What's required here is only Morris Cooper S details to improve the register.

Details required are:

Month/year

FOR MK1
The Car numbers after YKG2S2
The engine number (in car and on plate where fitted an stamped)
Original Colour Body, then roof
Colour of Interior Trim

FOR MK2
The Car numbers after YG2S4
The engine number - original no.; and the no. existing in the car
Original Colour Body, then roof
Colour of Interior Trim,

preferrably in that order please.

Body numbers (as oposed to car numbers) are optional of course and I will register them also.

If you have doubt about the date (such as with the ones without a plate) please provide the wiper date stamp, (which is of lower accuracy) and/or the position of the dot over the Armourglas on the windows (indicating the year only).

Austin Cooper S manufactured for export (to NZ) and Morris Cooper can come later but welcome to submit.

BMC/BLMC are reported not to have kept such a list. I (like many others I suppose) have a copy of the list created around yr.2000 with the assistance of Watto (BMC Experience) who was active in creating it then. When enough data and validty is satisfied - it will be produced in an article in the magazine with other interesting Aus Cooper S stuff.

For Security
Please be aware that your area location may be shown. As an alternative to posting up or PM you can email me at [email protected] . I promise to keep your location and contact details confidential.

If any of the numbers provided are already on the list I have I will notify you with that record.

For everybody's sake, please ensure that you provide accurate details to the best of your ability.

Thanks in advance.

_________________
..still waiting for the Italian Job sequel to see if the bus went down

Craig Watson has been compiling an extensive Cooper S register for a few years now.

As we know, there are a lot of fakes out there, so S owners are touchy about providing details

I'm a bit confused

What is the relationship of this new register to Watto's, who you mention as a source of data? I have been supplying to Watto and he has been accepting updates to his register for the last few years. Obviously it's best to have only one authoritative source.

The register owners are shown here - http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=40079

_________________
ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Who are you and why do you want my car numbers?

Deja vu.........................................all over again.

_________________
1964 Cooper UK 970 S 'CZ 4289'

At a wild guess, someone who owns one of these fantastic little cars, has a passionate interest in them and wishes to compile a database for research purposes

It might pay to do a search on this topic.....it has been debated several times and never ended in a definative approach/agreement.

Watto has a list and plenty have contributed to it, however no one has seen it yet...I understand there is an intention to publish it once it is of a reasonable size and appropriate accuracy.... I am not sure why it cannot be shared in the interim however, as it will never be proven to be accurate in the absence of factory source material.

If you want this info, it might pay to raise your interest with Watto? That said, I know of many owners who will not disclose the identities of their cars to Watto, you or anyone else.

Good luck!

I think these people that wont disclose numbers are absolutely stupid. I mean they take it to a car show show their engine bay and someone can get all the information they want.

There is no logic in it at all

_________________

I'm assuming this is Wayne who contacted me recently regarding my list. If not, then I have no idea who it is.

I think, particularly if wanting this sort of information, you need to be open about who, when what and why the information is being gathered for.

It is no secret that I have been trying to compile this information for the past 7 years or so, and have had a lot of help from many members on ausmini and numerous others.

I have sourced four other such lists compiled by various people over the years, the most comprehensive being from former BMC-Leyland-Land Rover employee Gary Norwood and from Mini Cooper Register Aust top gun John Heselwood.

Sadly, time is always against me and I have still not finished transcribing all these lists into one.

My intention, though, is to get it to include at least 1,000 cars before making it public, as I want to find if there are any trends or patterns - such as groups of cars painted the same colour, a rough percentage of cars that have the body number and chassis number exactly 500 apart (not many to be sure), etc, and the numbers of Austin Cooper S built for the export market (an important, though largely unknown factor).

I currently have around 600 cars on the list and try to get details from anyone selling cars on Fleabay, Carsales, etc, as well as any cars I see at shows and the many people who are keeping their eyes open for me.

I have a lot of private information, which will need to be edited out of any list that goes public, and I have guaranteed anonymity to anyone who wants it - the fact that none of the information I have has been leaked in the 7 years I've been getting it says a lot about my integrity, which is one of my most valuable assets.

So, in short, yes I intend to publish the list that I have, when I finally get around to making it as complete as I can. I am not at all secretive about having the list, and anyone who contacts me about a car they have, if I have any more info on the tat car I am happy to pass it on, but I would never pass on any personal or private details without first checking with the person to whom those details relate. It's just that time is my greatest enemy.

The danger with releasing the list too early is that inevitably there will be numerous versions of it running around, with anybody with a copy of it adding their own cars and others they find.

I also think it would be counter productive to have a number of people trying to collate different lists and effectively approaching the same people. But, I understand some people will be getting impatient to see my list. Not much I can do about that at this stage - just bare with me.

Obviously, if anyone wants to send me their details - and I am only after production details, not where the car is today or the current owner's name - then it would be appreciated.

The info I am seeking includes any or all of the following, if known: chassis number, original engine number, current engine number (if not original or unknown), original paint colour/s, original interior colours, original selling dealership, original registration number, any factory or dealer-fitted options, original owner if this is of interest or relevant - eg NSW Police or a famous driver.

Cheers,
Watto.

_________________
Watto .
Photojournalist
Mini historian and enthusiast
http://www.theminiexperience.com.au

These are cars that are not going to car shows. I guess they are protecting their asset. What are they getting if they share their numbers? Plenty to lose and not much to gain! The register could be displayed on this site where only Watto can update it in a similar fashion to the old GT register, maybe this would encourage others to contribute?

I totally understand peoples reticence to give information. In the five or six years that I have been on this forum there have been a number of cars that have been stolen from previously thought to be secure premises and never seen again.

Some of these are thought to have been taken by sophisticated means such as tilt tray trailors and truck after being whinched on in the dead of the night.

In these days of social networking sites, blogs etc, it is possible to source and obtain accurate information on just about anything. I have a friend who is a full researcher for the Attorney Generals Department and through her I know just how much information can be obtained in a very short time just using public sources as well as the restricted sources the AFP and other similar groups have access to.

A register is a good idea but it really needs to be in the hands of someone who is known and trusted to handle the information gained with care and commonsense.

Mike

Silence is deafening from the original requestee, may be the cover has been blown....

Gee - I wasn't suggesting anyone was a crook. I was just saying most of us have so much information about ourselves online and pointing out how easily it can be collated and targeted.

We should all be a bit careful about broadcasting details about assets.

Mike

I can vouch for Wayne, the original poster. He is a long time member of the mini community and has no bad intentions.

_________________
Ryan Filippi
Minis In The Gong
[email protected]
www.minisinthegong.com.au

I don't think anyone is suggesting Wayne had "bad intentions", not by me anyway. My post above was to point out that there is already a register underway and hence we should avoid duplication. I do think it would be a courtesy to the forum for Wayne to post a response to what's been said above.

_________________
ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43