I’ll post some more pictures below. Basically I want to find out, confidently, what this is. My intentions are to title it. I’m located in the US, and I’m in a state which may be a bit more “relaxed” when it comes to titling/registering a vehicle. The pictures may show a lot of bits that aren’t correct.
Thus far, I have found an example of a registration of a similar car which used the 6 digits of the chassis number. Unfortunately I do not have the slam panel and as such do not have any real numbers with which to register this. My theory is to use the tag from the RH floor pan as my chassis number to register this vehicle. I was suggested this from a gentleman in another state. I know this tag does not have any historical value, but from what John Parnell’s book shows, I’m going to make an assumption it may be close to the chassis number. I believe this tag is 239870 or 239970.
This photo above from the other thread seems to show evidence of where two Boot Board brackets are/were fitted to the rear bulkhead?
Boot (UK) = Trunk (US)
Zoomed in on Boot Board brackets as factory fitted to the Mini Cooper and Mini Super?
BOOT BOARD BRACKET SET
"This kit contains all the brackets and mounts that were fitted on to the floor on original Coopers, Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf with boot boards fitted as standard." http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/CCC115.aspx
Example of Boot Board bracket as fitted to rear bulkhead (the cut-out section is to clear the vertical ribs in the rear seat bulkhead).
My comments, the wiper motor looks to be dated 1960, computer screens show different colours, some of it looks like Clipper Blue, the area in the boot looks brighter, so it could be Surf Blue, there are people here who should be able to date the shell off the FE number shown, personally if you can’t find the chassis number, which would have been located on a plate screwed to the radiator shroud just under the FE number, I would use this ‘front end’ number as the chassis number rather than the floor assembly one.
Some cars also had the number stamped on the upper diagonal face of the bulk head triangulation bracket, you may want to carefully clean this area to see if it is there.
There are some Cooper / Super features, boot board brackets, trim on the dash, if the wiper motor date isn’t original, shots of the floor and cross member with what is left of the remote change rubber gaiter removed may help to see if the this area is a factory cut out or if it was just done to fit a remote later in the cars history.
Based on the FE number of 355128, I would place this as a March 1962 997 Cooper. It appears to display the body characteristics but, as mentioned earlier, take off the gear leaver remote gaiter and check that it has the correct remote factory cutout. The gaiter itself is incorrect for a 997 but over the course of its’ life there’s no doubt it would have been changed.
641071S wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 7:46 am
Based on the FE number of 355128, I would place this as a March 1962 997 Cooper. It appears to display the body characteristics but, as mentioned earlier, take off the gear leaver remote gaiter and check that it has the correct remote factory cutout. The gaiter itself is incorrect for a 997 but over the course of its’ life there’s no doubt it would have been changed.
My June 62 997 Cooper has an FE number of 333xxx so I'm guessing it would be July/August 62.
997 Coopers shared the same floor pan as other early Mk1s and had the hole for a floor starter. The early 997s had an additional bracket which was secured with a bolt through the starter hole to hold the battery cable away from the exhaust.
……….. obviously with the addition of a remote gear lever cutout and hole cutouts in front and behind the cross member for the remote bracket for the Cooper 🫢
I agree, it was a 62 997 Cooper. The lower dash rail has the early foam padded cover. Pity there is no body or chassis number as I have the details of every 997 sent to the US inn1962.
For the FE it looks like a March 62 car. If it is a 850, there can be a chance that is really a super although missing some details! Still has in place the very nice plastic "vinil" lookalike dash rail black cover. Only super and 997 had it during this time. If it is a Morris Car, take a look at the stiffness triangle on the left side of engine bay and look for stamped number there. It is a chassis number.
If we are saying it’s a March build car then there was 23 surf blue 997 built for the USA that month. If a US car it would be an Austin, no Morris 997 state side other than Canada which were mainly Morris.
Here’s a shot of the remote hole from under the car. I’m still searching for the chassis number, both stiffeners had paint scuffed off and the bare metal didn’t show any evidence of stamped numbers. I’ll try to carefully remove paint more in these areas soon.
I also got another picture of the boot area if it helps. I really appreciate all the help you guys have given me thus far.
Are you looking to title it as an original austin or morris cooper? Or as a built car when you get done with it? The reason i ask is because there's different options depending on what routes you go.
If you title it as "built" car, where you keep receipts for the parts etc... you can have any number assigned, or the DMV will assign a VIN and you'll have to have it stamped into the car or permanently affixed somehow- aka VIN tag.
Just depends on the state, and their process.
Wauseon, Ohio- United States
1964 mk1 Austin Cooper "Dianna"
Tartan red and black
I can't take credit for what others built- all I can do is try to put her back on the road.
You just can't fix stupid... you can hide it sometimes though...
If, as Smoke Grey says, only Austin Coopers were sent to the USA in that period, there will not be any stamp on the inner wing stiffener/bulkhead. Only Morris’s were stamped.
You could try BMIHT at Gaydon and ask them to do a search using the FE number and see if they will issue a Heritage certificate. Try emailing them first with a photo of your FE plate, tell them that it was originally surf blue/old english white and was an export to the USA and ask if they can do a search. If the build date is March - May 1962 it will only take them a few minutes to find the car’s details, if the factory recorded the FE number in the ledger which it did in most cases. If they can find it you can than apply for a Certificate which will give you all the info that you would need. They were certainly able to do it a few years ago and were very helpful when I was able to get an appointment to search their records for build details for my car by actually allowing me to look at the original BMC build ledgers and then later the microfisched records. Not sure what is allowed up there any more in these PC times, I am not even sure if you are allowed to search the Cooper records any more due to certain people taking advantage and creating clones
Is there any L tag in the floor ? L followed by a number? Or is just the F tag? Of it's an L, it is chassis as well. But only valid for Morris and also, 850 cars.
There is a march 62 super in USA, so not only Cooper's.
641071S wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 1:11 am
If, as Smoke Grey says, only Austin Coopers were sent to the USA in that period, there will not be any stamp on the inner wing stiffener/bulkhead. Only Morris’s were stamped.
You could try BMIHT at Gaydon and ask them to do a search using the FE number and see if they will issue a Heritage certificate. Try emailing them first with a photo of your FE plate, tell them that it was originally surf blue/old english white and was an export to the USA and ask if they can do a search. If the build date is March - May 1962 it will only take them a few minutes to find the car’s details, if the factory recorded the FE number in the ledger which it did in most cases. If they can find it you can than apply for a Certificate which will give you all the info that you would need. They were certainly able to do it a few years ago and were very helpful when I was able to get an appointment to search their records for build details for my car by actually allowing me to look at the original BMC build ledgers and then later the microfisched records. Not sure what is allowed up there any more in these PC times, I am not even sure if you are allowed to search the Cooper records any more due to certain people taking advantage and creating clones
I think you’re confusing FE numbers with body numbers here. The factory and hence Gaydon definitely didn’t and don’t keep records of FE numbers as they were just a part number for the front end assembly unassigned to specific cars. Only enthusiasts who’ve collated FE information over the years have an idea of the rough date of an FE number, and that’s all.
Without a chassis, engine or body number you’re pretty much stuffed as to identifying exactly which car you have other than the model and of course Steve can give a guide as to numbers of export Surf Blue 997s produced in a particular time frame but other than that you’re really going to have to dig in to its local history of who had it before you and who had it before them and that might reap some reward.
