Deseaming was a big thing way back when Cooper S were not a classic but just an affordable fun car, my how times change. The seams were also removed to make the car more aerodynamic, I remember reading just how much frontal area of the car was reduced by removing the seams and was supposed to add a few MPH to the top speed if its done right it can look OK, A lot of the fancy coach work companies in the UK did it in the 60s and 70s like Radford and W&P, not my taste but each to there own I reckon
Jon

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Roundies and Clubbies(except vans) are both ugly that is why I have Midas and a van
1293 Mini Midas Bronze,1275 Clubman van

1275 LS, at 3/5, which I presume is decent engine, decent gearbox, reasonably rust free, in need of a tiny tidy up?

If yes, price together the bits, then work out what it is worth. A good 1275 engine and gearbox AREN'T cheap, add the disc brakes and there ya go. $4k would be on the money for something like that, which wouldn't take anything or a little to get to roadworthy conditions.

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Thats the one and I think the figure of $4.5k is right on that.

Im coming to the idea that $7k is the right price for a deseamed 4 out of 5 Cooper S (like the red one on ebay) and maybe $6k for the North Coast blue/green one.

i agree with AWD moke. my mini is deseamed and looks neat. still have roof seam though. but yes i argee with the majority here, i wouldnt deseam a car if it was mine. seams add character. something that new cars just dont have.

example:

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Torque Steer is a very evil thing. Fun..... but evil.

West Aussie Mini Boys Represent...!!!

Very few guys who bought Cooper Ss in the 60s left them as standard. Most were modified to differing extremes. What one wouldn't dream of doing to these cars now was commonplace back then because they were so plentiful. I had a few mates who did deseam their Ss because they tought it looked better or more distnctive. It was cool.

Many of the racing Ss also had the deseamed look and some even had the roof chop look as well. A couple of people I knew lowered the roofs on their road Ss.

But I agree no one in their right mind would deseam a genuine Cooper S nowadays.

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

My how times change
30 years ago I deseamed a ratty old Cooper 'S' (kept the gutters on), threw some paint on it and sold it for twice the going price because it WAS deseamed. Nobody gave a rats about originality or considered them 'classic'.

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Curly
'64 Cooper 'S' (Group Nb spec)
'67 Mini Marcos GT www.mm7056.wordpress.com

I went and saw this car the day it was advertised (Chris is in fact a she). The car was pretty stock except for an electric thermo fan that had been fitted (the owner had had it serviced by Greig Malaure). It had the nice red interior with the plaque on the dash stating it was the 9th last ever built in Australia. It did however need alot of love and $$ spent on it to get it to a condition that I would be happy with.

As for times a changing, I think you can simply put that down to the relative rarity of original Cooper S' these days.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

My Uncle de-seamed two Ss back in the Cooper S hey-day...


Niether one worked properly, and both went to the tip. With compliance plates still attatched.

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

Yeah but that was 30 years ago...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

When i was doing my 67 morris up i was told to deseam her because it makes the car more aerodynamic in turn making the car slightly quicker.
I didnt end up doing it but it did make sense.
All in all i think its stupid but thats what was said....

there is a young bloke near me who has a genuine mk2 cooper s. a few years ago it was mint. a few months ago he took the seams off and now it is rusting and looks like a train wreck. what a waste.

Sad story marcello, why don't you relieve him of it for parts or a re shell ?

FIGJAM

Hush your mouth and don't mention reshells you know where that ends up

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Roundies and Clubbies(except vans) are both ugly that is why I have Midas and a van
1293 Mini Midas Bronze,1275 Clubman van

I said re shell, not radiator shroud.