Definitely x2 on getting to know the folks at VancouverMiniClub.CA Also, if you'll buy in the U.S. consider the PNW as Oregon and the Seattle Area have good clubs and knowledgeable folks. In particular, since you were looking at the JDM scene, consider buying a JDM in WA or OR as there are now so many buyers bringing them in with the specific plan to re-sell. You'd be paying for whatever costs that they had in that purchase, ship, customs, clearance, etc. Many folks with many cars to sell right now, but they aren't pushing hard to sell until next spring in an effort to retain some profit. ( between $1.5K to 2.5K differential on asking prices from spring to fall, depending on the quality of vehicle. Finally, consider calling Craig. He is very knowledgeable, and knows so many folks it may just be a matter of a conversation to get your wish list narrowed down by available inventory. Feel free to contact for PNW questions, EM in profile. Best of luck!

I would join a Mini club on FB, but I deleted my FB account years ago after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Between that and having to see the drama going on in other people's lives it just wasn't worth it. But my wife has an account still, maybe I can use that to check them out.

As for the style I'm interested in, it doesn't really matter. The countryman or pickup style could make it more practical for taking things with me, but this is really just meant as an in-town runabout. I think they all look pretty cool, and since it'll be a lot of work to get one in my budget, I'm trying not to be too picky on things that aren't crucial.

If you haven't already, you can join a couple FB Mini clubs. There's one in Vancouver //www.vancouverminiclub.ca (there's some for sale in their swap&shop section on their website portion), and two on the Island, Victoria Minis Car Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/772464342915077  and there's another on the central part of the island called Mid Island Minis & Friends https://www.facebook.com/groups/1329524380548302/ . You can ask around there to see if anyone has a lead on anything for you.
Another thing if you haven't already got to see, is to make sure the Mini that you're interested in has a VIN tag, AND paperwork. With Minis rusting and being old, the VIN either gets thrown out with the panel that it is attached to while getting bodywork done, or you get someone that is mashing two cars into one and swapping VIN plates. Do your best to make sure it's legal. Paper trails help. I was fortunate enough to have previous owners' registrations from BC, as well as the invoices from the buyer that purchased it from Japan, landing papers, etc. Makes registering and insuring it a breeze. Seen some horror stories about owners having issues because the car isn't legal...due to the reasons above, bought a stolen Mini (without knowing), or missing information to get it registered/insured. 
Phil and the gang at SMCO are great trustworthy guys. They really know their way around a Mini. 
Are you looking for more of the 'saloon' (as they call it) style of classic Mini, countryman/traveller/van, pickup?

Epitome..  did you think about buying a Classic Mini from NZ or OZ?/ why japan.. I bought 32 minis from Christchurch NZ in 2000.. all were totally rust free.. but needed paint ect..   plus the OZ $ is only .70 to USD.. so $10k is only $7..  I can put in touch with my old friend there in NZ> Lizi Reese..  feliz navidad. PHD..

Hey, thanks for all that great info! I'm looking for something I can drive from the beginning but can work on slowly over time. Yeah, SMCO was one of the first sources of info on Minis I came across on YT. Love their video on the Japan trip. I had emailed Phil a few months ago, but then found out I won't have the money for my purchase until April/May this coming year. I'll hit him up again closer to that time. As you said, no rush. This is meant to be our second vehicle, and I have a beat up old truck for that right now, so there are no pressing circumstances. If I get my way, I'll be taking whatever I buy over to SMCO for a full checkup (I'm on the Island) and I'd like to get a maintenance schedule from them for it, too. I wondered about the RHD thing and whether I'd run into problems. After hearing that Land Rover issue, I think I'll just stick with LHD. Thanks again!

Welcome to the Mania Epitome. I'm a fellow BC west coaster myself. I was in the same boat as you. But I knew that I was going to gut the car and do a Vtec swap and overhaul everything else in it. So I didn't want to spend the average asking price of around $15K for one, only to change pretty much everything on it. Almost everything on and in the car that I'm doing is brand new. 

Never trust an ad that says "rust free" unless they have photo/video proof of it being sent through body work and paint. Otherwise, there's no such thing unless it was sitting in a museum or collection. 

If you don't already know, never trust the mileage. 5-digit odometers run over and over after 99,999. Most odometers are faulty in Minis as well. Don't buy one based on that.
 
I bought a Jap-spec Mini that was already landed here, for cheap. Just takes time to find one. Don't be in a rush for this. If you have to spend more for one that is proven to be in prime shape, go for it. It'll save headaches and money buying new panels and doing a walk of bodywork.
 
From what I've seen and heard the later Minis are harder to work on. There's less Mini mechanics that want to deal with or know how to deal with SPIs. The fuel injection isn't a fun thing, as already mentioned. If you want fuel injection, do an engine swap with another brand. 
Do you want to start with a shell or a complete roller/driver?

Good thing about these cars, is that parts are plentiful.
 
If you haven't already done so, look around SMCOs FB and website. They had/have a Jap-spec one for sale (but I think it's sold) and/or know of someone that has one for sale. They're working on my Vtec swap right now. I believe they may still have a yellow shell that was possibly for sale when I was looking for one myself. If that's your preference, ask them about that one.
 
I've seen a few project ones and complete drivers for sale on Kijiji (general marketplace search and Kijiji-Autos search...both separate from each other on the same site) and Craigslist in BC somewhat steady. AutoTrader has them here and there across Canada, under a few different headings. If you haven't already found out, with searches for them, be sure to exhaust all categories. Eg,. 'Austin Mini', 'Leyland Mini', 'Rover Mini', 'Classic Mini', etc. Most marketplace sites are word specific, so you'll only get hit on the ones you enter. Narrow it down by using those entries.
 
I'd be hesitant on purchasing one from out of country through anyone unless you plan on going there to look at it, or trust someone there to look at it for you. It's a costly process to get one specifically that you find online, over to here just with shipping and brokerage. Would suck to go through all that and find out it's a mess. Make sure to lay eyes on it, put it on a hoist, pull up carpet, poke around, etc.
 
I bought mine for cheap but put a lot into bodywork. Lots of panels replaced and bodywork done. I've seen shells for sale still. Maybe try that route. Total blank canvas for personalization. 

For importers in BC, you could approach them and ask for them to find one. But then again, you don't know what you'll be in for when it lands. If you want to risk it, ask https://www.velocitycars.ca  or https://jdmcarimport.com  are just a couple. If they have one landed or coming in, at least then it'll be here to check out.

If you find on in the States, you can either hire a broker or there's some transport companies that do their own brokerage for you. Not too much involved other than some forms. But there is some added costs to this. So you'd have to get it for a reasonable amount (after currency conversion) to start with. And make sure it's admissible into Canada by checking it with the broker, including being at least 15 years old or older.

The last classic-style Minis were produced in the year 2000. So even one of those is already like 23 years old. It's going to have issues. They're hard to find in good condition. Lots of ways to cover up bad stuff.

As Dan mentioned, there's something going on with the RHD thing. I've seen RHD Minis and other imports from import dealers running around since the 90's when it was 'cool' back then. But recently my neighbour tried importing their Land Rover from South Africa, but were told that they'd have to switch it to LHD within 3 months (I think they said). They live here in BC as well. So I'm not too familiar with any new ruling that may be in place with this. Wouldn't hurt to look more into it. I got mine swapped from RHD to LHD just for preference though. 

You can check the 'Cars For Sale' section here under the 'Social' heading also, if you haven't found it already. 

Good luck. Happy to help a fellow Canucker. 

Hadn't ever seen this website, could spend hours here ??. Probably for the best we aren't allowed to import these to California or else I'd be tempted. As with any car purchase, the more photos, the lower the mileage, the more original, the more documents, the better. Looks like almost all of these cars are SPi's, which again in my opinion, isnt such a bad thing if its all working right. I'd steer clear of resprayed cars as you don't know what it could be hiding, and in any event the paint job will not be as good or as thorough as the original.  

Thanks for all the advice guys, it's really appreciated. Just for the sake of clarity, I should say I've been looking solely at beforward.jp to get an idea as to what's out there. I have a friend who used that site to buy four tiny trucks/vans a couple of years ago, and he recommended it. But I realize buying anything site-unseen is risky. My budget is about $12-13k CAD for the initial purchase. If I have to sink more over time, that's not a big deal. I can replace stuff here and there.

I repair minis full time and have plenty of experience getting 90's cars up to road legal spec to meet our registration requirements here in NZ.

Japanese imports are by and large streets ahead of any European equivalent as far as corrosion is concerned. I'm not saying all are rust free, but any rust that is present is usually fairly minimal. By comparison UK cars in particular are rust buckets, even SPI/MPI models which are considered "new" in mini terms will be riddled with rot.

Mechanically these cars often turn up with quite a few upgrades fitted. Aftermarket shocks, ride height kits, adjustable suspension, coil springs instead of rubber cones is pretty common.

The down side is that being the age they are servicing can be poor and wear is becoming prevalent. The general quality of cars arriving has dropped significantly in the last few years, I guess all the good ones have already been snapped up. Common faults are worn steering racks, rear swing arm bushes, sloppy ball joints, brakes, worn tyres and faded paintwork.

Autos are common, as already mentioned by others, don't touch them! Also don't be tempted to buy one as they appear cheaper with the intention of doing a manual swap, you'll end up out of pocket compared to buying a manual to start with.

I personally don't find the injection models hard to work on. Most faults are fairly common, well documented online and simple to remedy. Everything else is regular mini so easy to fix and find parts for. Just be aware they are old cars built using old technology and require regular maintenance and servicing for maximum enjoyment.

Epitone..  I think I would check with swap and shop on the www.vancouverminiclub.ca site in BC first.. I second that idea of NOT buying sight unseen.. and then ad from Unknown party.  just too many folks have been burnt from guys like Bobby Pack.  Skip Summers.. ML  ect and ect..  I can give you great contact in the Uk I have known for the last 25 years. that I have been buying  550 plus minis and mokes  and now MGFs.. and I will help you import for FREE.. merry christmas  bc ps. I would NOT buy a SPI / MPI .. and most of the minis for sale in japan are automatic. another NO NO..

Do research whether a right-hand drive Mini can be registered for use on the road in BC. Then do the same for insurance. I just noticed this quote "However, a recent ICBC study raises doubts about the safety of driving a right-hand drive vehicle on right-hand roads. According to the study, RHD vehicles are 40% more likely to have an accident than similar left-hand drive. In addition, the researchers found that the average time to an accident after an owner purchased an RHD vehicle was 223 days, which is 68% less than the 705 days of an LHD vehicle."

https://www.marketingadvisoryservices.com/are-right-hand-drive-cars-legal-in-british-columbia/

 

Your are correct in noticing that a lot of the Japanese market minis out there are from the 90's, and can come with some 90's electronic baggage. That said, a well sorted SPi or MPi (single or multi port injected) mini is as reliable and worry free as you can hope any mini to be, with the added benefit of not having to worry about hot and cold starts. The key there being "well sorted" as a fuel injected mini thats been tampered with can be a nightmare to get right again. I believe that after 1994(?) all (or almost all) Japanese minis were single point fuel injected and came with air conditioning. Many of these cars have had the A/C removed and carburetors installed, and the workmanship can be so-so. Some of the best cars we've come across here in the U.S. have been late model German imports as they have relatively high standards when it comes to the roadworthy-ness of a vehicle. The mini market is a good example of "you get what you pay for". If you can find a cheap one your bound to end up paying for it in replacement parts anyway. I highly recommend not buying a car sight unseen unless you really trust the seller or have an independent evaluator look it over. 

Hi there!

 

I'm currently doing some research before buying my first Classic Mini (hopefully this spring). I live on the west coast of Canada, and the very few I see for sale are either in serious need of repair, or fully restored and very expensive. While looking around online, it seems like a good option for getting one is to import it from Japan. From what I've read/watched they keep their cars in decent shape, and the fact that Classics aren't uber rare over there means they aren't going to ask a lot for them. What's the overall opinion on this?

Additionally, the appeal of getting a Classic is to have a small car that's relatively cheap on gas, parts are abundant, and there are little to no electronics to worry about. I did a fair bit of mechanics work in high school, but that was 25 years ago, and I'm not up on all the latest electronics stuff. I want something simple to work on. However, I'm seeing some model years over in Japan that are not that old, and I'm concerned about ending up with a 'modern' vehicle where electronics become a problem for a weekend grease monkey. Can anyone tell me when modern-style vehicle electronics becomes common/standard in Classic Mini model years? I realize I'd have to look at anything I plan to buy more closely, but if I can narrow down my searches it would save me a lot of time.

Thanks in advance!