7 replies to this topic

[phil242]

Hi,

As you know, my MPI was stolen 45 days ago .
I have a good news from insurance, so I'll be paid and I now I must find another one.

From talk to talk, a friend know someone saying he wants to sell his Mini Monte Carlo. I need to call him and go to see the car.

I know only 160 red LHD Monte Carlo were produced in 1994 for the Europe, 40 black RHD for England. So the price is a little crazy here in France...

How can I be sure I'll buy a true real factory built Monte Carlo, and not a simple Cooper with some parts swapped ?
I don't have ideas of serials numbers, little differences to check etc.
I have a book with 2 or 3 photos of a red Mini Monte Carlo, but no more materials.

If you have any clues, I would be happy to heard them !

by the way: someone told me an internet site give certificates for British cars, do you think the Monte Carlo can be concerned ?

Thanx for the help,

Phil

Edited by phil242, 11 November 2009 - 10:07 PM.

[taffy1967]

This might help: -

Click Me 1

But if you knew the engine number, or at least the prefix letters it would help as I'm pretty sure the Monte Carlo LE Mini Coopers engine numbers reveal that they are in fact genuine Monte Carlo LE's.

This is the site which would provide the information for free: -

Click Me 2

As for the site that will give you certificates, well that's the British Motor Heritage: -

Click Me 3

Although you won't get a great deal of information unless it's a pre-1969 Mini.

[Guess-Works.com]

Taffy's right... the engine number is specific to the Monte Carlo...

12A J66 - without A/C
12A J77 - with A/C

This is dot matrixed into the block so its fairly difficult to replicate, not on a plate.

However, that would not stop someone swapping an M/C engine into a cooper.. ( but the engines are essentially the same anyway )

You're more interested in the fact it's a Monte Carlo..

Edited by GuessWorks.co.uk, 12 November 2009 - 06:19 AM.

[x.Millie.x]

One thing to look for is the door cards: front and back on both sides should match the rest of the interior in the cream fabric. This is something that is nearly always not right in fakes as this specific material is incredibly hard (if not impossible) to get hold of.

The seats (again, front and back) should be this same cream patterned fabric with red leather trim. The steering wheel is also red leather, as is the gear knob. The carpets are a matching shade of red.

Things like the walnut dash and Minilite-look alloy wheels would be easy to copy, but the interior is very distinctive and harder to falsify. Note that the alloys are gun metal grey, NOT black. Positioning of the decals is often wrong in fake Cooper versions.

If you can get lots of pictures of the interior/exterior showing specific details, I'll happily check them out and let you know if it's genuine. I know exactly what to look for having done much investigation prior to buying mine, so I'll happily help out if I can!

EDIT: let me know if you want some pics of the interior to compare your friend's car with and I'll see if I can get some up for you.

Edited by x.Millie.x, 12 November 2009 - 09:41 AM.

[phil242]

Hi,

Ok, I have a lot of informations !
Thanks for the help.

I got an email from Roger Hunt of RSP register, he points me 2 interesting urls:
http://mile141.co.uk/minis/monte.aspx
http://mile141.co.uk...montecarlo.aspx
(paste them here, for the archive purpose)

Partial parts in French, we have a friend who write an interesting book, published those documents online:
http://www.austinmin...montecarlo.html

About the VIN, should it be in a range of "200" numbers ? Example: serial start from 15300 to 15499 for the 200 cars produced ?

I don't have seen yet the car: it's a friend of a friend of friend who told me a Monte Carlo is for sale.
I have seen enough specific details to be sure of the "clone" or not.

Tomorrow I'll call the seller and setup a date. Maybe I'll go with a camera to bring back few photos.
I must said I fell a little crazy to think a Monte Carlo is just a few kilometres from me

Again, thanks for your help, it's really valuable materials you give me.

Phil

[taffy1967]

Some great links there and quite a few foreign Mini brochures I've never seen before.

So thanks for providing them.

[phil242]

Hi,

Today I have visit the car.
It's a true Monte Carlo with a true J66 motor. Only 2 things differ: 1 missing sticker on the boot (but the plate light plastic support is the same red colour), the 4 extra front light seems to not be original (car have been used in town).
The car is general in good state, rust just appears on 3 usual places, but far from doing a hole.
The inside is nice, the driver seat have a hole in the left red leather strip, need to be repaired.
The bad point for me is the mechanical general states. The motor have 96000KM (near 60000 miles) and even if everything run really good, it'll need some works soon. Like the drive train, wire looms etc.
Again, all is working, but it's a 15 years old every-days used car.
The price start at 9000 euros, but should goes a little down after chatting.

If I would have some means for doing myself at home the work needed by the car...

Beside this Monte Carlo, I have visit a 1994 SPI Cooper, with only 23000KM-15000 miles (full traceable over 15 years, all MOT, bills etc.), mechanical, inside, subframe & floor looks NEW, only need a full paint to looks like a new factory car... Price is 7000 euros.

The question is now: A rare car with it's weird possible problems, or a rock solid common one....

I don't know if I'll close my eyes this night

Phil

Edited by phil242, 14 November 2009 - 09:34 PM.

[taffy1967]

Yes tough choice Phil.

But if you just want a Mini that you can drive and enjoy from the off, then the 1994 Cooper SPi may be it?