Hi guys a family member has got a moke and i went to check it out today. Im not 100% sure but i think it is a genuine californian moke.

engine number is 12h905aa
chassis number is akfpd 19y

Looks to be very original, even the sahara dust paint looks like it is the only paint it has had in its life. Disc brakes are still there.

I think i can make out 10/81 on the compliance plate. But there are also the numbers 998 on there???

Fuel tank filler is on the side not the top of the body.

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

If it's an original 1275 it will have disc brakes.
Motor looks like correct for a 1275 that year. Same as Barney's.
With that fuel filler it's 80 or 81 or 82 I think. Mine is 79 and has top fill.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

My 8/81 1275 Californian is AKFPD 19Y and below that is GVM 998 Kg (GVM and Kg are stamped very lightly compared to the 998), I didn't think to check the engine number prefix until I'dd put the stuff back on the bonnet so didn't bother taking it off again

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There was no "genuine californian" in '81. They left the factory in whatever form they could roll 'em out the door. Having said that, it all looks authentic.

Don't make the mistake of believing that 1275 equals Californian. In 1977 they were all 998s and there were plenty of poverty pack 1275s in later years.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

ok thanks guys, so what makes a californian a californian then? is it the chassis number? Are they all Galvanized?

does the chassis AKFPD 19Y line up with a cali if there were none in 81?

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

Californian was basically a dressup kit. And these never got sold in Californie..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I heard from a few sources and here on Ausmini a few times that 1275 Mokes did not have disc brakes standard. Is this true?

Must say though disc brakes are a great mod and all 1275 Minis/Mokes should have them!

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

Early 1275s had drums, but not these late ones.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

The very first version that was loosely called the Californian , now known as the export moke (rear mounted fuel tank , side repeater lenses and a few other things) were drum brake 1275's (1204 engine prefix , I used to own 1204 1275 ) . When they did the proper 1275 moke they had 8.4" disc brakes .

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The '77 californian says so on the compliance plate, none of the others do. They are just a dress up kit, (something you could argue most of the later "specials" were). They just stickered them as Californians and voila, it was a californian. Californians were first sold from '71 to about -73. Then '77 to the end.

What made them special differed from year to year. The first ones in about '71 were brightly coloured, had floral "orange bali" hoods and seats and the steering wheels were color coded to the body. Some (possibly all) had a 1275 but not disks.

When they resurrected the idea again in '77 they had sports steering wheels, californian bumpers, sunraysia wheels and denim look vinyl upholstery, all were 998s. The same spec more or less followed through to the end, but the factory were just emptying the parts bins (remember by '81 they were pretty much shut down) so whatever they threw together was the spec.

In moking circles no-one really gets too excited about Californian or Standard, especially after 1980. Its too easy to fake one and too hard to prove it one way or the other. It doesn't make much difference to the value, anyway they're almost all Californians now, the stickers are quite cheap.

The one you show has the following features that suggest it was a Californian when it was made.
1) Denim look "tombstone" seats (the back should tip forward on an '81)
2) Sunraysia wheels (at least two anyway)
3) Californian bumpers
4) sports steering wheel, which looks roughly right for that year model.
5) Stickers

All of that can easily be swapped, but often you'll see most of the parts but not all of them tranferred over.

Mokes were "facelifted" around around '79/'80. After that all mokes were galvanised, also the fuel cap was moved to the side (a larger tank is fitted) the bumpers mount under the subframes rather than through the front panel, plus loads of small details. The 1275 became an option again at that time, along with 8.4" disks, the same as the 1275LS.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

thanks tim your a legend mate, great info.

im not to big on the moke history and you got it all covered by the sounds of it.

Looks like my relo is going to let it go as he was going to build it up for his daughter but she isnt the slightest interested.

If anyone is looking for a 1275 disc brake moke with what looks like be a good body give me a pm with an offer and i will pass it on.

cheers brad.

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

From the Ozzie Moke Site

Dummies Quick Guide to Moke Spotting

For many people all Mokes look the same, but the Moke under many minor and major changes thriugh out its life time. The little quick reference gives you a simple understanding of the major changes and the less than definitive answer to "What makes it a Californian?"
A quick guide for Moke Spotting
Little Wheeler
Produced in Australia between 1966 and 1968 I believe, the 10" wheels are the obvious clue and the lack of metal guard extensions that came in with the 13" wheels. The edge of the guards and the side boxes are flush with each other.
Early Standard Moke
The Guards had an extra bit of metal attached to make them wider, the trailing arms grew a bit longer and the rear panel had a couple of extra 'flares' added to account for the larger diameter wheel. The clubman came with a rod change box around '72-'73 and so did the Mokes of that era.
Export Moke '71 to '73
Originally intended to be sold in the USA, the side fuel tank was removed and a Sprite fuel tank was mounted under the rear tray, between the subframe. The front and rear guards were made a bit heavier and taller to accommodate some side indicator lights and a 1275 was fitted with the standard drum brakes. This was the original Californian and came with the infamous Floral print hood and seats as I believe did standard Mokes of the era.
Standard '75/76 to '77
The most obvious change here was the front grill became a seperate demountable panel allowing easy access to the front of the engine. Some Leyland executive must had to service one of these things in 1975 and got fed up with it and had them make a removable grill.!!!
Californian returns in '77 - '79
The name came back, but for the most part not much changed from a standard Moke except the word Californian appeared on the compliance plate. Throughout this period the pretty bumpers appeared and by 1979 the bumpers no longer came through the front panel, but mounted to the underside of the Subframe. A couple of extra warning lights appeared on the dash and the wiper/washers got a new set of controls. Sunraysia wheels started appearing also along with disc brakes. This make over happens to co-incide with another trend going on in the 4wd movement so it is hard to sayfor certain but changes seem to have come from the Marketing department and probably an ex-employee.
Galvanised body arrives '80 - '82
The most dramtic series of changes came about in the form of the Galvanised body shell, side fill round tank, the 'Tombstone' style seats, the irreplacable Blue Denim upholstery and the rear bumper came with lower support mounts and a spare wheel bracket that was more involved than a bit of bent rod with thread on it. The other major change was the windscreen which now reached all the way down to the wheel guard, doing away with the little triangle panel, and over the few years the Tombstone seat on the normal tube seat frame was replaced with a more conventional adjustable and sliding unit.
What Makes it a Californian?
For most people if it has the stickers then it is a Californian and if it was built between '77-'82 there is a fair chance it is Californian. Many like to believe a Californian must have fancy bars, 1275, disc brales and Tombstone seats, but there are many genuine Californians out there with 998's and drum brakes and straight bumpers.

So which is the real Californian? The original Export moke destined for the Surf culture of westcoast USA or the '77 that appeared with the words Californian on the compliance plate, or the many variations from then on that came out with nice stickers on the bonnet?

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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!

The details above aren't quite right. Denim and tombstone seats came in '77, not '80 and it makes it sound like the '77 Californian features (bumpers, sunraysias etc) were added gradually. They weren't, they came as a package when it was relaunched.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian