Does anyone out there know what these numbers mean?
I have just started restoring a Mk I Cooper S that I bought in 1980 and would like to confirm its "parentage" since it seems to be a very early
model with some "odd" features that aren't usually classed as Cooper S. Most Google sites quote the usual (often wrong) details. Does anyone really know
if the following makes sense? The ID plate looks original and in 1980, no-one bothered to fake Cooper -S's because they weren't worth the effort!
Its ID plate is Type: YKG2S2; Car Number: 1197; Engine No. 9F/Sa/Y 40507
The radiator cowl shows M2 06 0699
There is no number in the gutter near the wiper motor.
The front panel (bonnet closing panel) does not have the sloping support strut, nor the flattened edge return for the front-mounted oil-cooler; instead,
the oil-cooler is smaller than usual S's and is mounted at an angle below the generator;
The generator and wiper motor both have 1965 dates on them;
The gearbox is Mk I 'S' including internal gears, diff is 3.44 but with Dunlop rubber uni crosses;
The boot has support bracket for R/H fuel tank brazed onto floor, but brackets for R/H restraining straps have holes drilled into rear firewall.
There are no welded tabs for the fuel tank breather pipes on R/H side.
Thanks for any info.
Bill

Appears to me to be a April or May 1966 Mark 1 S. The Radiator cowl and ID plate body numbers appear to correlate (498 difference).
The early Mark 1's had the oil cooler mounted vertically & attached to the engine rather than to the front apron (hence no angled support strut). The early cars also lacked the R/H breather pipe tabs.

What colour(s) do you have on the ID Plate? Also, the interior (seat patterns) is a good pointer to a genuine car, assuming there has been no molestation!

Recently saw a Mark 1 S with the seats re-unholstered in velour, with headling to match. What on earth was this person thinking?.

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1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

All those numbers look correct. As AEG163job has stated looks to be April May 66, engine number looks correct too although the engines came in batches from the UK and no attempt was made to keep any sort of sequence when fitting. That engine no should be on the plate if it's original.

The larger cooler was moved to the grill on car number 1344 in around July 1966 so that fits with the dating too.

The Body no was stamped when the body was built in the factories body shop, Mk1 had this stamped on the rad cowl (later Mk2 they used the bonnet gutter) and the numbering started at 001. Also stamped was a code to indicate the model, M206 for an 'S'.

The Car number was given later as the painted shell was assembled in the car assembly building and the ID plate made up and fitted. The Car numbers started for each model at 501. The Body and car numbers are rarely exactly 500 different because the bodies became rearranged between body shop and assembly for various reasons such as two tone painting, reifications etc.

The early date on the generator could be because it arrived with the motor from the UK, but I'm not sure about this. Does it say Made in England? Later cars got Aussie generators. Could be same for the wiper motor?

Good luck with the Resto, good to hear of a nice original car coming back to life.

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

wow - very desirable car... the rubber unis would be a bit of a mystery

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Thanks AEG163job, Phillb & Simon K for the information and comments - some people get up very early to read ausmini!
The colour is "1/marine blue/3"; the generator & wiper motor are English;
the seats were original but I had them recovered as close to original in the 1980s;
the engine in the car is a Mk I but not the original engine number as per ID plate - but it will have the
original number by the time it's back in the car!
Some of your comments about originality have me worried: I was thinking of fitting a MkII box, or at least Hardy Spicer uni joints;
and painting the turret white.
Bill B

I have a feeling that rubber unis were actually standard on the very early cars... there are a couple of people on here with S' in the first few hundred who will have a better idea

I prefer monotone cars, and yours being so early does make it more desirable (at least to me) in the 'proper' factory configuration (incl. the gearbox!)

obviously its your car and a *huge* number of people will say that opinions are like bumholes, everyone has one....

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

My guess is this in a 1965 Car. I have never seen a car later than 65 with rubber unis
however, that is not to say it did not happen, the early cars had vertical oil cooler no tags in the boot
and where fitted with Rubber Unis I would check every electrical component in the car inc Switches
horn volt reg fuse box etc, write them all down and see what sort of date pattern arises
Good luck with the car, and If you want to put a four sync gearbox in Your car, do it but do not get rid
of You 3 speed gearbox it is not that hard to change them back later on if You want

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

I think Simon is correct re the rubber universals. Some people in the Cooper S fraternity have fitted pot joints to their cars, so I wouldn't lose to much sleep over fitting Hardy Spicers!

Any departures from originality which are reversable are OK in my book. But I draw the line at velour upholstery

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1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

It all seems right to me.

I would fit QL5000 unis instead of the rubber crosses. That is what I'm running in my Morris 1100. (with a 1368cc motor, it has more power than a stock Cooper S!)

My first S was car No 1090. Engine No 9F/Sa/Y 39922. First registered July 1966.
Bought from Goulds Motors High St Northcote.
It had the same features as mentioned above.
A bit more info.
The owners manual came with a loose insert with info re using competition grade hydro fluid and alternative distributor springs to enable it to run on 97 octane super instead of 100 octane with revised static ign timing settings. With the original dist to run on 97 octane the recommended ign timing was 10deg ATDC.
Blue colour hydro bags.
They sagged pretty quickly and squeaked. Hydro fluid recipe was changed to stop the squeaking.
First type cam AEG 148 and first type 23D4 distributor 40819B to go with the AEG 148 cam.
Crank was not cross drilled.
If the car is still in existence I still have the original rego papers and the sales receipt.
If you have this car PM me.

RonR

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68 build Mk1 Cooper S
72 Clubman GT project. Total restoration required

Sure wish I did!

Interesting to hear of the competition hydro fluid. A "mate" back in the 70's drove a Morris 1500 which was apparently refilled with comp. fluid to stiffen the ride. Would love to know how it differed from the normal stuff, - I assume higher viscosity.

Anybody out there know?

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1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

Yes. I'll post the relevant Technical Bulletin when I get back in a few hours.

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

Does this TB answer your question?

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

I love your tech docs Doug.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

a great big ditto to that, just brilliant

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?