I have been contacted by a guy having a garage clean up who has found a Passport to Service & Driver's Handbook for a Morris Mini. Car was sold by Gould's in Northcote on 14/02/1968 to an E. J. O'Leary who lived in West Heidelberg. The handbook shows original rego as JSZ 324, but this was crossed out and replaced with YMA 252. Engine number shows as 9ANAH880 (might be 9AHAH880). Last entry in passbook to Service is dated 7/02/1969.
If these details appear to match your car then contact Neil on 0418 395 881.
He doesn't want money, he is just keen to see books returned to the correct car.

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1970 MkII Cooper S
1971 Clubman GT (Replica)
71 Clubbie being worked on (1275 + lots of stuff)
Moke (1275) Awaiting restoration - Currently sheets of rust holding some mechanical bits together!

Great work Ian49 and well done to the custodian of the service books for appreciating the sentimental value of the history - I hope the books find the current owner if the car is out there, not ebay like the rest.

I recently went to a lot of effort tracked down the spare keys and logbooks to my 1968 mini to the original owner an older lady but she strangely wanted to keep them because she never wanted to let the car be sold- she got upset when I discussed the car so I left it at that

Poor old Dot!

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

I would of asked her if you could photocopy it

Perhaps approach her again in a year or so. Offer to drive her around the block for memory sake, and make the point that her special car is in very good hands and you'll take care of it for her (or words to that effect).

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

I don't think the number YMA252 is a rego number, it is probably YMA2S2 which is the car ID prefix for a Mini Deluxe.
But... Engine number 9ANAH880 is a Mini Matic and the car ID prefix for a Matic with that engine number should be YMA2S4.
But... I have photos of ID plates with Matic engine numbers and Deluxe car numbers. (it is all rather confusing!)

Same dealership as mine but about 9 months too early.

JSZ324 is NOT currently registered in Victoria.

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

What about YMA 252?

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

I was wondering who would pickup the YMA2S2 and the 9AN/A/H engine prefix. This is the second one of these I have come across, the other being YMA2S2 661.
My assumption, be it right or wrong, is that BMC tested the water for the auto version in June 1965, that being the date of build for these two vehicles, prior to releasing the Morris Mini Matic in September 1967. I would be interested in hearing any comments others may have on this subject.
For my records could I request a scan copy of the details, inside front cover only, from the handbook please.

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

YMA252 is on a 2011 Mitsubishi and wasn't an issue number back in the 60's.

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

As far as I can see the auto gearbox was released at Earls Court Motor Show in October 1965. Not to say that they were here earlier (June 1965) than that but I would have thought it might be a typo by the stamper. From many other posts this seems more common although I would love to see a matic from 1965.

Returning the handbook is an awesome idea. I might have to dig up the one I have. For memory mine has the address of the original owner as well as all the vehicle/dealers details.

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Justin

So they made a Deluxe with an auto in 65 and the engine number was in the same batch as all the 68 ones and they used a 68 colour as well?
Crafty buggers.

Just to add to the confusion, the human part of filling in the handbooks led to plenty of inaccuracies.
If it really was JSZ 324 then that is a late 1966 Victorian issue. So if this is to be taken as fact then the car didn't reach a private owner for quite some time. So then you wonder why? Late 66 is well before any official release of the Matic. So then you could think Gould's demo or the owner wanted to transfer of an earlier rego number onto a new car.
If however it is JZS 324, then that fits quite well into the early 1968 Victorian rego sequence. I tend to think this might be the case.

I've been waiting for the current owner of my NSW EFN-268 (Deluxe) to contact me for decades, I even put the Passport to Service in a nice plakky bag to protect it...people are just too busy these days

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"Show me the Mini!"

Thanks winabbey for the suggestion and sorry Ian49 for hijacking the thread, unfortunately I have tried all of that reassurance however the situation is a little more complicated than I thought, they are a lovely old couple whom brought it new in 1968 and sold it when they updated to get a a/c car in 1999, however the problem is that she didn't want him to get rid of it and is still today bitter with him not clearing it with her first.

So when I contact her rather than her being happy she was quite upset. I thought that it is a happy car with great family memories whatever I would have liked it wasn't worth making an elderly lady cry, so I left it at that.

Anyway the guy is a old champ and came down from QLD to Newcastle,NSW to share the moment and let me take him for a run around the streets even showed me the location when he purchased it from the dealer in 1968.

happy days

Chris