GT mowog wrote:
drmini in aust wrote:
In recent years I've founf the blue slip inspectors in NSW want to use the numbers on the rad shroud (which are correct, for 1969> Minis) for earlier ones too (incorrect).
It pays to keep old rego papers if available.
Yes. The Blue Slip Guys are required to use an on-line system that among other things, shows them where to find things like VIN (body nos) and engine nos etc for all(?) cars and for the Mini, it only shows the radiator shroud as per late cars. It does not show the firewall location for the earlier cars.
They do have the correct information, at least they did 12 months ago. Problem is getting them to look it up properly and getting past people who think they know everything.
When I had my car blue slipped the mechanic insisted the rad cowl was the one to use "I've done heaps of minis mate thats the correct one"
When I insisted it was not he rang a special section of the RTA head office where they keep details of pre 1970 (I think) vehicles. Apparently they have a data base going back years and the info would have been supplied by the vehicles manufacturer.
They then look up the car model and give the blue slipper a reference like a map reference eg E12 etc. The Blue Slipper uses a grid map diagram of an engine bay to find the numbers.
The problem I had was that the Head office made a mistake looking it up and again gave the rad shroud. (It was late in the afternoon=knockoff time)
I had to ring the RTA myself next day and politely ask them to recheck.
"Yeah it's on the Radiator cowl mate" he mumbled as he looked it up.
"...Oh, hang on, sorry. your right" They admitted the had made a mistake, rang back the mechanic and it all got sorted.
Interestingly the the Cooper S models are listed as
Cooper S
and
Cooper S series 2
_________________
68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)