Mk3 S shell, what stands one out?

[1064overbore]

Hi folks!

I hope you don't mind me asking but i've seen a few people on this forum who are well clued up on the MK3 Cooper so i'd like to pick your brains a bit. A friend of mine is going to look at an S project, and I'm going with him because I'm fairly clued up on minis. By this i mean in the humble way that i can tell the difference between mk1, 2, 3 etc and spot a ringer from 20 paces. Only thing is, while i'll be able to tell if its a mk3 due to the usual suspects like rotodip hole, rear bin ashtrays, round tunnel, drip rails etc, i was wondering what it was that distinguished a normal Mk3 shell from an 'S Mk3 shell?

I know the obvious bits like R/H tank stand but someone could have added these. Im trying to make sure its a genuine shell, so what were the niggly little bits that stands one out from a normal mk3 that i might otherwise miss?

Many thanks for reading.

[swifty]

Along the rear seat bulkhead there will be spot welded metal tabs to hold the petrol tank breathers and the obvious boot board brackets . You know about the rota dip hole , just make sure it's the oblong one . All of this is so easy to replicate though . Good luck .... Ken

[evonaut]

should there be a diagonal brace behind the grille to make room for the oil cooler?

evonaut

[ivor badger 2]

From 20 paces and observing some early mini coopers (?) on ebay.
Round front tunnel section
Solid mounted front subframe
Twin handbrake cables.
all these apply up to the end of Mk3 Coopers.

[JC T ONE]

Regarding those boot board brackets, they are spot welded in place, and its almost impossible to fake with a Co2/Mig welder.

The 3 rear ones can ofcourse have been replaced, but the 2 bigger ones on the bulkhead should have factory spec/welding.

[surfblue63]

If the car still has the original front panel with the body shell number (not the commission number) still attached then it should begin with B20D. If it starts B20S then it is an 850 or 1000 shell

[1064overbore]

From 20 paces and observing some early mini coopers (?) on ebay.
Round front tunnel section
Solid mounted front subframe
Twin handbrake cables.
all these apply up to the end of Mk3 Coopers.

Yes i know. I didnt list everything because i have no need or desire to prove the amount of knowledge i have to strangers on the internet.

I must ask, does anyone have a picture of said vent brackets, i've got a good idea of what you mean, i assume you mean theyre near impossible to replicate in the sense that the spot weld 'dimples' wouldnt be there if you mig'ed them on?

Surfblue, that is the chappie on the front panel isnt it? oval plate IIRC.

Thanks so far.

[surfblue63]

The body number is a pressed plate that was spot welded to the original front panel during manufacture of the shell, thus it should be body coloured as per this plate on the 1275GT below.

[ivor badger 2]

From 20 paces and observing some early mini coopers (?) on ebay.
Round front tunnel section
Solid mounted front subframe
Twin handbrake cables.
all these apply up to the end of Mk3 Coopers.

Yes i know. I didnt list everything because i have no need or desire to prove the amount of knowledge i have to strangers on the internet.

I must ask, does anyone have a picture of said vent brackets, i've got a good idea of what you mean, i assume you mean theyre near impossible to replicate in the sense that the spot weld 'dimples' wouldnt be there if you mig'ed them on?

Surfblue, that is the chappie on the front panel isnt it? oval plate IIRC.

Thanks so far.

Since you are such an expert, why did you ask us lesser mortals the question in the first place.

[Pete]

Now now ladies, no handbags please ,there's no need to be rude to make a point.

Quickest one for me is if it's got the original hydro clips underneath on a Mk3 then it's probably an S (unless it's an early GT with a new front welded on!). Captive nut under the bootfloor for the RH tank strap is another.

[minidean]

should there be a diagonal brace behind the grille to make room for the oil cooler?

evonaut

Yes

[minidean]

Here a picture of the boot

[360gts]

Hard to tell from the pictures....however, as we didn't have MK3 S's over here I am not an expert on them...not that I am expert on anything LOL!
I did buy a MK3 eons ago in the UK and import it to N.Amer. Think it was around 1980 ish!
It is sitting in my barn gathering dust as I just didn't like the car....Oh, BTW...zero rust on this car...I really should restore it...wouldn't require much work. Been sitting in the barn since then.
So, here is what I see different to the yellow car in the pictures.
My MK3 has hydrolastic setup...it has twin tanks...yes, a proper oil cooler with the correct diagonal brace.
It did not have an alternator....it does have the old style remote gearbox extension...not a rod change.
And, it does have the MK3 fresh air intakes on the left hand side of the front panel for the vents inside.
It also retained the radiator cowling that was later dropped on the MK3 minis.
Here is a picture of the front.

[1064overbore]

Ha, i'm not an expert on anything, hence the thread.

Deary me. Thanks for the photos, never knew about the brace, or in fact that S's came with an oil cooler!

Its the little bits like the diagonal that i was interested in, you can miss that sort of thing.

Is it just those two things? or can you delve deeper?

Greatly appreciated,

1064.

[ivor badger 2]

just a small point. If a car was reshelled, even an 850, it received an S shell as that was what was the only new shell supplied through the parts dept. Another point is how many cars have their original front panel and it must be a long time since S front panels were supplied by BL

[Oz67Deluxe]

Don't forget to check for that pesky little plastic breather valve for the electric fuel pump (on the heel board? is that what it's called?) behind the passenger seat. If you find a bag full of those in your travels you'll be a wealthy man, apparently....

[360gts]

If you look closely you will see that the picture of my blue S is original...a bit of paint damage in shipment on the left side of the front panel...but original...Oh...and yes, it has the little plastic breather..I happen to have a few of them. Yep, they are like rocking horse poo LOL!
The other interesting point about this car is that it came with silver displacers. You can still see the silver marks on the hoses.
By the way...in reply to the private e mails..it is not for sale.....yet!
It is an early 70 car.

[minidean]

Of course you could also check with the cooper register? Thats what I did.

[pad4]

Tis very easy to replicate the spot weld dimples on the bb brackets - Spot weld the dimples into them off the car then mig them on , hide the migging, paint and bingo

Rad cowl with the FE number plate - partly on inner wing and partly overlapping rad cowl is always an orig point to look for , as is the B20D number , rh tank breather hose tabs, hydro pipe tabs and the correct hydro/brake t piece bracket on the engine steady bracket

Roto dip hole on most cars but there are shells without

Pad

[tedmcedd]

This little plastic breather....

I may have been restoring an Elf, and may have wondered what the hell some little plastic bung was doing in the heelboard....


I'll have a look for it in the bin.... I haven't welded up the hole.... (yet!)