand it. You will need a signed and dated BOS from the seller and with all the new rules it pays to use a broker things seem to go a lot smoother.

yes, thank you Malsal...  I only recently found about the V5 and making sure it is also properly disposed of on the UK side.  Apparently it's a bit more paperwork for the seller (in UK).  I'm sure it will be a challenge, but it will be interesting.  I will simply hope for the best upon arrival in the US. 

Good point chealey, I will make sure to get all paperwork in order as soon as I receive the car and before any restoration begins.  I will definitely look into the 'set pricing' insurance.

 

If you are importing from the UK make sure your V5 (title) matches the car exactly. The engine number is on the UK's V5's and if it has been changed the numbers need to match but the car can still be kicked if the engine is proved to be newer than 25 years old. Like Werewolf stated they are thoroughly checking Land Rovers and Mini's right now some taking up to two months to clear customs with the owner paying the storage charges, it is not like it used to be there are a lot cheaper options here in the US.

I started a habit with classic cars. As soon as I get them, I take the paperwork down to the DMV and get the car registered. That way you know the paperwork is in order before you start spending a lot of money. In CA, they have a non-op status that is pretty cheap also. I don't know if TX has this option. I agree with the suggestion above to decide what the car is worth and set that price with the insurance company. We have two members of our club get in wrecks this last year. One hit a deer and it cost $12K to fix his TR4. Without a set price of value, I think they would have totalled the car. The other person hit a rock wall and did total the car but got paid out more than the car was worth because of the agreed on price. This person has now bought back the wreck from the insurance company and bought an additional car to build back up into his dream car. Worked out well for both of them.

Jerry

Thanks Zippy and I understand.  Without going into great detail on this registration post, there are many reasons for my willingness to go through with the import.  If I did not have the connections that I do, I would seriously consider other options.  Despite my connections and reasoning, it still appears less expensive to purchase and import from the UK than it does to find a restoration project here in the states.  Perhaps I've been looking in all the wrong places.

Malbuddy,
I would never purchase a car without personally taking a close look at it. (plus a drive)
Round trip airfare to England is much, much less expensive than bodywork.

Me? If I was looking for a restoration project, I would look much closer to home. Plenty of 'em available.
The days of being able to find a good Mini cheap in England are long over.

Thank Ooldminimover' The mini will certainly be RHS drive upon purchase, but part of the restoration will be to convert it to LHS.    I imagine that I will have  plenty of time to properly insure the mini as it will be in my garage for 2-3 years being restored.  Which makes me think, when I talk with my insurance agent, I will find out how to handle home insurrance in the case of fire (or other).  I have seriously loved this car since I was child growing up in England.  Now that I'm finally getting one, it will become my pride and joy and I want to make sure all bases are covered.  Thank you for the tip on RHS steering.

If the mini you are considering purchasing is a RHD, check with your insurance company to see if they have any issues with the Right Hand Drive-

Some Insurance Companies WILL NOT insure them- !!!!

BIG AL

thanks Wereworlf.  I'm glad to know this and it does add a little fear to my efforts.  I have not bought the car yet as I'm still researching. Your tid bit will give me a few more questions to ask of the owner.  I planned to be fully above board, but the information I receive will only be as good as what the owner provides.  Although I will be using a company to take pictures, report and deliver dockside.   As old as the minis are with rust repairs and all the other bodged repairs, there is no way I could gaurantee all orgiinal parts.  Thank you for the insight and I will look up the issues with land rover just to be aware... thanks again

just heads up. importing a classic mini or land rover defender is NO fun anymore..  I have seen cars SEIZED by CBP for simple thinks  like NOT having original windscreen or OEM seatbelts. and for NOT have original paint..   NHTSA says that ALL cars imported NOW must be ALL original .. no exceptions..   ( see FEDS declare war on black market land rovers..  from CAR AND DRIVER  march 2013.. do search on google.com

Thank you Tvander,  this is good information.  I will first check with my currently insurrane, then look around.  I do like the idea of 'an agreed value'.  I realize I cannot insure all my personal time and effort, but with all the new parts and quality I simply want to be able to replace it.

I have mine with Hagerty insurance. It has been great. It's very affordable and they let you do an agreed value so if something happens, they pay whatever price you agreed on from the start. A regular insurance company will only pay under their charts that say what an "old car" is worth. I had a name brand insurance company on my last mini and we got in a major fight when something happened (wasn't even my fault). I am no longer with that company!

I think Grundy does the insurance too but I haven't checked into them. I'm just telling you my experience. The only requirements with most classic car insurance is that you have a normal car insured with some other company, and they don't really like you driving it everyday. More like they figure it as a car to drive on nice days and to car shows and low miles driven per year. Hope this helps.

Thank you MPlayie,  yes, the car is older than '90.  I guess to I will simply talk with my current insurrance agent to find out what the offer.  I am curious to know if there are better insurers for older minis.  Sound easy enough then on the titling.

You say you will be importing the car. Is it 25 years or older? It MUST be in order to pass through US Customs.

After that, the registration process in Texas is fairly easy and straight forward: make copies of all importation and customs paperwork (including bill-of-sale) for your own records; get the VIN Verification form and have that inspection done by your local police department or DPS; get the initial 'out-of-state' safety inspection; take all those forms to your local tax office and apply for registration and title.

Verify ahead of time with the tax office for any differences based on what type of plates you want (regular, classic, or antique) as that may affect the sticker for the safety inspection and the registration application forms. Classic and regular plates have no driving restrictions and require the standard annual safety inspection. Antique plates have driving restrictions and the safety inspection requirements are different.

Hello All,  I did try searching my question and either I don't quite know what to look for or my word searches of choice are poorly chosen.  After a life long love for the classic mini, I will be importing my first in a few months.  At that time, we will begin a total restoration.  While we have shipper and most importation information, I still need to learn about registration and insurance.  We are in Texas (if that makes any difference), but can anyone clue me in on how to properly register and obtain insurance.  of course it's far too early in the game, but we plan on total restoration, therefore I want to make sure my Mini is insured for the proper amount.  Would love help, tips or pit falls to be aware of.  Many thanks