Police Minis

[AndyPen]

OKD 702F was featured briefly in Mini Magazine this month [June 2020 p56]

Only just cottoned on that the talk of Peter is in the past tense???

[iain1967s]

The article is referring to Peter Smith :

“Peter has had over 30 Minis over the years, but many of them have since been moved on with only his very favourite models making the grade.”

[Pete]

Doesn’t look like some of these Liverpool Cooper Ss were actually Ss?

[fricsman]

Doesn’t look like some of these Liverpool Cooper Ss were actually Ss?

Why do you say that?

[Pete]

There’s a few pictures like this one Dave that show no right hand tank and iffy badges on those late Mk1s.

[AndyPen]

The article is referring to Peter Smith :

“Peter has had over 30 Minis over the years, but many of them have since been moved on with only his very favourite models making the grade.”

Thanks for that - I admit I was confused by it

[Ronnie]

It must of been a sleeper! A real sleeper.

[VKA305H]

Does it not have 3 1/2 inch wheels which won’t fit other minis?

[Andrew1967]

There’s a few pictures like this one Dave that show no right hand tank and iffy badges on those late Mk1s.

Haven't seen the dodgy badges pics Pete but is it feasible that they are really old stock cars, hence the lack of RH tank? HOY wasn't registered until Nov 66, so only two months off being on an E plate, but was built March 65. Maybe the police bought a few like that on the cheap and had the roofs (or is that rooves) painted white ??

[olddave]

Not a Mini, but .............

One of a pair. Used as a 'wide load' escort vehicle in Dunbartonshire. Pic borrowed from Facechat.

imp.jpg

[iain1967s]

Another in the same batch.

I wonder if the second tank was omitted to make room in the boot for bulky 1960s 2-way radio equipment? The aerial is in that location.

[snoopy64]

Another in the same batch.

I wonder if the second tank was omitted to make room in the boot for bulky 1960s 2-way radio equipment? The aerial is in that location.

Or the road cones...

[mab01uk]

Another in the same batch.

I wonder if the second tank was omitted to make room in the boot for bulky 1960s 2-way radio equipment? The aerial is in that location.

Or the road cones...

I believe car manufacturers often make an 'order' of Police cars in a batch to a non-standard spec to suit each Police authorities specific requirements which would explain any variations from standard showroom spec. eg. Boot capacity may have been more important than having an extra fuel tank if the Mini's were not expected to do long distances in their duties.

[fricsman]

Doesn’t look like some of these Liverpool Cooper Ss were actually Ss?

27 Austin Cooper S’s dispatched to Voss Motors, Liverpool November/December 1966 were Mono White, calibrated speedo, oil cooler, single tank and plain red vinyl interiors. Not sure why you think the badging is dubious. A valid point about the single tank has been made in that it releases more space for radio equipment in the boot and maybe with the Mk 2’s they realised that they didn’t need the extra space as they had twin tanks.

[Pete]

I did think it was curious Dave, so they were special ordered then. Plain red interiors to hide the blood stains then.

[fricsman]

Pete, a few forces had mono White Mk1 Cooper S’s with red vinyl interiors. Pretty sure there wasn’t a black interior on Mk 1’s so Red was next best option. Went to black with the Mk 2s. Brocade on the Mk1s not considered suitable for the heavy wear and tear presumably.

[Peter Laidler]

When I was restoring mine in the 80's I had many long letters and tele conversations with the Transport Manager at Liverpool who remembered them well. He told me that in an effort to lkeep the costs right down to a bare minimum, they tried to screw the retailers and BMC right down to the basics. As for the fuel tanks, the Tpt Manager told me that because they were City patrol cars, the extra tank simply wasn't necessary. He was pretty clear about this

I often wondered whether this series of 1 tank S used standard mini body shells - but that's just a thought. I'm sure I wrote all this down further back in the thread.

[Supersonic]

Pete, a few forces had mono White Mk1 Cooper S’s with red vinyl interiors. Pretty sure there wasn’t a black interior on Mk 1’s so Red was next best option. Went to black with the Mk 2s. Brocade on the Mk1s not considered suitable for the heavy wear and tear presumably.

Dave, if this helps anything, I've seen about 3 number ex-police (RUC) Mk1 Mini Cooper S cars over here. They all had twin fuel tanks and had black vinyl interiors. They were also all montone White. There are two restored ex-Police cars over here but for some reason, both blokes who restored them went for Brocade Newton interiors.

Alan

[UHR850]

A nother one

[Peter Laidler]

As a matter of interest, the main Pye radio pack in the Liverpool Cooper S's was bolted or screwed towards the rear of the boot board on the left hand side so that when you lifted the boot board, say, to get the spare wheel out, the radio wouldn't get in the way. To take the boot board out with radio pack attached was simply to unplug the two(?) harnesses to the repeater set in the car and the twin live and earth cable to the battery. This was formulated to make access easier for the garage mechs

The repeater set in the cab and the harness was fitted by the radio teccies at the Smithsdown Road (or was it Lane) garage and when the old car came in to be stripped for disposal it was a simple matter of taking out the old boot board and fitting the old bootboard complete with the main radio pack. Plug into the new car - and the car was ready.

Didn't ask about the non boot-board Coopers and S's but presume that Liverpool, like the others, simply bolted the main radio pack in, up against the boot upright/rear seat upright. Or maybe they just screwed it through the panel with big self-tappers. Just like they did ti the Hilman Imp blue roof lights. Until one overturned and impaled the drivers head!!!!!

I was offered the main Pye radio for mine at the time fixed to an old tatty twin tank boot-board. But I needed more junk like I needed a sore head so declined it. But did take all the other bits Liverpool kindly offered.

Like I've said quite often. Someone with a bent for writing books ought to write all this down otherwise it'll all get lost in the anals of time..... or should that be the annals of time! Just the Liverpool Coopers and S's could form a book of their own.

Annanuvverfing too. The POLICE along the side was hand painted in black by a local signwriter who came in as and when needed. No reflective then