We have two early 850's...Car number 2874 and Car number 8238. Trying to find out if either or both of these car's should have the black number plate light cover??
If anyone has any car's close to these number what do yours have ???

Somone has sprayed them I think.
They were normally body colour.

"body colour" Never seen that. Interesting.

I think those are a standard Lucas lamp, I have seen them on other cars/trailers in the distant past.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

The flat hinged plate should be body colour on all Minis as far as I'm aware, and the light chrome.

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

I think he misinterpreted the light cover for the license plate flap. I know I had to read it twice too...

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

2nd that, always chrome no. plate light body.

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..still waiting for the Italian Job sequel to see if the bus went down

For those who do not know.....EARLY 850's DID COME WITH BLACK NUMBER PLATE FLAPS AS WELL AS BLACK NUMBER PLATE LIGHT COVERS.

That is correct, and from memory, this changed around the same time they changed the way the seats mounted to the floor

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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"

Thank you John....That is the type of information that we are after..

I think this was around November 1961. The 62 cars had body coloured flaps and chrome lights.

Now you mention it, I remember my 1961 850 with the UK tube frame seats did have that black flapper and lamp...
I am getting on... now what DID I have for breakfast!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Always something new to learn on here (sometimes from someone other than Doc).

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

The rectangular drain holes in the gutters changed to the normal round holes, the material changed from the light grey fleck to the coloured fleck, the door kick panels changed from swoop shape to square and the seats and mounting points also changed at around the same time. There were a few other differences also, I just can't remember them all!

However, I am going to go out on a limb and say the black number plate lights were not fitted to Australian 850's at all. If you look at some of the press cars including the red Modern Motor Magazine car CJX-253 in 1961, it had a black flap with chrome light. As far as I know the black lights were only fitted to UK cars from 1959 to early 1960.

I have a UK 1966 car with the black numberplate light. I have seen several UK cars from the same era with the same and it is a full history two car with two owners before us. So the light is probably original.

The numberplate flap is also black, but that is the main body colour, so it proves nothing.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2