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Hi all, can anyone tell me the year/date when Rover/Austin start stamping the chassis no. on the edge of scuttle panel, instead of using the chassis plate alone?
My friend want to register his 1986 UK Mayfair in HK, but the transport dept refuse the testing saying they can't find a no. on the scuttle panel!!!

Thanks
Ted

I think it was 1979 / 80, my Mini is 1981 & that has the number on the scuttle. Many of these numbers disappear when the panel is replaced, which is hardly a crime but is often viewed with suspicion.

Late '79 it was

Early 20th anniversary Mini Special Limited Edition have the old style chassis plate and later ones have the bigger plate which came in at the same time as stamping the number in the bulkhead

As early as 79??? No luck! The transport dept here in Hong Kong are so stubborn that they recognize all late classic Minis (except the 60s ones)should have scuttle panel no. like the 90s cars!
Then what is the usual place for the rivet or screw on chassis plates on those 80s Mini? top of front panel?
Thanks for the reply!

We had normal import of Mini,s upto 1982, when the special tax rate for them were cancelled (ran out).

I have never seen a 1979 / 1980 or 1981 with chassi no in the scuttle panel.

the oldest Mini with chassi no in that position was a 1991/92 model (private import)

We have very few Mini,s dating inbetween 1982-2000, as there were no official import after 1982.

In 1996 Rover Denmark, was offered 14 LHD Mini,s = 11 Cooper,s and 3 Convertibles.
Thats the largest number imported here since 1982.

The Vin number on 1980 on cars is on the inner wing just behind the front panel . Earlier cars had it on the RH inner wing, later cars it moved to the LH inner wing . Aircon Japanese spec cars ran out of space and it went to live in the boot on the floor!

I can't find a good pic at present but there is one in late Haynes manuals of both positions (a 998 and a 1275 injection car- which also shows where the number is stamped into the shell in the rear bonnet gutter just above the servo/brake master cylinder). The factory have never shown where to look on late cars, just a description of where the plate is situated, and no mention of the fact that the number is also stamped into the shell.

On 60's cars there was always an illustration showing where it was . In 1979-80 the Vin number system came in. There's all the details on the dreaded Wiki

Good luck, we have similar problems. A local with an 1967 Elf was told his car should have the Vin number stamped in the shell , otherwise they could'nt re-register it

Tim Harber wrote:

. A local with an 1967 Elf was told his car should have the Vin number stamped in the shell , otherwise they could'nt re-register it

this is a top tip if your taking a mini of any age for a dvla / vosa inspection.

it save a huge amount of time / hassle / arguing with 'computer says no' minions if you just stamp the number somewhere.

i know someone who was faced with a mini that would have ended up on a 'q' with a kit car type chassis number because the heritage shell he had used only had the correct for period alloy vin tag on it. the vosa just will not accept this. had he known this he could have stamped the chassis number either in the scuttle or on the bulkhead and it would have sailed through the inspection. as it was it didnt.

My 79 don't have it and thats reg in june

my mates 81 all oringal don't have it (brought from new)

I always thought it was 84 on wards with the upgrades that came with the minis

My '85 didnt have it stamped on the scuttle either
- had it from 3 years old and no reason to think the panel had been changed.

It was a Jersey or German first reg vehicle if that makes a difference - never did get to the bottom of which

my old 1985 city e didnt have it on scuttle and this car wasnt old at the time and had all original paint..

seems very hit and miss

I had a 1981 X Reg Mini 1000HL with the stamped in scuttle panel number.

Thank you very much for all the inputs!
It really confusing now. Seems no definite date of when did the scuttle no. first appear.
Perhaps I should ask those officers to read this forum post!

The current situation in HK is a bad result when some people imported their 1.3i Mini from Japan, and used those old log books ages ago. That lead to the officier started looking at the scuttle no. as a must!