Has everyone gone mad? Jim, remove the plate, I am sure no one will ever notice that you have replaced the factory rivets with substandard Chinese replica rivets. Except if you tell everyone on a public forum, then the true nerds will tell you that you have removed the build plate from your genuine Cooper S and decreased its value so much that you may as well call it a replica. Make sure all the rivet counters record your engine and body number so that in the future someone can sell your car as a genuine S. You better remove the fuel pump breather and lock that away in a safe as well. Don't be too worried though, I am sure Freds shed will list new rivets on eBay shortly.

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Have a Nice Day.
If already having a nice day please disregard.

Well said.

i worked on trucks that had had there chassis sand blasted.
The force and violence that gets put onto panels is unbelievable it re profiles steel.
no matter how much tape you use your alloy id tag will be destroyed by one little slip.
I would recommend removal of tags or use gentle soda blasing.

That plate looks like it has already been off the car, if so, you are risking the plate being damaged or stolen leaving it on trying to preserve the previous owners Chinese rivet.

The issue of removing plates in the USA is a problem. However, in the USA often titles (proving ownership) are issued on the body tag number. Here in Australia the body plate is not used as the identifier, the body stamp is. In the USA the Sheriffs visit the auctions and withdraw cars with questionable identities because the title can be moved to a stolen car by shifting the body tag. The auction houses can also be charged for selling a car with an unconfirmed title.

Fortunately Mini enthusiasts are not typically as fussed as GT HO phase 3 owners. I was involved with a feature for MOTOR magazine where they featured 6 muscle cars. The Phase 3 owner carried the compliance plate in his wallet!
The American 'automobile' market are a funny lot. So often over restoring cars that got pumped out of a Detroit sausage factory.
Leave on or take off a BMC Australia ID plate? Your call, but a plate left on and then damaged during a restoration process will be more annoying than carefully removing it and tucking it away safely. To put it back on with a fresh pair of pop rivets.
There's more to your car staking up as genuine, than just the ID plate. But it is important that the original plate is saved despite 45 odd years of patina. IMO, that means taking if off to stop any possible further damage.
It's never going to be a 38 million dollar Ferrari, and like most cars a Cooper S without any exceptional history, will hit a peak price and then settle as each generation who had a particular car on their wish list during their younger days fulfill the dream and demands ultimately slow.
But each to their own I guess.

Exactly. It's horses for courses, to use an old expression.

My blue MK II Cooper S is not in the same league as Greg's ex-Bathurst works car but it is an excellent example of an unmolested car that has provenance showing it to be an ex-NSW Police pursuit vehicle. I want to change as little as possible in the restoration but it does need panel work on most panels so a re-spray of the whole of the external body is inevitable. I think I can get away without painting inside the boot, no painting inside the car and some touching up in the engine bay. I haven't set out with the aim to not remove the ADR compliance plate but I don't think it will be necessary if I'm careful, so I'll make the extra effort to avoid it so as to make the car just that little bit more original. Some blasting will be needed in certain areas to reveal rust but I'm trusting it with someone who knows what they are doing so the plate should be safe.

If my car was 'just another standard or modified Mini' I'd have no hesitation removing and re-attaching the ID or ADR plate, if required.

P.S. I'm surprised no-one has mentioned that the car's guarantee ceases on removal of the ID plate (as printed along the bottom edge). That might be important to some.

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

I should also mention, my car has its original laminated windscreen, other window glass, headlining, under-bonnet sound proofing, plug leads, and other items, hence the desire (call it challenge!) to retain as much as possible that's original. I hope all that helps explain why I'd like to leave the ADR plate alone, if possible. Oh, and the paint sticker on the firewall.

To summarise, there are lots of excellent Cooper S (and other) restorations involving bare metal re-sprays and the use of original parts. I'm trying to take the approach of touching the car as lightly as possible so as to preserve its originality as much as humanly possible whilst still making it drivable, and protecting it for a few more decades. That's my choice as current custodian of a special (to me) and somewhat unique vehicle.

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

Yes it really depends if you want to go down the original or restoration path , if you want original ,leave it on , but if you are doing a full resto take it off . If you must take an ID plate off , don't drill the rivets out ,you will end up damaging the plate , instead get a very sharp cold chisel and cut the rivets off at the back

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

Remove it. People are stupid if they question the originality of a vehicle because they removed the plate for restoration and then put it back on and looks no different. The plate doesn't make a vehicle, its all whole package.

I can't believe people are saying leave it on. Do it carefully and no one will be any the wiser.

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It's a forum. Everyone is entitled to express their opinion.

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

True

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A "newer" windscreen might be worth a look

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"Show me the Mini!"

At the risk of my car being called a "trailer queen" by some I find satisfaction in displaying it at Mini shows with all the police items intact, as I did with the other S that's now back with NSW Police. It won't be a daily driver or even a weekly or monthly outing vehicle so I saw benefit in retaining as many original items as possible and practical so others could use it as an historical reference. It's a tricky one to decide what to replace and what to keep. Obviously all safety items such as brakes need refurbishing, and any rubber seals that are no longer sealing have to be replaced. Remarkably the windscreen is still in good condition so until it legally has to be replaced I'd like to keep it.

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

Concur

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"Show me the Mini!"

If you really don't want to remove the plate why not strip that part of the engine bay by hand yourself? Then there will be no need to expose it to a sand/ soda blaster.