Hello all,

My wife and I are trying to get our mini on the road and the blue slip guy is asking for the vin that is stamped on the radiator shroud... which would be M2 06 1716, but the vin on the firewall plate is YKG2S2 2218... which is what the Mk2 Coopers say is stamped on the radiator shroud.

What do we give them?

Cheers, Don

You should be giving them the number stamped into the firewall under the plate, this should match the plate and be 2218.

Yep, it it 2218 and the stamping numbers are big... about 10mm tall.

Cheers mate!

That's them.....glad to hear they are there and that size stamp sounds about right!

For your model, the numbers on the firewall (which should match the "Car no" on the plate) are the correct ones to use for rego.

Problem is many mechanics think the rad cowl number is the correct one but this is not necessarily the case. BMC changed the location a couple of times.

If the blue slip mechanic is unsure he should contact the RTA technical section who have the records for pre 72 cars. If they are given the "type" from the plate (eg YKG2S2 for your car) they will look up a reference for correct numbers location. They have a "map" of an engine bay and use a grid reference to locate the number. My blue slipper actually showed me the "map".

The blue slipper should know all this. Also it's not a VIN in the modern sense, at least not for a model that early. It's just referred to as the "car number".

The number on your shroud is the body number and m206 a model code and is really not used for anything. The factory used it to keep track of the body during production then it got painted over.

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

Thanks for the reiteration guys! It sucks when you read over and over, learn what things should be, like the S which gets written as a 5 etc, and then you get to the official and wham... you start questioning yourself, "did I miss something?"

Again, many many thanks. Don

Yeah it is confusing, BMC changed the location between Mk 1 and 2

on Mk 1's like yours

Car No. - on firewall behind Master cylinders car number only stamped onto body

Body No. and Build Code - on rad shroud

on Mk 2's

Car No - stamped on rad shroud *including the type eg YG2S4 1234

Body No. and Build Code - stamped into the rain gutter at rear of bonnet opening.

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

Interesting topic, I just had my mechanic out to do a blueslip and we struggled to find the "body/chassis number". After some searching and a bit of googling we sanded back the paint on radiator shroud and found a number stamped. We used this for chassis number, even though didn't match bmc ID tag, should there be another one behind master cylinders? Not real keen to pull them out to be able to sand back to find another number....

I don't understand these blueslippers "googling" for answers. They have a technical section of the RTA with all the records from the carmakers like BMC explaining the location of these numbers. Thats who they are suppose to contact.

The location of the number used for rego on a mini depends on the year. As stated BMC changed it a few times.

By behind the master cyld I meant just below the firewall ID plate. Like below this is just behing the MC's on the firewall. often a bit rusty cause they stamped into the paint. You may not see it because it has been covered in layers of paint or it's not there for your model.



courtesy BMC experience

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

Don't you love Govt. departments that imagine that numbers and the like are a simple thing to produce and verify. Sadly, we derive from the British motor industry, not the German (who probably have better records on Leyland Australia than we do).

If the car is important in any way, never, never, let the rego lapse because sooner or later, some poor bugga is going to have to pay for that lapse.

Not exactly mini related but old fords used to have the model code stamped on radiator panel and the actual chassis number stamped on top of shock tower. In my time in an inspection station I saw many cars with the model code used as chassis number, I wonder why that isn't picked up by the super RTA computor. The whole registratiom systems, in atleast NSW and QLD, is totaly nuts. You can't get anyone that knows anything about how it works. I've even seen a caravan that had the rego number as chassis number!

"You can't get anyone that knows anything about how it works..."

And there's a problem?? You show them a number, they write it down. then someone else puts it in teh computer - where it lays around until someone objects .. then they change it... What's to know??

If you really get stuck, just tell them its imported and the Poms use "this" number here....

You can even get a proper (replica) plate and stamp it with whatever you want....

They want a number ..so give them one.

Cheers, Ian

I reckon this is why BMC decided to move the body number and code to the bonnet rain gutter with the mk2 cars so they could hide it under paint and a rubber strip.

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