While cleaning down my car in readiness for painting I found the body number on the radiator shroud which I knew was there, however I also found two other numbers to the side of the body number, upside down to the body number reading M2 with 06 directly below the M2.
Any ideas?

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John Sneddon
0408 431 807
1963 Morris Cooper
1965 Morris 850
1968 Morris Cooper S

Its a MK1 Cooper S body

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1970 Mk 2 Cooper S

Yes M2/06 is the Production Code for the Cooper S. On a MkII it is stamped in the bonnet rain channel.

It was stamped quite early in the assembly of the body (before painting so often filled with paint)

I think it served as a reference as to what model that body was to become as the car progressed thru the factory. Other models had other codes.

The body number also probably served a similar purpose (as a factory reference) and was also stamped early before the car was painted.

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

Or it could've been repaired with a cooper S inner guard when a S was worth nothing

And then according to some became a genuine ridgy didge cooper s

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Thanks for the info - do the numbers mean anything or are they just random

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John Sneddon
0408 431 807
1963 Morris Cooper
1965 Morris 850
1968 Morris Cooper S

Thanks for the info - do the numbers mean anything or are they just random

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John Sneddon
0408 431 807
1963 Morris Cooper
1965 Morris 850
1968 Morris Cooper S

Pretty sure I have this correct, someone correct me if I have it wrong.

The Body Numbers started at 001 and the Car Numbers started at 501.

The Car No. is stamped on the Firewall behind the Master Cylinders on MkI cars and is repeated on the ID plate above it. The Body No. is stamped on the Rad. Shroud.

As stated the Body No. would have perhaps provided an ID for that body at the factory (eg. in the body shop) before it moved onto the assembly line. eg Body No 6789 needs some sort of repair etc..

Once l the car was stamped with the Car No. (body finished and painted) I think the Body number became less relevant unless they needed to refer back to work done in the body shop. The Car Number became the main Identifier for that Car.

Because the Body Numbers started at 001 and the Car Numbers started at 501 the Body Number is often approximately 500 less than the Car number.

The numbers are rarely exactly 500 different because the bodys often lost their place or jumped ahead on the assembly line because of various reasons such as rectifications, special orders or having to do two trips though the paint shop for two tone paint. The bodies may not have been placed on the assembly line in strict order either. On my car the Car No. is 516 more than the Body number.

The Car Number is the correct number to go on the Rego Papers. The Body No is irrelevant as far as rego is concerned.

Beware! If you are having your Car Blue slipped and it is a MKI there is often confusion as blue slippers are used to using the numbers on the Radiator Shroud because later Minis, including the MKII Cooper S, had the ID Numbers here but the correct no. to use for Rego for Mk1 is the Car No.

If there is any doubt the RTA have a special section the blue slipper can contact to confirm this. Interestingly on their list a Cooper S MkI is listed as "Morris Cooper S" and the MkII is referred to as "Morris Cooper S series 2"

I know all this cause I went thru this hassle... see my post here

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58590&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=blue+slip&start=0

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)