The code referred to for Cooper S should be M2 over 06 - the 06 is the important part as that refers to Cooper S (05 being De Luxe).

From the info I have, it is unusual for an Australian-built Cooper S sold new in NZ to be a Morris - most appear to be Austin and would have body number prefix of YCG2S2 - where the C stands for Austin Cooper (K is for Morris Cooper). The chassis numbers on these appear to be in sequence with the Morris Cooper S sold in Australia, so yours should also be in sequence. There is no relationship between the chassis number and the engine number.

Are you prepared to PM me the chassis number and engine number for the database I am collating on Aussie-built Cooper S? I am not after any private or personal information, but info to do with production or when the car was sold new is of interest - including chassis and body numbers (should be about 500 apart), engine number, body colour, trim colour, date of original purchase and selling agent. I intend publishing the findings of the database in the near future but will not reveal any confidential information about any particular car. This is purely for historical record and interest.

Cheers,
Watto.

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Watto .
Photojournalist
Mini historian and enthusiast
http://www.theminiexperience.com.au

Hi Watto,

I have sent all info to you.

Thanks Ed. Watto and I are on the same page.

I told Watto that a couple of cars adjacent to yours also appear to be living in NZ, which reinforces the pedigree of yours.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Watto and the rest of the thread, many thanks.

I have a 64 or 65, 998 cooper with a four digit number stamped below the plate and another number stamped on the radiator shroud. There is also a round ~1cm stamp (with partially obscured letters) on the shroud. Both the radiator shroud stamps are below the original paint. I am wondering two things

1, Should the body numbers (below plate and shroud) match?
2, what does the round stamp denote? (are there any references to what letters to expect for what model?)

any thoughts/musings etc much appreciated.

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A 998 Cooper,
An 850 track (1380)

1. No, not if Aus built, only the one on the rad shroud is the body number, it was stamped when the raw body was built in the body shop.

Body numbers started at 001.

Once the car was painted and nearly completed the ID plate was prepared and the car was given a "Car No." (or chassis no) Car numbers started at 501. By this stage the engine is probably fitted so that detail is also added to the ID plate along with the cars paint details. The Car No. on the plate was also stamped/repeated just below the id plate into the firewall. This stamp was into the fresh paint so on a car that has never been repainted they will appear slightly rusty.

At this point the body number actually is no longer that relevant and in many cases buried under layers of paint. It is no longer just a "body" it has become a "car"

So the Car No. is normally about 500 more than the body number. Usually not exactly 500 because the bodies often were reordered and moved around on the production line. (eg to apply two tone paint, rectifications etc.)

2. The round stamp is the build code. For Cooper it would be M250. This was stamped in the body shop to identify what model the body was to be built into.

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

Is there a complete list of Build Codes somewhere?

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

I think they are just

M -morris
2 -for 2 door

and the last to numbers of the drawing/design code.

eg Cooper ADO50 is M250

Deluxe YDO5 is M205

So is a Morris 1100 M416 (ADO16)??

I assume they just stamped it to make sure exactly what the shell needed to be built into, and to keep track of it though the factory system. Normally you could attach paperwork but not when the car is being welded, rotodipped paint and baked. Would be interesting to know how the system worked.

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

I have not seen a full list of build codes but I have been studying them for a while.
The build codes are pretty much the ADO or YDO number but it might not be that simple.
M2 = Morris 2 door (all Zetland cars were Morris's even the Austins and Leylands!)
50 = ADO 50

I have not looked at the code on an 850 but I think it would be M2 15 but I would like confirmation (that number might also be allocated to the Morris 1300/1500 as M 15.)
The Morris 1100 is M 16. (notice the YDO list doesn't have a YDO16, it appears for some reason that they didn't want to double up the ADO and YDO numbers at Zetland)

1. The numbers below the ID plate and radiator shroud are around 500 different up to around car number 2000 . After that, due to the bodies being Aussie built, the numbers are very close (my 997 Cooper is only 5 numbers lower on rad shroud) The 500 difference between car number and body number starts again from about the last 100 or so Coopers built.
2. M2 over 50 in a circle denotes Cooper body

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

Do all the stamped build codes start with M? Maybe it just stood for model?

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

That very interesting, I wonder why that occurred. I always assumed the whole idea of keeping the numbers 500 apart was to avoid any confusion between them.

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

Thanks again to everyone, this thread is most educational.

Everything said above fits with the car. It has 43xx below the plate and 38xx on the shroud. The two numbers in the shroud stamp the can be made out are @2 over @0 where @ are the obscured numbers.

Is it worth trying to peel the paint, to find the missing shroud numbers?

Thanks again for the feedback and excellent information.

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A 998 Cooper,
An 850 track (1380)

I wouldn't bother digging up the existing paint. The Cooper should be the only Mini with the code ending in a 0, just like it is the only one beginning with a 5.

A Cooper built that late (I would say first half of 1965) should have a locally produced motor with the 9y/Sa/H prefix.

Thanks Morris 1100, Yes, it does indeed have a 9y/sa/h engine. Boot catch has 12 4 stamped on it, and wiper motor is 10 64. Might go looking at the horn next. Paint colour is dream blue over toga white, which from my reading is a 1965 colour, rather than a late 64.

The really odd thing about the engine though it it's definately a 998 block (head off, bore and stroke measured with verniers, and is not sleeved), but it has an alloy 1275 plate riveted on the block under the left hand chest cover when viewed from manifold side.

Given this is about the right period for construction of the 1275 S and a late 998 cooper could it be a stuff up at the factory?

Thanks again for all this excellent info.

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A 998 Cooper,
An 850 track (1380)

You can swap those engine size plates over quite easily. it isn't a rivet, it is a kind of scrivet, they have a kind of screw in with a hammer.
I bet someone sold the car as a Cooper S once.

Be careful trying to date the car by using paint colours, BMC mostly used Berger Paints but the books with dates are Dulux Paint books. They are sometimes a little out of whack.

Every electrical part has a date. But most of those parts were imported in bulk and are usually at least 3 to 6 months old when the car was made.