Introduction
Paul Wright
Probably one of the most desirable Mini’s ever produced - go-kart like handling and excellent performance made for a delightful driving experience.
The Mini needs no introduction, and no other car symbolises so much to so many people. The Cooper models of the Mini resulted from a collaboration between racing car builder John Cooper and the Mini’s creator Alec Issigonis. The first models were launched in 1961, with the S versions fitted with the iconic 1275cc engine arriving three years later. The Cooper S was a huge success on the race track, winning the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a row from 1964 to 1966, which cemented the car's place in history.
This stunning example has been fully restored by our vendor Steve, leaving nothing untouched, making it an excellent opportunity for any Mini enthusiast or collector to become the new custodian of a Mk1 Mini Cooper S.
This listing was written from information supplied by Paul after meeting Steve the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.
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REGISTER SIMILARAsk Questions
DVLA has the car listed as 1st registered in Jan. 78 and being White in colour but if you then go on to the “check mot history” page it still lists the car as being White but 1st registered on the 31st Dec. 1966. Was the car white when you bought it in 2019?
No it was in etch primer with bits of green showing through.
If you would have got a heritage certificate prior to selling you would have had all the necessary answers to know what the original correct colour was and given the depth of restoration would have been best reverted to factory….unless of course sandy beige then anything else is better!! Still waiting to know if you have all the original hydro parts….
When I spoke to Heritage they said it was almond green with matching interior.
Hi if the engine has been rebuilt can you confirm it is a 1275 cc and not 998
It is a 1275. More details included in reply to previous comment.
It appears after a couple of replies the messages come in a straight vertical line letter by letter but I got the jist of the response…..I would add here in comments what you can on the engine rebuild before auction end and try to give whatever information even what pistons whether rebored +whatever thou you can as if that is a genuine 1275 Cooper S engine then that alone has a high value and very desirable so those that know their onions on engines will be after the car no doubt….
Work carried out on mini 1275 A-series engine (parts and labour) by Cotterall engineering at Clay Cross.
Aciddip engine components (block, crank, rods)
Resleeve cylinder block/barrel and hone
Liner x4
Remove core plugs and oil plugs
Cylinder block skim
Assembly clean of cyl block
Fit core plugs and oil gallery plugs
Clean and seat new pressure relief valve
Fly wheel skim both friction faces
Strip rods clean and fit new bolts then check housing dis
Dynamically balance crank shaft assembly
Fit piston rods
Fit rod and crank in block, check piston height
Skim top of pistons
Re rap all threads in block
Fit and check cam bearings
Cylinder head acid dipped and new valves and springs and unleaded
Polish can to be used
Gap rings
Parts
Mains 30
Big ends 20
Thrust .005 and 0.030
Piston set std
Oil pump
Top gasket set
Cam followers
Cam bearings
Pressure relief piston and spring
Cotterall is a good engine restoration company….I think if you had given them the engine plate to fit during the engine build they probably would have realised it was not correct….as I said previously I think it should read 9FD and not SFD so makes for a much better overall purchase for someone as easy to correct with a new plate and a change to the V5
Unless of course it was tactically done as SFD to avoid passing off laws…..oh I wish I was experienced on engines
Hi Steve
Thanks for your reply to my earlier questions. I think I now understand what we have here:
It’s a 1966 cooper (998) rebuilt to 1275 cooper s spec but on cones rather than hydrolastic suspension.
You can’t authenticate that it’s the original shell but have no reason to believe it isn’t and it’s obviously not the original engine but you have no provenance for the engine.
Do you think that’s a fair representation of the vehicle? I’ve not sought to make any judgement on condition as the pics speak for themselves
Thanks
Peter
Yes I think that’s fair. I have restored the car to a high standard. Thanks Steve
The gutter seam over the passenger door still appears suspect, it has non original sills, a badly fitting passenger door, a deformed front door panel around the top hinge, badly fitted and broken plastic side seam finishers, scratches and chips to the interior paintwork and I still say a dent in the boot……that said a decent looking re spray and new trim the car presents well despite the pitted chrome rear windows and scratches on the glass as mentioned by the consigner…all that said what I find most annoying is between the seller and consigner they really have tried to make it look like a Cooper S until questioned….shame on both of you……
Thank you for your interesting and unusual comments.
Just so you don’t think I missed too the broken front latch, window wind seals fitted with flock wrong side and front screen insert lower passenger badly fitted…..lot of attention to detail missed IMHO but get them last minute bids coming in….can’t wait to see what it goes for like BBC bargain hunt
Rubbish
Worried if you can’t see these simple failts
Sadly too many issues that the seller has failed to answer convincingly. Nicely presented car which i
m sure would give many miles of enjoyment but a Cooper S.... mmm.s the case.Along with the Porsche community the Mini Cooper guys are well upto speed with what constitutes authenticity.. big mistake to try to misrepresent, if that
It will no doubt be snapped up with some last minute bidders, like mine was restored back in 90’s with a Cooper S write off…………. someone spotted the engine as a genuine 1275 Cooper S so bought the car fitted a standard 998 A+ and sold it back on for what they paid for it….so picked up a genuine Cooper S 1275 engine costing them very little and just the time to do an engine swop……probably see it back on the market soon as a 998 flipped for the engine……….
Can you tell me is the car matching numbers engine and chassis please
Barry
Seller is a bit slow to answer so read the other comments and make your own mind up on authenticity of any numbers as easy to make your own plates up and change information on the log books with DVLA
I may be slow to answer because I cannot reply when at work. I have restored the car with care and have not and never would make up plates or log book. Everything came with the car.
Not suggesting at all that you personally made up the plates just stating it is very easy to get them made up and then just send the changed number along to DVLA to have the V5 changed to match…..lots of basic minis and Coopers around posing as Cooper S’ falsely identified…..it maybe as I said in another comment that the engine number is almost correct and when a new plate was made the error was the first digit and should have been a 9 and not an S….this is quite easily done on trying to copy old stamping or labels even on cast figures but I have seen 11 stud heads put on 1275 metro blocks and 1300GT engines fitted in minis…if you rebuilt the engine it would be useful to have known more detail what was done, and what pistons fitted etc etc…….best of wishes for later today you get some more bids in as should be worth around the 20k but not for me thanks
Thank you for your comments. Information on engine rebuild can be given.
I cannot respond to your messages individually as they are coming through as a vertical line in the text……if as you state it is a genuine Cooper S engine and not a 998 and has been identified as such from certain features then you will get a decent price from someone who knows engines…..sadly I don’t have that experience to verify….but at least a buyer has your claims to fall back on if it is found to be false….
What is the picture of the odd green colured shell? It isn’t easy to see but doesn’t appear to have a hole for the remote shift. I could be wrong.
You are wrong
The colour is almond green, factory colour.
Showing WHITE on DVLA database
Again a heritage certificate will show original colour and trim and as far as I know details are good on the records for this period…..getting everything matching is where the high value cars make it for me
Ridiculous website sends messages through in a vertical straight line so just not readable…..seller responded there is not a dent in the boot lid just to the left and below the handle…..I can see it on several pictures…..or do I need to go to specsavers…….
I have double checked and there is NO dent. Yes specsavers an idea.
definitely a dent in the boot, no need for specsavers!
I’m not commenting on rubbish like this.
An 11 stud head does not make it a cooper S sorry the response came through as a vertical line so not readable…..a glitch on the tradeclassic site obviously……I think the truth is out there now anyway so no one should get caught out and if they do so be it
Yes it does. Just research 11 stud head.
An 11 stud head does NOT make a genuine Cooper S engine even with my limited experience which I fully admit is very limited…the 1300gt also had 11 stud head……all through the listing the whole car is being made out to be a genuine restored MK1 Cooper S and I just don’t think it is/was….now at least you have confirmed it was originally a Cooper 998…that is a good start
Not only does the authenticity come into question the lack of any responses as Hayward states it confirms someone hiding something….look very closely at the front door top drivers hinges the metal door panel has been badly deformed looks like the gaskets or hinges all been put on wrong…and seems a lot of metal relief to get the inner door catch screws in place…….another area all scuffed with rubbing that is a concern though on the passenger door and how it is fitting to the body as all the body door shut is scratched/scuffed with bad fit and the door inner around the striker…that combined with no responses and wrong sills giving no drainage, non hydro means I won’t be bidding….due diligence and remember caveat emptor…..
Good spot on the door hinge, the harder you look the more questions are raised hopefully we’ll get a response explaining what’s what but as it stands nobody can be confident about what we are bidding on. But in the absence of a heritage cert I think must assume the worst case that it’s a 1978 vehicle rebodied using a mk1 shell (which would explain the suspension) with a different engine to create quite a nice evocation of a mid 60s cooper s.
I am not sure but I think this was advertised somewhere else as I remember reading about the dent in the boot lid was done when someone broke into the storage…may have just been a coincidence but buyer should factor in some repaint for the boot lid, the front door skin will not be easy as it has stretched the metal but like you say no hydro so a lot not right……I wonder if you get a response if you message the seller rather than making a comment as timepiece asked to view so wonder if they got to view….may make 20k but been some genuine ones now gone for £25-30k so I am sticking out for a Cosha one
No dent or any of the things you mentioned
That is a dent on the boot lid just to the left and below the handle….it clearly shows up on several pictures
None of your descriptions match my car.
Further to my earlier questions the engine number quoted and as shown in the pictures isn’t consistent with the format of engine numbers for the 1275 of this era – it should start 9F/SA/ Y if made for a cooper s in 1966
The engine number format doesn’t look like those used for Morris engines of that period – do you know the engine history?
Thanks
Peter
I wonder if the engine should read 9FD rather than SFD……an easy mistake if someone had a bit of a battered original plate and had a new one made as it does look like a replacement plate on the block….that would make it a little more interesting
Plate came with car and I fitted it as it matched the log book.
OK it is a false plate number and a false entry in the DVLA details…It may be a genuine 9FD though block but even that is a 998 not a 1275 so really needs a specialist to sort out or if they understand from other markings
It has 11 stud head and tappet chest covers which tell me Cooper S and 1275. Plate and log came with car parts.
Sorry try reading a load of vertical alphabet letters..
It would be great to have answers to all the questions below, before I bid further.
Regards
So it’s just a homage to an original cooper s – is that correct?
Evocation they call it….a beauty went on eBay last week for 17k and seller had heritage certificate showing it started life as a Super Deluxe AND admitted it…..
I’ve no problem with evocations, would just like some honesty about what this actually is before deciding whether to bid or not – wouldn’t want anybody to be caught out thinking it was something it wasn’t – the more you look the more questions it raises but as you say that doesn’t mean it isn’t a nice thing and worth some money
So just to confirm my inferences from your responses or lack of them:
This wasn’t originally produced as a cooper s and you don’t have a heritage certificate to support that
It’s not a matching numbers car so chassis and engine numbers aren’t consistent confirmed by heritage cert
It’s not the original shell
It doesn’t have hydrolastic suspension which would be period correct and you don’t have those parts to reinstate that.
Have I got that all right as its important to know what we’re bidding in
Thanks
Peter
Due to a gap in the history of the car and the comments that have been made I have contacted British Motor Heritage. They were very helpful. Apparently the car was manufactured as a 998 Cooper but was obviously upgraded to a 1275S at a later date. This doesn’t concern me as it is a great car and have set the reserve accordingly.
As regards the shell, it did require some work but I can not confirm it is original.
It does not have hydrolastic suspension as I changed it to Cones for a firmer ride.
So you have the original hydro parts yes?????
No they were in poor condition.
Thanks Steve, can you confirm that I have the following right please:
I think I understand what we have here. As you say a 1966 998 cooper rebuilt to 1275 coopers s spec obviously without the original engine and on cones rather than hydrolastic suspension. You can’t authenticate either that its the original shell (although no reason to believe it isn’t) nor have any providence of the engine but it is an original 1275 engine
What’s your reserve
It seems to have lost its hydrolastic suspension. Have you retained all the parts removed?
Is the car matching engine and chassis numbers
Can you tell me is the car matching engine and chassis numbers ? Barry
Hello Steve..
Same question as RedClassic, do you have a Hertage Certificate for the car, have you requested a Heritage Certificate ?
Thank you.
Hi Steve, Is the shell the one it left the factory with? Where could the car be inspected and (if bought) collected from?
Hi Steve.
Is it possible to view the car.I would like to come this afternoon if possible.
On the front of the passenger floorpan underneath is this rust already breaking through.
Hi Steve,
As there is no paperwork prior to your ownership, is this a genuine Cooper S, from the VIN number? Thanks.
Yes Cooper S according to log book
Have you got a heritage certificate stating it was built as a cooper s otherwise the logbook is meaningless
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