1967 Mk1 Cooper S 1275

[iain1967s]

Hi everyone, here is a photo of my Mk1 Cooper S. This was a "sight unseen" eBay purchase in May 2017, I paid $24k US plus shipping to Massachusetts where I live.

According to the heritage certificat it was originally a German market export, built LHD from the factory. Interior has original paint and door cards, but the steering wheel, seats and dash are later replacements, and the exterior has non-genuine wings and front panel painted in 2K from a pre-1999 restoration. Floorpan and 4-vent sills are a bit of a patchwork but still fairly solid, the hydrolastic is in good condition.

Not much is known about the car's history; I know the previous owner purchased it from Minnesota and shipped to New Jersey in late 1990s, and he thought it might have been ice raced while in Minnesota. It has tie-down hoops welded to the rear subframe which fits with being trailered to events. Most German cars seem to have made their way to the USA by people returning from military service, so I'm assuming my car came via the same route in the 70s or 80s.

The engine fitted by the previous owner in 2001 was an A+ MED 1380 with Powermax pistons, 286 cam, belt drive, standard lightened flywheel assembly and fully balanced, and a 123ignition with Bosch coil. It had twin HS2 on a Cooper S Mk2 inlet manifold which was ported to match a stage2 / big valve MG Metro head. A KAD quickshift and K&N pancake filters were also fitted.

Exhaust was an LCB into 2" pipe with a center exit rear box with twin pipes. Car came fitted with 10" silver "minilight" alloys, but seven original steel 4.5 wheels in various conditions were included, wrapped in newspaper... PO had collected them over time but never got around to fitting them.

I am slowly getting the car back to standard spec, starting with the cosmetics and then the mechanicals. I re-painted and fitted the best four of the steel wheels with heritage Dunlop 145's, replaced the air box, gear stick and steering wheel with NOS original parts.

For the engine, fortunately most of the original 1275 S block was included in a wooden crate as part of the sale. I've spent this summer rebuilding it to standard spec using NOS parts. The engine is a thin flange 1275 'S' block with +20 pistons, EN40B crank which I had re-ground -40/-60 and it has PCV on the side chest covers. The gearbox is remote, but is a later 4-synchro with 3.65 diff, not the 3-synchro original.

For the missing parts I used a new 510 profile cam from Mini Sport, a rebuilt genuine AEG163 head from Mini Mania, IWIS duplex timing chain from Keith Calver, and managed to find good used original Mk1 'S' inlet and exhaust manifolds via eBay Germany. The exhaust is now a twin box crimped system from Somerford Mini, with the standard side exit at the rear. Water pump and clutch slave are both cast-iron originals again via eBay.

Front wiring loom, battery cables, radiator, fan and oil cooler were all a mess, so I replaced those with new parts of original spec while the engine was out, plus a reproduction S points distributor and leads, and a genuine Lucas coil.

As for the future, well I'm happy with the result so far - my goal was to know what it's like to drive an original factory Cooper S. It's as close to original standard spec as I can get it without spending a fortune, although I do need to fine a way to get rid of the plastic wheel arches and level the suspension.

(The wings and front panel have been cut back for 13" wheels at some point, so will need welding and painting. I haven't welded panels in over 30 years... but I have to finish rebuilding a Churchill hydro pump before I can even think about that.)

I'd like to say thanks to everyone on this forum who has helped me with advice during the last 6 months. I'm originally from Cambridge UK and had a lot of history with minis in my younger years, but haven't owned a classic since 1996 so I was a bit rusty on the details. This forum has been invaluable in getting back up to speed...

Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy new year.

[iain1967s]

Here is a photo of the MED 1380 engine as fitted when I bought the car

[iain1967s]

Here is the 1275 S engine now, rebuilt from mostly original parts

[foxy52]

Here is the 1275 S engine now, rebuilt from mostly original parts

...tis a lovely tidy looking car.. me ?? I,d ditch the black wheel arches or go for colour coded group 2,s.. I know others don't like em.. but on any minis I love em.. happy xmas foxy52

[iain1967s]

I,d ditch the black wheel arches or go for colour coded group 2,s

Here's a photo of the horror show underneath the front arches; fortunately the rears are unmolested.

My plan after winter is to remove the pop-riveted brackets and epoxy a set of sportpack stiffening strips onto the rough edges instead.

If I can manage to strip the black paint off the wings without making too much of a mess of the green top coat, that might be good enough to fit plastichrome edge trim instead of arches. If not, a Heritage or Magnum front end and wings will be on next years Xmas list...

[northernrover]

Just thought I'd say I like your car. The colour looks good, on many 60's minis these days the Almond green just doesn't seem the right shade and I like seeing the proper wheels. The dual circuit brakes is a good idea too. For the arches, in my opinion you must bin the flares and put it back to stock however before you splash out on new fenders I'd recommend asking the local Porsche guys for a body good shop and see if the lip can be rebuilt. You are lucky to have a correct engine block, they are getting harder to find and don't worry about the four sync box, it is much nicer to drive with. I'm rebuilding a 66' S in Canada and am going through some of what you have mentioned in your post, mostly searching out the right bits to put it back to original. Cheers.

[Highnumbers]

+1

Nice S, Iain - your first post must have passed us by around Christmas, but great thread. I'd say any driveable Mk1 S with all those spares was a great buy at that price. Looks like it came with most of the important motor parts too.

As Northernrover said, the lip on the wheel arches can be repaired, pretty straightforward with a little fabrication work and paint touch-up, but it can be done. Looks much better with the original engine refitted, BTW.

Keep us posted!

[iain1967s]

The plastic wheel arches are no more, although the hydro is still a little high. I've ordered the handheld pressure gauge off Amazon so I can get a more accurate reading.

Progress on the restoration is slow, mainly because I keep taking weekends out to go to car shows. But bit by bit it is creeping back toward its factory original German-export specification.

ps. This photo was taken during Mini Meet East 2018 and was shown during the banquet slideshow on the final night. I didn't know who the photographer was, but recently learned it was the work of Michael DiPleco [www.michaeldipleco.com]. Thankyou... it's a very nice shot of the car, with me enjoying ragging it though the country lanes of upstate New York.

[Leadfoot1]

That’s a great picture, could easily be 1966.

[Time Bandit]

That's a fab looking picture, car looks spot on!

[iain1967s]

A long time ago, when I was but a lad, I would see a mini and look at two things: Did it have an oil cooler with an angled top hose, and did it have four chrome screws holding the dashboard on. If so, I knew it was that rarest of all Minis, a Mk1 Cooper S.

My mini has suffered over the years, having been stripped out to be an ice racing car in Minnesota, then rebuilt with wrong trim - including the later injection-moulded one piece plastic binnacle. Whoever fitted it also got the oil pressure and temperature gauges on the wrong sides...

Well tonight it gets its face back: A proper 1960s binnacle with the four shiny screws I remember so well from my childhood.

[mk1]

Great work!

Always nice to fit the important bits

[minimad]

What a beautiful looking , original little car , you've finished it off nicely and what you paid for it was a good price for the excellent condition it's in

[iain1967s]

Now that winter's here, I don't have too much to do mini-wise, so I thought I might write up some of the changes/restorations that I've been doing before I forget.

For me, this car is as much fun as a hobby for tinkering with the mechanics as it is actually driving and going to shows. So in very rough chronological order, here is a list of the bits that I have restored myself to their proper 1967 spec since buying the car mid 2017. All NOS unless noted.

Air filters: S twin metal box replaced K&N cones
Exhaust: Crimped S twin box, replaced PICO center box
Inlet manifold: S 12A661 replaced generic alloy
Exhaust manifold: S pressed steel, replaced LCB
Head: AEG163 refurb replaced MG Metro A+
Rockers: S forged replaced A+ sintered
Engine: Original 1293 S thin flange, replaced MED A+ 1380
Distributor: 23D4 repro replaced 123 electronic
Oil cooler: Mocal 13 row, original smiths hoses
Clutch: AP blue spring and new plate replaced orange
Clutch slave: Cast iron lockheed replaced generic alloy
Gear stick: Remote S shift replaced KAD quickshift
Wheels: S LP883 + hubcaps, replaced Minilight alloys
Tyres: Dunlop SP41, replaced Yokohama 008
Wheel arches: Fluted trim, replaced sport arches
Bumpers: Chrome overriders and bars
Steering: Mk1 'bus' wheel replaced generic small
Regulator 10v: Smiths bimetal dated 66
Regulator 12v: ADR106 replaced generic
Coil: Lucas green replaced Bosch
Fusebox: Fixed original 67, replaced repro
Indicator stalk: Fixed original 67, replaced repro
Steering: Used Mk1 'export' locking column
Steering: Trico Neiman lock
Dash: Mk1 four-part replaced Mk2 plastic
Piston rings
Main and big end bearings
Crankshaft reground (sent out)
ST510 camshaft + followers
Oil pump, drilled/tapped block
Head gasket (twice)
Radiator and thermostat (twice)
Twin HS2 rebuild (SU kit)
Engine coolant drain tap
New battery and rear to front cable
Front wing arches cut to standard
Front wiring loom replaced
Change back to +ve earth
Built a flat-towing frame
USA style (Moke) rear license plate bracket
German 1967 front plate (genuine, just for show)
Paddy Hopkirk grille buttons
New oil pressure gauge pipes soldered
and a million small jobs in between...

I call that a busy but successful year

Parts on hand, still to fit:
Genuine Lucas 40819H points to replace generic
Replace MG washer bottle and bracket with Mk1 type
333 S gearbox and Hardy Spicers (long term project)
Spare SU field pump
Spare NOS 'Meccano' heater tap
Blank for center ignition switch

[iain1967s]

Oh, and I nearly forgot. All the A+ performance stuff that I removed from my car, I sold to a local mini club member. Then we fitted it to his 1973 Mini 998, plus converting a set of MG1100 carbs to Mini spec, and fitting 7.5" disc brakes. But that's a whole other story... I might post that separately in a few weeks.

[Aginley]

Any pictures

[iain1967s]

Any pictures

I have lots of pictures... anything in particular you’d like to see?

Here’s a collage of just the last weekends activity before I laid it up for winter - second change of the head gasket, second new radiator, new bypass-delete water pump, smaller fan pulley, cut, soldered and re-routed the oil pressure gauge pipe, fitted block drain tap and Mk1 instrument binnacle.

I’m very open to feedback, if you spot something wrong for a ‘67 please let me know - for example I was recently told the wide neck ‘tudor’ washer bottle and bracket are from an MG not a mini, so I’ll be changing those. But some deviations are intentional - for example I used a Mk3 metal airbox with the diagonal corner so that it will clear the split circuit brake master cylinder, which I think was fitted when it was a racer so will remain as part of the car’s history.

[aeg163job]

Looks like you may become the "go to" man when it comes to Mk1 S originality!
Many hours & late nites doing research, I imagine.
Well done

[iain1967s]

Feeling cheeky - entered my S at a car show last summer, sponsored by Mustangs of Massachusetts car club.

Well, they did say all makes and models welcome

Needless to say, the only mini amongst a sea of jeeps and big American iron Muscle Cars

[iain1967s]

Spotted this on my 6yo daughters camera while offloading her summer photos.

I wonder what HS means — initials of a previous owner of my car?

Also interesting to see GUD filter sticker. What’s a South African filter doing on a North American (originally German export) car...

I wish I knew my car’s history - if only they could talk !