12 replies to this topic

[pru]

Hi all,

There is a chance I will be moving to California next August and want to take my mini with. I have an estimate for around £1000 for shipping but it needs to conform to various "DOT and EPA specs". I have the VIN number, but don't know where to go to check if my min complies...
Any tips? Any advice on the move?

Thanks,
Pru

[minimanclive]

My Brother is moving to America next year, and he's just sold his 1995 Mini Cooper as it was too new to export to the state he was going. I think to send a Mini over to America it has to be older than a certain age, made before 1975 springs to mind. There are smog regulations they have to comply with as well.

[joakwin]

it has to be 25yrs and older to take it to the states and not have to mess with Dot or EPa standards, because then its a classic car
1985 and older right now


and im pretty sure for cali its 1975 and older, to not have to smog/inspection,
and i think to 1st time register in the state is 1967- 68 and older without having to get it up to cali smog/inspection standards
or u have to send it to a state smog test center and have them do the work to the car, witch will run about 3-4thounsand us dollars
witch the test center is in san fan or san jose or something around the bay area

i had to go thur some of this a few yrs ago, i had a 1975 mini and at the time the law used to be that it only needed to be 30yrs old to not smog, and the car was only 29 at the time, so i got monthly passes to drive the car and then after about 6 months of doing that, they wouldn't give them to me anymore, and wanted me to send the car up to the test center and pay the few thousand out, so i parked the car until the new yr and then it was 30yrs old and didn't need to have the smog/inspection done on it anymore, i just had to pay for the new sticker for the plates and it was good, but that was the last yr that they kept the 30yr rule and made it stay at 1975 but i heard thats changing or has already changed, and will be 67 or 68
because im from san diego cal, but i now live in the Uk, i own a 1984 mini mayfair and i'll never be able to take it home with me to cali for now, until the state gets a new gov and changes the law, but i plan on registering my car in Yuma AZ, right on the board from california, less then 3hrs from where im from, so then i'll never have to smog or get it inspected their in Yuma AZ because its a small town because their is alot of states and or cities that don't have smog or inspection laws because the size of them


here's what the EPA has to say
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/

here's a link to what home land says
http://www.cbp.gov/x...porting_car.xml

and this is DOT
http://www.nhtsa.gov...s/rules/import/

Edited by joakwin, 17 November 2010 - 06:07 PM.

[joakwin]

oh yeah, who'd u find that will ship the vehicle to the west coast for 1000gbp?

also is that only to the east coast and then they transfer the vehicle to another company?
or is that from door step to door step shipping?

because i have heard of companies only shipping to the east coast and then having another
company from the states ship it the rest of the way and then the owner gets another bill from the
company in the states for shipping it the rest of the way and have to pay for it before they can pick up the car

let me know how this works out because i plan on doing it in the next few yrs

[Chris C]

It has to be pre-75 in California. That being said, a solid chunk of the minis in the US are re-vinned newer models. If you get caught for altering the VIN number the government will seize and crush your car, but I've never heard of that actually happening to anyone. The whole "67-68" law has been floating around for years no but I don't think it actually exists.

Make sure you keep the import documents from whatever shipping company and harbor it ends up shipping to, because the DMV wants to see that you paid all your import fees/taxes. As long as you pay the government and it's smog exempt you should be fine.

Where in California are you looking to move to?

[mab01uk]

Phoenix Cargo are UK based are Mini enthusiasts and specialise in shipping/export of Minis as well as other classic cars all around the world including USA, they have also sponsored local Mini shows and events in the UK:-
http://www.phoenix-cargo.com/
(ask for Terry Pittaway)

See Testimonials on website:-
"I received my Mini yesterday in Toronto and would like to give you my regards for all of the assistance you have provided me. I will certainly be telling others of the excellent job you have performed. If you ever have need of a reference for anyone who is interested in shipping a car, I will happily pass along my praise. Thank you for the great job – I truly appreciate it."
Brad, Ontario, Canada

For more direct US based advice try the classic Mini section of the NAM forum here:-
http://www.northamer...c-mini-talk-48/

Importing Laws and Contacts (for Mini's):
http://www.northamer...d-contacts.html

Edited by mab01uk, 17 November 2010 - 07:38 PM.

[MiniMonty]

Wrap it in a union jack and slip the bloke a fiver (this is the self preservation society)....

[davidv]

The old ones Travel ok at a large cost to import.Many people cheat the age of car so they are very sharp on checking what the yanks see as a Classic.I know someone who is taking an end of the line Mini cooper with numbers no idea how he will do it?.They pay so much for one over there.If you have an early 998cc cooper or S MK1 or 2.Worth the cost.They love them and the value.

[1380sprint]

It has to be pre-75 in California. That being said, a solid chunk of the minis in the US are re-vinned newer models. If you get caught for altering the VIN number the government will seize and crush your car, but I've never heard of that actually happening to anyone. The whole "67-68" law has been floating around for years no but I don't think it actually exists.

Make sure you keep the import documents from whatever shipping company and harbor it ends up shipping to, because the DMV wants to see that you paid all your import fees/taxes. As long as you pay the government and it's smog exempt you should be fine.

Where in California are you looking to move to?

i lived in fullerton ,oc for a while,im thinking importing my mini to the east and driving across to cali and then sell it there,not for a while yet but its a plan.....

[pru]

oh yeah, who'd u find that will ship the vehicle to the west coast for 1000gbp?

also is that only to the east coast and then they transfer the vehicle to another company?
or is that from door step to door step shipping?

because i have heard of companies only shipping to the east coast and then having another
company from the states ship it the rest of the way and then the owner gets another bill from the
company in the states for shipping it the rest of the way and have to pay for it before they can pick up the car

let me know how this works out because i plan on doing it in the next few yrs

Hi. The company I got the quote from was called 'Trans Global Logistics' - they quoted US$917 from Southampton to Longbeach CA. They have a US branch, so everything is through the one company. Doesn't look like I can do it tho because my mini is too new .

[pru]

It has to be pre-75 in California. That being said, a solid chunk of the minis in the US are re-vinned newer models. If you get caught for altering the VIN number the government will seize and crush your car, but I've never heard of that actually happening to anyone. The whole "67-68" law has been floating around for years no but I don't think it actually exists.

Make sure you keep the import documents from whatever shipping company and harbor it ends up shipping to, because the DMV wants to see that you paid all your import fees/taxes. As long as you pay the government and it's smog exempt you should be fine.

Where in California are you looking to move to?

Have an interview in Jan for a residency. If successful, I will be moving to Davis, CA in August. It all looks a little expensive. The idea was, spend a couple of grand doing the min up then ship it, but I don't have the cash for a refurb and expensive alterations in the states, and too chicken to risk changing the VIN.
Cheers for all your advice tho.

[pru]

It has to be pre-75 in California. That being said, a solid chunk of the minis in the US are re-vinned newer models. If you get caught for altering the VIN number the government will seize and crush your car, but I've never heard of that actually happening to anyone. The whole "67-68" law has been floating around for years no but I don't think it actually exists.

Make sure you keep the import documents from whatever shipping company and harbor it ends up shipping to, because the DMV wants to see that you paid all your import fees/taxes. As long as you pay the government and it's smog exempt you should be fine.

Where in California are you looking to move to?

i lived in fullerton ,oc for a while,im thinking importing my mini to the east and driving across to cali and then sell it there,not for a while yet but its a plan.....

OOH! What is ur mini? What condition? How much would you be looking at selling it for? Is it RH or LH drive?

[joakwin]

It has to be pre-75 in California. That being said, a solid chunk of the minis in the US are re-vinned newer models. If you get caught for altering the VIN number the government will seize and crush your car, but I've never heard of that actually happening to anyone. The whole "67-68" law has been floating around for years no but I don't think it actually exists.

Make sure you keep the import documents from whatever shipping company and harbor it ends up shipping to, because the DMV wants to see that you paid all your import fees/taxes. As long as you pay the government and it's smog exempt you should be fine.

Where in California are you looking to move to?

i lived in fullerton ,oc for a while,im thinking importing my mini to the east and driving across to cali and then sell it there,not for a while yet but its a plan.....

OOH! What is ur mini? What condition? How much would you be looking at selling it for? Is it RH or LH drive?

its a lhd from germany, i got it in new mexico from a german air force guy, they have a unit their on a US base

im in the middle of getting all my parts together to swap a 1275 into it, slowly shipping parts to the states and then i'll go home and do the swap,
so i can have a car to drive when im their and when ever i move back to the states
but i don't plan on selling the car, my goal is to have a lhd and a rhd, and give them to my kids to drive when they get older