I was reading a post just the other night (i cant seem to find it again???) that got me a little scared.
It was talking about buying a car from known mini people that turned out to be not quite as expected!!!
It got me thinking as I now have my mini in a thousand pieces about to embark on an expensive restoration and I would like to be sure it is what I think it is. I understand that anything can be faked with enough knowledge and determination so I guess im only looking for opinion.
Based on everything ive read I still think its the real thing but it would be great to have some reassurance.

I bought my mini almost 20 years ago from someone near Wollongong that was well known in the club. Everything seemed to check out at the time. I would have looked at over 50 'Cooper S' and this, sadly, was the only one I believed to be genuine. I wasnt a newby at the time and thought I had done enough research that I wasnt going to be caught out.
Its 5/70, Cadet Blue / Crystal White

If it doesnt look like the schnizzle I may as well paint it myself and put it back together as a replica, flog the hell out of it and have a bit of fun.

Thanks in advance
Shane

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Pics not the clearest, but I have a 6/70 MkII with 20## number, so I'll happily compare notes, drop me a PM!

From what I can see, looking good so far.

REgarding the stamping of the ali plate, there are innies and outies, like belly buttons

Mine is an innie, like yours, I think the change was soon after though, I think Simon (Kerr) has an outie (Or rather his S has HeHe)

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Sir Alec! we are not worthy!

From what little info I have, 7/70 (car 221*) is stamped from the front and 8/70 (car 235*) is stamped from the back.

Is there a hole for the fuel pump breather nylon bung in the vertical panel under the rear seat on the passenger side?

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

This car is a fake! Sorry to tell you that, but it is true. I will take it off your hands for $5,000?



Only joking! Everything looks spot on to me. It even has the glue under the parcel shelf where the insulation was. Everything looks completely as it should.

Shame that you looked at so many fakes all those years ago. I am guessing that every car in three is either faked or rebodied, that is my experience anyway.

My offer of $5,000 still stands too!

looks fine to me too... I have a very original 7/70 MK2. My compliance plate numbers are stamped from the front, including the MORRIS and YG2S4, though neater than yours

would you say that the oil cooler lip looks like it was folded down by hand after the panel was fitted to the car? My car has had front-end repairs, I'm not sure if the lip is original or part of a replacement panel - it looks the same as yours though

remember, these cars were just sausages being pumped out of a factory, so the inconsistencies in the way the bits and pieces were done are the only real consistency

Thanks everyone. Im now a little more confident in the cash that is disappearing into the project.

I must admit that I didnt know to look for a breather hole, and as a young bloke i thought I knew everything!

Im still none the wiser as to what I should be looking for but there is a hole in the rear seat support. Does it look to be in the correct position?



Thanks again.
Shane

thats the one. All looks good from the pics. Hard to tell if the stamped numbers are right size and font but the rest looks good. Enjoy.

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1970 Cooper S ex-Bathurst & ATCC
1964 Austin Cooper S ex-Group C race car
1967 Morris Cooper S ex-Group B
1962 Mini Speed sports sedan
1968-71 ex-Peter Manton Shell car

All looks good to me too.

Keep us posted on the resto!

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In the garage:
1970 Morris Cooper S MK2 | 2010 MINI Cooper JCW Challenge Edition

Now with new owners:
1964 Morris 850 Van | 1965 Morris Cooper S MK1 | 1976 Leyland Mini | 1999 Rover Mini Cooper Classic | 2006 MINI Cooper JCW

If you search for fuel pump breather on here you'll find a few threads about this. There's pictures of the nylon bung that plugs into this hole in the following thread:

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=61753

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