Hi Gurus
I'm now looking to roadworthy my MK1S with its chequered history.
Watto has been kind enough to tell me it's nigh impossible to track down my body number from my engine number only. But I can faintly see my radiator shroud numbering and I was wondering what tear my body may be with these numbers??

Cheers

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Small hauling is the way to go

The radiator shroud number is normally 501 less than the body number. However, this is not the case all the time, as some cars are more or less.

I am guessing your plate is missing and so is the part of the firewall with the body number stamped into it?

or you may need to scrape some paint off your firewall and radiator shroud

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"Show me the Mini!"

try masking off a small area and use some paint stripper with steel wool (the curly type stainless wool). this wont damage the metal like sandpaper would and you have a good chance of seeing any numbers. There are other things that can help you date the shell, like wiper scuttle, presence or absence of tank tabs, hydro line channels etc. Your best bet would be to have someone have a look at it who knows what changed when. Is there somebody on here who can help?? You may have to drag it on a trailer to someone but that should get you in the ballpark.
G.

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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

If it's a Mk1 then the number on the radiator shroud is the body number. It should be approximately 500 less than the car no. which is the one quoted on the ID plate on the firewall and normally stamped into the firewall just below the ID plate.

Either of those numbers should be able to give you a rough idea of the manufacture date within a month or two as long as you are certain of the model ie Cooper S because each new model started at car 501 and body no. 001

If you really want to know the numbers then as suggested you need to bite the bullet and break out the paint stripper. Both mine were illegible due to multiple layers of undercoat and topcoat. The one on the firewall (car no) is the one that should be used for rego.

A bonus of cleaning back the radiator shroud is you might also uncover the build code stamp. For a Cooper S this is a M2 above a 06 often very lightly stamped. If the shroud has not been replaced this is good proof of a genuine 'S'.

EDIT: If the car no is "missing" due to the cars "checkered history" then you may be able to get them to use the body number on the shroud but officially they are supposed to use the Car no.

It's usually the opposite problem. They insist on using the body number instead of the car number.

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

dubbomini - PM sent

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

Thanks for all the replies Lads
Where exactly should I strip the paint back on my radiator shroud?
I'm a bit nervous due to its resto, but I need to find it.
There is a police number on the radiator shroud support (which the police won't help me with).
Cheers and thanks

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Small hauling is the way to go

It's usually somewhere near the centre of the top of the shroud. I'll see if I can dig up a pic of mine. They will often be well and truly buried as they were stamped before any painting at the factory. And it doesn't help that they often stamped them lightly.

I understand exactly how you feel. My shroud looked very dodgy and out of shape. Looked like it had filler over it too. Plus it was obvious it had been in a front end collision.

At the time I spent quite a while staring at it and pacing up and down trying to decide what to do. I didn't want to open a can of worms if the shroud had been replaced from another car with completely different numbers.

Normally though for your blue slip they will often except whatever they can see has been stamped in the body for use on your rego papers (eg the police number)

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