why is there a body number on the radiator shroud?

Because it's an immovable (can't be unbolted) part of the body and is easier for inspectors to see it there than on the firewall behind the master cylinders where it's often under soundproofing .

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Okay - apart from the fact that long winded VIN were not required back then, the aluminium ID tag was only pop riveted onto the body and was very easy to transfer from vehicle to vehicle. By also stamping it onto the radiator shroud gave a more permanent number than the tag. It was also in a convientant spot.

As an aside - I knew a person who in the eighties who had three MK1 Cortinas. They were all two door and basically all painted white. One was a rally car and the other two were just road vehicles.

He only had one registered and just used to swap the rego plates and the passengers quarter vent from car to car. The cortina quarter vent design meant that the vent could made to be only held in place by a single small nut and bolt and simple to remove. The rego label was on the quarter vent.

He argued that he had never seen a highway patrol lift a bonnet and check vehicle id against rego details and any (back then) who cared about daggy old cortina's

I don't have a number on the radiator shroud only under the ID plate - is that correct for some models (mine is a 1964 model) ?

Yes , early mini's had the number (normally only 4 or 5 digits ) under or near the ID plate on the firewall , they changed to putting them on the radiator shroud but I'm not entirely sure when , I'm thinking around the time Leyland took over or body numbers became long winded VIN's when compliance plates were introduced . Anyone know for certain ?

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My 1964 Morris 850 has a number on radiator shroud , 299 more than the body number on firewall and id plate ...

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

so AJ, your radiator shroud number doesnt match the body number on the firewall?

On the Aussie roundnose cars (up to mid 69) there should be two different numbers, the Body number and the Car number.
The Body number should be on the radiator shroud. (when they built the bodies they stamped the number)
The Car number is on the firewall near the master-cylinders. (when they built the car they stamp this number)

The car number is the number stamped on the identification plate.

The body number is approximately 500 less than the car number, car numbers start at 501. The first car would have body number 1 but it would have been car number 501.

Thanks for that. I feel so much better knowing that the number on the radiator shroud isnt supposed to match the number on the firewall/compliance plate.

Should I be concerned if there is no number on the radiator shroud?

What model is it?

I am not sure, the complaince plate reads
8Y/U/H YMA2S1

Morris 850.
They were a little different. I am not surprised that it does not have the number there. (I think that they may have a number in a different spot?)

my late 64 850 has number on radiator shroud

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Dog Food! Most kids like it more than Broccoli.

My 63 model 850 doen't have a number on the radiator shroud and the body number under the plate is 3 different than the number on the plate. My guess is someone miss read it as the body number ends in 22 and the last 2 is hard to read and the plate is 25

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!