7 replies to this topic

[simplyminis]

ok been offered a mini cooper its on a 1999 t reg but the bloke says its a cooper s

without going to look at the car how will i tell from pictures if its a S???

[Pauly]

Dont quote me on this but isn't there a special plaque on the interior cross member? Also speical decals and a special airbox?

Edited by Pauly, 27 February 2010 - 07:43 PM.

[SolarRedSport]

ok been offered a mini cooper its on a 1999 t reg but the bloke says its a cooper s

without going to look at the car how will i tell from pictures if its a S???

If it's a genuine Cooper S, from John Cooper Garages, it should have red enamel (not plastic) bonnet
and boot badges, a single pinstripe, as opposed to the usual two, with special decals. These could be
S Works, Sport 5 (unlikely to be this model though), S Touring or Cooper with a large S over it.
It should also have a black/silver plaque next to the drivers seat, on the floor, stating its build number.
Many S's still have their original John Cooper Garages sticker in the rear window and may also have a
larger rear number plate, also with John Cooper written at the base.
Often the wheel badges are polished metal with Cooper written on them. The air filter cover should
state S Works, if it's this model & finally, most genuine JCG's conversions had their engine blocks
painted blue.

I hope this helps !

[mk1leg]

Hi..and this is what you need to look for ...............



its on the cross member just as you open the door ......................

[miniboy1971]

It can be very difficult to identify a car that's had a genuine JCG conversion.

Ideally, you need to see the original JCG receipt and certificate which should show the cars registration, mileage and date. The conversion number should also appear on the chassis plate on the floor next to the drivers seat.

Cosmetically, it is fairly easy to replicate some of the badges etc. You could even buy the JCG number plates, dealer stickers and centre caps from their own shop, so having these on the car doesn't necessarily mean it has had a conversion.

The laurel on the rear flanks was changed as part of the conversion kit, and they were different according to the spec, but they didn't necessarily remove one of the two pin stripes down the side.

Only the head was painted blue, not the block, and this can be replicated with a tin of halfords blue engine paint, but they were stamped with Cooper (mine was anyway).

I believe that one of the former employees still has the rights to sell the old JCG S-Works kits and keeps records on the old conversions. If you give them the registration, they should be able to check it out and maybe confirm exactly what was done to the car if you can't get hold of the JCG receipt. (Classic Minis - 01903-733096 - www.classicminis-online.co.uk)

However, none of this is a guarantee that any of the original parts are still on the vehicle.

As always, buyer beware, but I hope it turns out to be genuine and you get what you want.

[Danny_California]

SolarRedSport has it pretty much summed up. The kit in that picture is the older type, for the single point cars. I do like the look of that little oil cooler though, thats pretty cool. Annoyingly from that interior shot, they havnt bothered with the tubing required to bring the fresh air vents flush with the dash, and that ruins it for me

[Guess-Works.com]

No such thing as a 1999 cooper S

[welshdan]

i think what people are refering to are the cooper garages 85/90 bhp S conversions.