I was wondering if anybody could help me out here. In the UK, there was such thing as a Mk1 and Mk2 Mini.

Mk1 = 1959 - 1967
Mk2 = 1967 - 1969

Now, our Mk1 had a smaller back window. As far as I remember it was just the width different. The rear window from Mk2 onwards would have been slightly wider, but the same size on every Mini build since then.

Do these Mks work the same in Australia or do you just have a Morris and a Leyland?

Reason I ask is because I'm after a one of these rear window louvre visors, but it seems to be easier to order from Australia than here as there are no stockists. I'm just wondering if the Aussie Minis had the smaller or normal back windows, and if both, what the visors were made for, if any of you have had one.

Thanks.

We only had the one window size , the smaller one . I had a Mk4 mini from South Afrika at one stage and it had the later English window which was a bit wider than our local ones . The rear louvers that fit on the outsied of the windscreen were only made here for our local sized rear windscreen .

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Thats a big shame, I was all set to buy an Aussie rear louvre window to.

I know there was one company in the UK that did these louvre windows, this was last year, except they where made from carbon / fibreglass, which put me off alot as I don't want this effect on my Mini. They were also pretty pricey too I think.

Thanks for the help sports..

How wide is your back window?
I have a couple of granny louvres here, both slightly different.
Maybe one brand would be a better fit on your window than another?

No worries , perhaps check with some of the American suppliers too just in case , not sure which versions they had over there . Good luck .

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I'm affraid we're talking an inch or so wider each side from memory , too much for the local ones to fit . I Used to love putting my SOuth African mini beside a local one and watching to see how long it took people to notice something was different , they often couldn't pick it but it looked different . The screen could have been a bit higher too and the dside windows were higher as well .

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thay are mostly english cars no?

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ook!
69 mini k
'Kids don't recognise a Saab from a Volvo but they always recognise a Mini,'

I'm sure they are mostly English cars but do their laws make it easier to import early or later cars ? I'm assuming a mix but don't know . Their parts seller's/manufacturers may be setup to do things for the early cars with the same window width , or the newer models . Anybody here with American contacts that can suggest a good mini parts supplier to try ?

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most ive seen have been 80's to late 90's same as here

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ook!
69 mini k
'Kids don't recognise a Saab from a Volvo but they always recognise a Mini,'

So mostly should be the wider rear window then , maybe try a US mini place Darren and see if they do the window louvers in the size you're after , good luck .

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Appreciate the help guys! I'll take a look on MiniMaina.com and see if any of the guys over there can help me out, probably unlikely though.

Minis were only sold in the American market for a short period in the 60s. Apart from that, most of them have been imported by residents. It's actually easier to import an older car, I think they have to be 25 years old or so to get through their system. They do have alot of original 60s and 70s Minis, but theres quite a few of them over there that are 80s and 90s, some of which very later Coopers. A bit of sly vin plate exhanging happening there.

Let us know how you get on . I don't know if they are still available new for mini's down here really , they were an 80's ish accessory I think . How are your fiberglass skills ? Is it possible for you to widen one and make a mould ? The ones down here are a thinnish plastic type stuff and I don't think they'd last long if you cut and joined one but use it as a mould template and make your own ?????

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Darren here has reminded me of something that I have been wanting to know for a while as well.

I have a Mk1 Morris Traveller (a UK one, sold new here in N Ireland), but I have always fancied replacing the front doors with the 'Aussie type'. The ones with opening quarter lights and winding windows, but retaining the external hinges and original type door handle/lock.

My question is - do the doors as fitted to Australian Minis fit the British built cars? My Traveller is 1964 if this helps.

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Ian Campbell

'64 Morris Cooper S Traveller
'65 Morris Mini Pickup
'83 Austin City E
'84 Sinclair C5
'87 Austin "Seven S" 1000
'04 MG ZR
'07 Vauxhall Astra GTE

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think they should , it'd be the same as replacing an Australian 850's doors with doors from an Autralian deluxe or later . Aussie Clubman won't fit without modifying the door striker as they had later (burst proof?) type door latches . Our door aperatures stayed the same size throughout local production , we didn't get the internal hinges or the slightly different shaped door so as far as I know they will all physically fit but not sure about latches/door striker plates . I'd say 95% certain they'd fit but I'm not entirely certain of what striker/latch your mini uses , plus I don't have a windup window car here to look at , it's in a shed in another town ..... Anyone else know for certain ? Marcello , what about on your traveller ?

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It'll fit without problems. Wind-ups and sliders are the same size doors, and the british sliders and the aussie ones wereoriginally made from the same jigs or pressed parts or whatever.
It's sort of funny that so many people overseas want 'our' doors, where a lot of us are looking for the original sliders, since most have perished.