Does it have the wide rear window? It’s hard to tell from the photos. They were never fitted to Australian cars

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No. Its a proper small one. There is a faint possibility to find the original windscreen as we know who dismantled the car about 15 years ago, and he thinks that he still has it. He also might have other parts as well, like the wiper motor, that also has a date stamped in.

The number 10950 is stamped in twice. One is more regulated (top), the other one a bit bigger is not that well done. The second was beneath the original chassis plate, and the better one above. Each of those were on the RIGHT side of the car. So on the opposite side as on your photos.

I inspected the whole firewall, and it all looks original. The green/yellow pain present, no weldings, no signs of cutting, all factory, spotwelded. On the side there is some lefower of the factory brown sealant, green paint over it, brown primer under. If You ask me: its all factory original.

You mentioned the B pillars were different. Is the seatbelt mount the same height? Maybe be pillar replaced with a later model, possible roof replacement (which could explain some of the inconsistencies?)

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1966 Mini Deluxe - “Gabby” 34 years under restoration and counting...
1970 MGBGT
1959 MGA

Its on the same heighth. The b post on the rights side was replaced below the window. I have found the wending. The roof with all the pillars original.

Ok. I think we are there. Look what we found hinding under the underbody seal:



Now I tend to think that the car is a 998 Deluxe vin number YMA2S2 10950, build date should be november '65. Most if not all of the "hard to change" facts are matching this version.

Nope. The deluxe had a body number on the radiator shroud and nothing hidden under the ID plate.



Hydro cars have these brackets. So if your car is missing these it is a dry suspension car.




The early Cooper has its body number hidden under the ID plate but that stopped around car 2200. Also the total number or Coopers stopped at around car 4365.

Okayyyy.... but the shell and the number match on this version much better than on the '62 850... What would you say? Wasnt it possibe to special order a dry suspension deluxe car? Or what could be your possible solution? Replacement body for '62 car with factory stamped in numbers? Or?

You cant get a dry suspension Deluxe

Cooper had a remote gearbox but didn't go to 10950.

Are you going to strip the entire car? Maybe then the extent of what had been replaced will show up.

It might be a late 1964 cooper with a 1966 Deluxe B pillar and a 1961 850 chassis number welded into the firewall.

If its a Cooper with a 1 piece headliner then it would be between YKA2S1 3573 and YKA2S1 4365.

I would be happy to say that the chassis number was cut, but I can tell 99% sure that it was not. The firewall is spot welded all around, and absolutely no signs of welding around the numbers. Instead original color on the inside and outside present. I could even find the color IN the numbers. But the same color was not present UNDER the sealing on the sides of the firewall, insted of it on top of the sealent. Under the clack sealent only a layer of brown primer was about.

Sorry I am not much help. Usually I can work these out straight away but are too many differences with this one. Its like they have used an 850, Cooper and a Deluxe.

Understood.



So the number cant be a Cooper.



For sure. We are just now cutting the beyond to save parts and sending the rest out to be sand blasted. Though we will be keen on the numbers for sure.



The weldings of the right B post we found already. Its no doubt: latter addition. Other side is original for sure. And no signs of welding around the numbers.

Many thanks for your kind help anyway. We will now send the body out to the blasters and if we get anything back I will report. If we will be unable to come up with anything 100% sure, w will go on with the most likely version.

No worries Good luck with everything.

We have a common phrase in Hungary: "if this item could speak, it will tell a great story" for sure. A long, complicated and most likely hard story it was. And the more I get involved, the more sympatetic I feel. This car is a great survival. It had done nearly everything a machine can be made to do. Or even more. And the story is still not finished. We will bring the body back to original shape with a full new floor, front and rear end, but we will keep its specification. And have a great purpose for it in the future.

This Lucky One will go on.