24 replies to this topic

[taffy1967]

Or maybe when BL came along they just hung on to the documents and then incinerated them after several years? Would they really have needed to keep them all indefinitely?

[Ethel]

Huge companies have a habit of hanging on to records. They'll have had an archivist who would have built their own little empire no doubt. Besides it looks like it's the newer ones they've lost. If they were on a hard drive it could have got wiped, sold or destroyed as a general data protection policy for the sake of any other info on the disc.

You could always look up the Cantonese for "When did they make my Mini?" on Babel Fish.

[taffy1967]

I doubt they'd care since BMW now own the MINI brand.

Anyway I received this reply from the Heritage Centre this morning with regards to my 1990 Mini Cooper: -

I'm sorry but we can't, we can only produce documents for vehicles (be it Heritage Certificates or dating letters) for which we hold the build record for.

Regards
Richard Bacchus
Certificate Officer
BMIHT Archive

[mk3 Cooper S]

Anything to do with the Heritage centre changing hands?

[Aria Aradhea]

The washer bottle date-stamp, for me, really only serve as a guesstimate... You can also check the date at the date-stamp on the brake-fluid reservoir, or the sticker on the alternator too...

But, again, it's only a guesstimate. The items can be produced for weeks before the car itself is assembled. The more accurate way would perhaps be the door date-stamp. (Can you tell me where to look for it - OS or NS side door or both, and what is the date format for the stamps on the door? I've only known about this from your post, so thanks for the info)

[taffy1967]

The washer bottle date-stamp, for me, really only serve as a guesstimate... You can also check the date at the date-stamp on the brake-fluid reservoir, or the sticker on the alternator too...

But, again, it's only a guesstimate. The items can be produced for weeks before the car itself is assembled. The more accurate way would perhaps be the door date-stamp. (Can you tell me where to look for it - OS or NS side door or both, and what is the date format for the stamps on the door? I've only known about this from your post, so thanks for the info)

Both doors should have date stamps on them. You need to remove the door trim panels (so that means removing the door handles etc) and the stamp will then be easily found on the inside of the door panel. Or depending on the age of your Mini, you may have to peel back the plastic membrane to see it. Mine is a 1990 Mini and it only has the silver gaffer tape over the door inspection openings, so the dates are right there.

One of my doors was slightly younger than the other and both were slightly younger than the date stamp on my washer bottle. So the fact the one door was stamped around a month prior to my Mini being registered helped narrow it down a bit.

I still wish the Heritage Centre held more information for later Minis though. After all it does help some way to proving that a car is original and not a ringer (although I know it's all too easy to ring a Mini).

[The Reverand]

Mine is registered as a 73 mini and i've got the chassis number on the front, under the bonnet.

Would this be valid or will i have to get door numbers, etc?

Edited by The Reverand, 09 February 2010 - 09:52 PM.

[Bungle]

the chassis number will tell you when the car was made, the door number will tell you when the door was made

[lawnmowercrap]

the chassis number will tell you when the car was made, the door number will tell you when the door was made

The chassis number on most vehicles will tell you the year that it was made not the exact date.

For example, I know for a fact that at the Ellesmere Port and Luton factories that are ran by GM the car is made, then goes on a 2 week test schedule. Its then stuck in the car park, then a dealer could order it 4 months later. When the dealer orders it, it is then issued its chassis plate. So there could still be a big gap of production date in terms of the chassis number.

Lee

[jayare]

Are you sure about that? The chassis/VIN number is stamped in a couple of places on the body and usually on a plate in the windscreen (which would be impossible to fit post-manufacture) as well as the rivetted on VIN plate.

JR