I have a 98 JDM SPI Mini. I drive it daily when the rain / snow / ash / salt isn't falling. I don't have far to drive for work (2 km maybe), but I extend that in order to get some twisty roads and a blat down the highway at 120km/h. Every day. I have fixed and replaced a few bits (suspension and cooling system come to mind), but for the most part, with regular preventative maintenance, it's done me well for 2 1/2 years. I have a few fall back vehicles. The mini is actually my fall back vehicle for a 64 MGB, which is just not trustworthy as a daily driver.

Working on the mini is always a chore because it is so very small, and the JDM mini's, as someone pointed out, are especially difficult because of the AC and the ECU and the three radiators and the brake servo. Very crowded in the engine bay. Did I mention the 3 radiators?

But as a city car, as a daily driver, sure, find a decent one and go for it. If it dies on you, there's a market for good used parts. I'll take the SPI manifold and throttle body off you.

I agree, but its pretty rare that someone offers to take you for a drive or let you drive their car, right?  Its kind of an unwritten rule in the classic car field, look but don't touch and don't ask to sit in it.  Only if offered and a friendly owner encouraged me to sit in his car, which I did with a focus on comfort.  

The width didn't seem to be a problem, it was getting in and out and the steering position.  I'm told that seat extenders help enough to be drivable, and that's all I'm looking for.

DesertTiny:

Sitting in a classic Mini isn't the same as riding or driving one.The seat extenders might give you about 3" more legroom and a touch more arm reach, but they do nothing to make the car wider. I am/have been chunky and I can say one gets used to the reduced elbow room. Just enough for you and a close (and I do mean "close"). 

If you want something fun for a couple of years, look into a new MINI made by BMW. The smaller, earlier ones have something of the Mini driving feel / fun factor, though not quite the original Mini GRIN effect, in my opinion. (I have not driven a later version, so can't say.) They also have the modern conveniences you'd be used to having. BUT be careful what you buy - from what I've read mostly here, they can be a mechanical challenge if not well maintained.

Interesting, my current daily is a GTI, but after a handful of years its falling apart.  Hence, I'm looking for something fun to drive even if its just for a year or two.

I should have mentioned that this will only be city driving and I do indeed have a backup plan with a second classic car, my wife's car, plus rentals available.

I'm not terribly handy, as I mentioned, but I'm certainly up for learning and have connected with a couple of local mini owners.  In fact, I sat in a JDM mini this weekend for the first time.  It was a bit of a tight squeeze (I'm a wide guy) but I think with seat extenders I would be ok.

I'm still very much on the fence about this but appreciate everyone's opinions.

+1 for Alex.

My mini is my only car and I'm not afraid of driving it.

Over the years of owning minis, I discovered that you have to be attuned to the different sounds the mini produces. If a strange sound pops up, you need to investigate. I think that is one of the subtle reasons Issigonis never put a radio in the mini (other being a distraction).

As much as I HATE typing this, a Classic Mini is not the car for you if you can't maintain it yourself.

The JDM cars, especially the ones with aircon, are hideously complicated.

I've got an automatic JDM MPi/SPi crossover with aircon, and despite being a published author of technical articles about spannering Minis with 40-odd years experience, it's a tangled nightmare to work on.

As long as you have reasonable expectations about what a 90's jdm mini is actually capable of, they are nice little cars when they're well sorted. Your daily driving conditions are going to have a lot of influence on how realistic this endeavor would be. if you're going to be on the highway frequently, travelling above 55mph for decent lengths of time, I wouldn't recommend it, for your own mortalities' sake. If you just want something to zip around town in as a short urban commuter, it has potential. I'd never suggest that a mini could be/should be someone's singular primary do-everything car, unless you're an experienced and patient mechanic/contortionist. As with any car, classic or not, the lower the milage and the greater the service history, the better. The performance of a stock Rover mini with the A/C blasting on a hot day is going to be tepid at best, and worse if youre at any sort of altitude, and dismal if its an automatic. The original A/C system in the jdm cars was also never particularly impressive, even when in proper working order. I believe any mini in good working order should be easy enough to keep cool even on a hot day. A high quality rad, water pump, properly installed shroud, and an electric fan should be plenty, assuming all of the coolant passages and hoses are clean and clear. Im unfamiliar with NV smog laws and requirements, but I know late model rovers are a no-go here in California regardless of how clean you can get the emissions. Tuned up right the SPi fuel injection setup works really well and is very reliable, but can take a knowledgeable mechanic to diagnose and fix if need be. If you aren't car handy i wouldn't recommend one of the earlier carbureted engines. 

Every time someone comes to our shop and says they want a cute sporty nimble reliable daily driver i suggest a fiat 500 abarth, a new mini, or a gti.. 

I'm considering a 90's JDM Rover Mini as a daily driver, but I have a couple of concerns and would love all feedback other than "you're an idiot". I already know that.

• I live in a hot climate in Nevada. I will focus on one with A/C but I'm worried about engine overheating. I'm told a second radiator plus an electric fan will help, but is it enough? I have talked with a bunch of folks and had very mixed opinions with some saying it will ALWAYS overheat no matter what you do and others saying they drive in a similar environment with no issues after a couple of upgrades.  I've even looked at the mega cooling kit from Wild Child in AZ.
  
  

• I'm not terribly handy with cars and there is no specialist shop that I can find. Are any of you in the same boat and how is it working out for you?
  
  

• Registering the car: my state (NV) has weird rules about classic cars to basically prevent them from being daily driven. I'm thinking about finding a way to make it pass smog, anyone done this? Someone local has told me that retarding the spark got his to pass. not sure if it was carb, mpi, or spi though.
  
  

• My plan of last resort is to register it as a classic and basically lie about the amount of miles driven (NV basically uses an honor system where the owner self-reports the mileage every year when registering the car to ensure it stays less than 5K miles). This method is used ALL THE TIME here although I will be trying everything possible to avoid it.  I'm just not that type of person.
  
  

I'm very open to all ideas, concerns, etc, especially things I haven't thought about.