MK1 Restoration Companies - Recommendations?

General Chat with an emphasis on BMC Minis & Other iconic cars of the 1960's.
User avatar
Pete
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 11090
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:47 pm
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: MK1 Restoration Companies - Recommendations?

Post by Pete »

Pwhoooor , surf blue panel gap porn. 8-)
roker_lad
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:02 pm

Re: MK1 Restoration Companies - Recommendations?

Post by roker_lad »

FCV.66 wrote:Having had a sneaky look at DVLA site, your Mini was first registered April 1962, which rules out SDL. The Super deluxe was introduced in October 1962. Interestingly, although 1962 registered, your shell does not have the heater ducting hole and blanking plate on the bulkhead which to me suggests it is a 1961 car, (not sure when this was introduced but I think mid-1961) which had been late registered. If a Super deluxe it would have the lower dash rail vinyl covered, as well as the 3-dial instrument pod. My guess is it has had a speedo change. It could be a deluxe or even a Basic model which has had opening side windows fitted at some time. A deluxe would have had chrome finishers to the lower dash rail and surrounding the switch panel, also kick-plates on the doors, non of which your car has. You certainly need Heritage certificate to conclude if it is a deluxe or rare Basic model.

Garry.
Hi Garry,

I did a bit of poking around myself and found this on mini mania which decodes the chassis numberl http://www.minimania.com/article/1489/M ... __Revised_.

Having found that, I found my cars chassis no. and it turns out it was born a deluxe! How does that differ from the Super and the Standard? Does this mean it originally had corner bars and overiders? Really fascinating stuff, still think I'll get the heritage certificate to be clear on the colour etc.
FCV.66
850 Super
Posts: 142
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:41 pm
Location: Taunton, Somerset

Re: MK1 Restoration Companies - Recommendations?

Post by FCV.66 »

Hi,
In answer to your questions, a Super's interior and exterior, apart from the grille, would be identical to a Cooper, so quite different to a deluxe.
The pictures of your car are not clear but it would seem that for it to be correct deluxe specification it would need the correct Austin speedo (no other instruments), which is different to Morris, overriders (no corner bars), front and rear screen should have silver plastic filler-strips, if it is a mid-to-late 1961-build car, as I suspect, then it would have a 'Seven' badge on the boot-lid instead of 'Mini', the wheel-arch trim should be flat plastic, not ribbed 'deluxe'. It seems from your picture, though it is not clear, that you have a later door handle (should be shorter and without the chrome block screwed to the door). You have the correct full hubcaps. The interior, as you know is all wrong. Nick should be a good source of parts, if not I might know of someone else who could provide them. It would have no interior light in the roof, instead it would have one in each rear companion box, and one either side in the speedo-pod.
A basic would not have overriders, it would have fixed rear side windows, body-coloured metal wheel-arch trim, black rubber, front and rear screen rubber filler-strips, and small, commercial-type hubcaps. The interior would be a hounds-tooth cloth (from around April '62 going to pleated, plain coloured vinyl), would have a single sunvisor (deluxe had two), not sure, but don't think it had any interior lights apart from the one on the speedo pod.
I am no expert though and may have missed one or two points.
Yep, do get that Heritage certificate. It would clarify its build-date, colour, where it was despatched to when it left the factory and maybe a few other interesting points.
Hope that helps,
Garry.
Post Reply