ttt For all the folks that do Not look up reviews before they buy  a mini sight unseen..  something that is a  Must on both parts. due to RUST and SCAMMERs..NOTE saw today. that David Ellison Mt Minis has shorty cabrio for sale on ebay.. @ 325331889536.. this can NOT be imported to the USA.. as it is NOT a OEM cabrio..  just plain stupid..

RIchard1.. depends on which port you import you classic mini or land rover into these days.. CBP told me must be OEM engine..  ( same year) for any car or truck..no matter the year of manufacture... I have   got to wonder who bought that purple shorty that David Ellison had on ebay.com and  heard  it got seized also. 

This is what I've been told by a broker in Jacksonville for my 75 Pup with 92 engine.
"As long as the engine in the mini is also over 25 years old, it would also be exempt from DOT/EPA standards even if not original to the vehicle. Based on the info provided, I wouldn't expect any issues with importing these into the U.S."

It probably helps that it is Florida and not California. Also, no Fl inspections.

Thanks, For Providing Information.

Hey everyone. Sorry to wander off-topic slightly but can see some people here who have dealt with David Ellison.

I am trying to track down a 1988 Austin Mini Jet Black that he exported to a client last year.

Was anyone here the buyer or do they know them and could put me in touch?

I've posted here about it and have some images of the car:

https://www.minimania.com/msgThread/126948/1/1/RE__Austin_Mini_Jet_Black_in_Seattle-Idaho

Any help greatly appreciated!

Looks like US Customs are really cracking down on imports. Word to the wise, the vehicle needs to remain pretty much as it was originally. Original engine, LHD or RHD as it left the factory, etc. oh yeah, and obviously the VIN must match the vehicle as well. Good luck if you decide to import.

Good Morning!

Update on the import.  My vehicle arrived last week and was cleared/released by customs yesterday.  I was able to pick it up without any trouble yesterday afternoon.  I have to say that the customs process was super easy.  The longest part was waiting for my TWIC escort to arrive.  Once he was there, the customs officer just waived us on through and 10 minutes later I had the Mini loaded on the trailer and I was on my way.  As for the condition of the car, I would say it's not quite as clean and DE made it out to be.  The paint is pretty rough and there is some rust.  It did start right up on the first try and I drove it right onto the trailer without issue.  All in all, I have to say this process was super smooth for me.  While I'm disappointed that it's a little rougher than I had hoped, it's nothing that can't be fixed and I look forward to years of tinkering and enjoying the car.  If you are considering buying a car from DE, be advised that he definitely represents the vehicles as better condition than they are.  I should probably avoid buying cars off the internet on an impulse going forward...


https://photos.app.goo.gl/JqvrthN5HzCpQPfSA

I was trying desperately to avoid using reVIN.

But yes.
Looks like a garage clearance parts bin special, with a pop-rivet rebuild to make it US (un)friendly.

Fingers crossed that Customs have an off day.

I am guessing it is a re vin as that shell looks to be 1984 or later.
Good luck with Customs.

I noticed the engine as well. Things are definitely looking complicated, but we’ll see what happens. Nothing I can do at the moment but wait for it to arrive. 

Best of luck !

It could easily be described as a dog's dinner.

My fear is that you'll find that it could well have a later shell, as the colour has been changed from red to black (witnessed by the lack of rear door cards) and that colour of red wasn't available in 1980...

It's also got a 1275 A+ engine fitted in the photos, so isn't the Mini 1000 on the logbook - make sure the numbers match when you try and get it through Customs and register it if it does.

Thanks.  I'll post back when I finally receive the car.  Fingers crossed...

Wish you the best of luck. If the license plate on it is correct MOT expired 2006. That's a long gap. Hopefully a quick coat of paint hasn't been applied to cover up rust.

Hello Mini Fans!

I too have purchased a mini from David Ellison...  Mine is still in transit and scheduled to arrive in Tacoma on August 28th.  I can commiserate with the communication experiences several others have experienced with Dave.  His replies are generally very short and don't provide much detail.  I won my mini on June 14th and it took just over a month to ship due to some of the same excuses.  It looks great in pictures, minus a pretty ugly interior, so I hope I'm one of the lucky ones that receives the car and can clear customs without much issue.  We'll see how it goes and I'll share my experience once it arrives.  Link to the original listing is below:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Mini-Classic-Mini/324195579107?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

When I did a search on the VIN I see several older listings where the car was a different color, had different wheels and didn't have the roof opening.  I truly hope none of this prevents it from clearing customs...

Thanks for the welcome guys! Yeah Ive already got some parts on order to get it running straight, but wanted to get my experience out there just in case anyone out there searches for him there will be a real review of what one is getting from the gentleman. Ive got the title app. in at the SOS so hopefully that shows up without any hiccups. 

+1 to Dan's suggestions, better to move forward. At least the State of Michigan is usually reasonable to work with. I would deal with the rust last and try to have some fun with the car.

Welcome!

Sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations.

So far, it sounds like none of the issues you describe are insurmountable. If there's a bright side, it might be you'll get hours of enjoyment tinkering to get things right. And you've come to the right place for help. For each issue you have, start a separate thread, like "Missfire on cylinder 3" and we'll see waht we can do to help solve it.

Greetings everyone.... It's sad that my first post on this forum about my first ever Mini has to be about this scam artist.

For the sake of information I wanted to share my experience with David Ellison / Mountanminis on eBay. I won his auction May 3rd and immediately sent payment via PayPal, Car never got shipped until the end of June... Every week was a new excuse why it didn't ship (Inspection, shift is loose, finish and touches, etc) The paperwork he sent me to register it was a V5C from a previous owner which David had already filled out as the buyer so in the eyes of Michigan he didn't have proper ownership to sell to me. That was workaround #1 to deal with. When the car arrived it was nothing what Mr. Ellison described it to be as "100% running and ready for use". Battery was dead, when I finally got it started in the port it was only running on 3 cylinders. Muffler fell off loading it onto my trailer. Has rust along the boot that was just painted over. rust bubbles along the headlights. Speedometer quits working past 30mph (not that it currently goes much faster than that anyways due to missing on cylinder number 3) and the "upgraded sound system" literally falling out of the dash and the amp in the trunk fell and all the wiring broke off inside the amp) 

After the car shipped he quit responding to any emails I sent him.

I didn't see this forum until a month passed and the car still wasn't shipped.... but at least I got a car that passed customs... I think we should all team up to try to remove him from eBay. 

ttt for david ellison 

beane1 .. it is all about folks thinking they can buy something less in the UK for a classic mini..  Ellison offers cars for less than market value even in the UK..   all about GREED...