Small Car, Big City

"Flavien Vidal" (flyingfrenchy) 07/12/2018 at 07:25 • Filed to: None

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Took this pic this afternoon in downtown Osaka... This car is such a blast in the city. Such a blast actually that I left the RX-7 at the shop and I’m keeping the Mini for the weekend :D

So be ready to see more of it in the next few days!

You can see it in detail and in action here btw:

And as usual, it’s also for sale hehe. $6500 landed at any Ro-Ro port you want :P

random001 > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 07:33

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GIB!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 07:40

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Saw the video already, looks like a blast! Hoping my FIAT 126 is as entertaining when I get to importing one in a slow car fast sort of way....albeit far more the slow part! :P

E90M3 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 07:47

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What’s keeping you from importing one now? 

Flavien Vidal > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 07:53

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It  really is... suspensions are near perfect for the car, though a bit stiff and those tires... oh my, those tires! Sooooo grippy and ideal for the car. Not even talking about the Weber carburetor it has that makes such an awesome induction noise! Love this thing, but well, I’ve always had something for Minis :P

  > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 08:11

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I envy your job ;)

Flavien Vidal >   07/12/2018 at 08:14

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It is a fun gig... VERY fun gig, especially when I get to bring cars back home.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 10:12

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So are you saying we shouldn’t be surprised if you keep this and the RX7 disappears? :P

AuthiCooper1300 > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 10:25

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Flavien, I think that car must have started life as a “30th Anniversary” limited edition. Look at the badge on the bonnet. The colour seems to match the one used for those cars too.

It’s missing the side and bootlid “ 3 o t h A n n i v e rsary” decals and certain bits have been changed (f r o n t s e a t s ; g e a r k n o b ; spats are much bigger ; and obviously the 8 . 4 " front disc brakes must have been swapped f o r 7 . 5 " o n e s too in order to fit the 10" wheels).

T h e c h a n g e s to the normal Mini of th e t i m e w e r e m e r e l y c o s m e t i c but when complete the s e c a r s d o c a r r y a p r e m i u m a m o n g M i n i f e t i s h i s t s .

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > E90M3 07/12/2018 at 10:42

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I have the money saved up to BUY one and get it here, but I don’t have a permanent full-time job at the moment and I am not living in a place where I could store it other than outside under a tarp (I’d much rather have a garage or shed as they are not the most rustproof).

Flavien Vidal > AuthiCooper1300 07/12/2018 at 10:45

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Yeah it was first registered in Japan in early 1990, so it’s surely a 30th anniversary.... It does have the 1959-1989 30th anniversary badge indeed. But Minis have soooo many stupid “limited editions” that I’ve learned not to care much about them haha. If people like it, cool, but as long as I get what I want for it, I don’t really care about the premium it could get thanks to the version it is. I LOVE Minis dearly... so much actually that I own one myself... but all those editions and version and things, I simply can’T keep up with them haha. The car is $6500, shipping to the US included, which is waaaay under the US market prices. If I can get that, I’m good :)

And yes, small disk brakes in the front and normal drums in the rear. With the stupid grippy tires they send you into the windshield under hard braking... soooooo damn powerful lol

Flavien Vidal > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 10:50

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Oh no, I’m not replacing the RX-7 for a Mini ;)

I already own a Mini in France... which I never drive because I’m never in France haha. I just LOVE Mini, they are soooo damn fun. They are awesome second cars. I wouldn’t own one if I didn’t already have a fun RWD sports car.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 10:59

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Oh well, if you never get to drive the one in France you know, I could just take it off your hands so it wouldn’t be a bother? >_> <_< >_>

:P

AuthiCooper1300 > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 11:02

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I basically agree with you: the marketing machine at Rover didn’t seem to have any other way of injecting interest in the car (at least until later, when BMW started putting a little more money in development.)

I noticed your f i g u r e seemed to be low. What is the usual price for a Mini in the US then?

Flavien Vidal > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 11:45

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The worst is that my mother surely wouldn’t mind it lol

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 11:45

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She’s not a fan of the Mini?

Flavien Vidal > AuthiCooper1300 07/12/2018 at 11:46

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To make it simple, once imported, it a 10- 12k$ car easily in the US :)

Flavien Vidal > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 11:47

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Nope... and it’s in her garage lol

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 11:49

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Well, in your defense, it’s not like it takes up a lot of space? :P

Just tell her to pick it up and put it on a shelf or something? :P

AuthiCooper1300 > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 11:56

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T h a n k s !

E90M3 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 12:26

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That’s fair enough.

Still looking for that elusive full time job? 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > E90M3 07/12/2018 at 12:34

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Yeah....I applied to several full-time and one-year term positions with the local school board a week or so back, but haven’t heard a thing... :(

Haven’t even found a part-time job for the summer other than the computer repair and tutoring I do on the side.

E90M3 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/12/2018 at 13:08

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A week isn’t that long, unless you have someone on the inside helping. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > E90M3 07/12/2018 at 13:22

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Nope...noticed there are a few more there for me to apply to today, so I will do that later on this afternoon...crossing of fingers!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > E90M3 07/12/2018 at 13:22

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Nope...noticed there are a few more there for me to apply to today, so I will do that later on this afternoon...crossing of fingers!

MM54 > Flavien Vidal 07/12/2018 at 18:17

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A mini is simultaneously one of the very few FWD cars I’d want to own and also one of the very few I’d tolerate RHD in.

f86sabre > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/14/2018 at 09:50

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This is wise.