I've search the forums and found some information on identifying a Cooper S, however besides the obvious (120 MPH speedo, RHS fuel tank, oil cooler, fr discs), what are the other key indicators that you would look at in order to identify a 1965 Cooper S?

I'm guessing that the following are the numbers I should be looking for;
9F/Sa/Y 1275 YKG2S2 Morris Cooper 'S' Mkl (A)

Thanks,

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

Some of the differences depend on the year of the car. The early Cooper S has a different oil cooler than the later cars.

Speedo should be the 130mph speedo not the 120. If you look at the early speedo the numbers stop at 120 but the markings go up to 130. With the mk2 speedo the numbers and the marking both go to 120.

The brake pedal should be thicker than the clutch pedal.
The dash should be the one with the 4 screws on the face (2 each side of the speedo)

Many thanks for this, exactly what I was after.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

Hi,
Buy or borrow a copy of the Australian First Issue of "Mini Experience" magazine it has great information on early Australian Mk1 Cooper S.
Thanks

So spill. How much is this Cooper S your looking at and what's the story ?

brackets for the RH tank fuel line should be spot welded. Apparently they can only be spot welded on during manufacture of the vehicle, and you can't replicate this afterwards.

Thanks Anton.

The story is that the owner says its a MK1 Cooper s (sounds like he knows less about minis than I do) and is asking 9 gorillas for it. I will check it out tomorrow afternoon, but my gut feel is that it is a replica (and so I will value it accordingly).

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

I've had a look at the car and whilst it is a 1965 Morris Mini on the rego papers, it has the 120MPH (without the 130 MPH markings) speedo and the engine number comes up as Mk2 cooper.

The car was in ok condition, the current owners aren't enthusiasts and didn't know much about the history of the car. It appears to have had a ordinary paint job at some stage with paint runs on the roof and the paint cracking in the roof canals. There were no clips for the fuel line on the RHD tank, which leads me to believe it may be a reshell.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

_________________
One should never skimp on the zip ties.

In case anybody ever needs something similar for future reference, I found the following article on identifying a Cooper Mk2.

http://www.ozcooper.com.au/new_page_3.htm

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

i just read the link and was wondering if anyone could explain where the passenger side scuttle panel is???

Well simply from the rego papers, its not a cooper S. Whats the body number on the radiator shroud?

Its probably a "Coop S replica" ie a standard mini with a Cooper S engine and other bits. In this case any originality premiums go out the window and you judge the car based on condition only. Ie its just an ordinary mini, and judge whether its worth the price based purely on the condition of the body and the mechanicals.

How crap is the paintwork? How much more horror might be hiding under the crap paintwork? what cond. is the engine and box in? when were they rebuilt? what receipts are available?

Make sure you let the owner know if its not a coop s, and as it sounds its not nearly worth the 9k. But if it had a good paintjob, really rust free body, rebuilt mechanicals etc, 9k might have been a fair price.

Speedy,
If it doesn't have the production code magic numbers M2 06 stamped on the radiator surround panel it didn't come down the production line as a Cooper 'S'.
Even if it has all the other bits it didn't start life as an 'S'. I'm not 100% certain but I think 997 & 998 Cooper cars also used the same production code. Other Minis used M2 05.
OZ built MK2 'S' cars used an Australian sourced Smith's Speedo which was a matt dark grey rather than a satin black colour. Not sure but I think it only had markings to 120 MPH rather than markings past 120 MPH to 130 as per the english sourced MK 1 speedo. Other instruments and the dash panel were the same as a Mini K.
Sounds like it has had 'S' bits added to a 65 shell. All OZ built 'S' cars had the twin tanks and the extra tabs in the boot for the tank breather pipes.

Regards
RonR

Well put, well said. I've told the buyer that IMHO its not a Cooper, and explained why. At this stage I'm inclined to pass on the car, and continue my patient wait for the right one.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

Speedy,
Best keep looking for a REAL 'S'. There are a lot of dodgy cars out there. Some sellers aren't aware that it isn't an 'S' and others are fully aware. Whenever there is a few bob to be made by deceiving people there will be crooks around. Do your homework and wait for the right car and ALLWAYS check its pedigree. Don't assume because it has the right mechanicals it is a REAL 'S'.

Regards
RonR

Weren't the rh tanks optional on the early MK1s, in Oz as in Uk?