Thanks for all of the excellent info. So to sum things up i have a 1970 mini k with a 1275 non cooper s engine, duel tanks,7.5 in front discs,an oil cooler with morris cooper s badging. I think when i repaint i will redo the badging. What does the mini k badge look like. I havnt been able to find any close ups? At least its not revinned. Now i have to start on the wet to dry conversion i just ordered everything for. My email is [email protected]

"It does not have the tappet covers in the rear or any engine casting #s or id on the back..." 

There probabaly are casting numbers somewhere - ususally at the back at the clutch end, but it varies.  Be that as it may, without tappet covers it is not an S engine.

12G940 is the standard 1275 casting.. which could be then be machined into S and non S forms.

"Where it is stamped on the bock you can see the 2 holes on either side where an id plate could have been..."

Many Mini engines (including all the S types) were imported fully built up including the standard UK ID plate.  As required by Oz laws, the plate was removed and the number was stamped onto the block during engine installation in Oz.  Many early minis came with the (slightly butchered) UK engine plate attached to a heater hose with a bit of soft wire.

You say it has S badges, twin tanks so it would not be unthinkable that a PO has decided to add a bit confirmatory evidence to his S replica by switching engine nos. Wouldn't have cost anything if the engine was being rebuilt during its rebirth...

Interestingly enough it was not at all unusual for Minis to be "de-S-ified" in the later 70s.  Cooper Ss cost a fortune to insure so the market became somewhat depressed.  Several shops discovered that it could be quite profitable to remove badges and fit smaller engines, drum brakes etc then flog the cars off as "ordinary" Ks or Deluxes.  The S bits could then be recycled to the boy racers who needed replacemetnt bits for their aging and hardworking toys (guilty M'Lud). Around '80 I paid $1000 for a Mk II S - for the same money I could have had a similar vintage Beetle or, for a bit more, a Datsun 1200..

In the days before the Internet, knowledge of chassis numbers /specifications (ie tappet covers etc) was not so wide spread or accessible.  They were just old cars and books on the subject were not that easy to get hold of.  My 1071 was somewhat inexpensive (swapped for the previously mentioned Mk II) because (according to the experts) it was just a tarted up 850.  It was 6 years before I found the Heritage guys and could prove what I had long suspected....

PS provide an email adress and I'll send you a copy of an original Mini K road test for Oz's main motoring mag of the day.... 

 

Ill try and take a closer picture of how the id is stamped. I dont see why someone would go to the trouble of decking it and stamping it as a cooper s when you can tell from the chassis # its a mini k and a cooper s engine would have the tappet covers.

Ok so i took a better look at the engine tonight. It does not have the tappet covers in the rear or any engine casting #s or id on the back. It does have the temp sensor in the head and the angled heater valve. The head itself says Mowog 12g940. I dont know if the block was decked and restamped 9fsay6602. Something doesnt seem right about the 6602 only being 4 digits. Where it is stamped on the bock you can see the 2 holes on either side where an id plate could have been. I guess it could have been a non austrailian with a removed id plate and then stamped. It runs fine im just trying to figure out what it is.

I object M'Lud.... We have Austin Cooper Ss in Oz....

I think its Kev you got..... and he was correct; if a trifle inprecise in his statement.  He meant ".... engine if fitted to a vehicle produced in Australia"

..And I didn't say it would be a Morris... exclusively....

Cheers, Ian

Ian, Gotcha! It would be a Morris Cooper S in Australia. It would be a Morris OR an Austin Cooper S elsewhere.

"Ok so i dont see the extra bolt next to the water neck on the drivers side. "  If there isn't a hole (for the bolt) then you don't have an S head .... not unexpected if a replacement has been needd in the past... but you may still have an S engine.  Does it have bolt on tappet covers at the back?? If so - and its a big bore - then you have an S engine... Someone will be able to provide appropraite casting numbers if you don't want to lift the head (to measure the bore).

"This may mean that So if its not a cooper s engine did other cars have a 1275 without the etra bolt and stud?"

Yes, there are lots of non S 1275 engines about.

"Can the engine id 9fsay6602 be used on other 1275 engines besides the coopers?"

No - but decking the engine can remove the original number - which can then be replaced with anything.  Note that such substitution is illegal and any ethical engine builder will record the number and will only restamp the block with the original number.

"9FSAY would be a Mk I Morris Cooper S engine in Australia..."  As it would anywhere else... Oz car numbers are unique but S engines were not produced in Oz so they used the origianl UK number.

Cheers, Ian

Yes it is a Mini K, they were made here from 1969-1971. All Oz Minis (including our Clubbies) are technically a Mk1 because they have the small Mk1 rear screen, piano hinged Mk1 rear quarterlights and external door hinges.

Many Minis in Oz (including my `Matic) got upgraded with a 1275 for performance, either Cooper S or other. Ditto the RH tank. S badging is common. You then have a `Cooper S Replica' if you add all the bibs and bobs.

Beware:
Villains have been known to overstamp the YG2S1 to YG2S4 (the Oz Mk2 Cooper S prefix) and flog them here or overseas as an S. But the giveaway is the numbers after the prefix, as only about 2500  Oz Mk2 S were made. So, be careful if considering an Oz Mk2 S.
BTW we called them Mk2 but they were still the same bodyshell as the Mk1, but all had flares fitted and the later 1 piece speedo binnacle.

 

Ill check the head # this afternoon . It does have the angled heater valve.

YG2S1 would be a Mini K. The original engine would have been 10YCTAH, a 1098.

9FSAY would be a Mk I Morris Cooper S engine in Australia. The original S head could have been replaced. Remove the valve cover and look for the casting number.

 

 

Ok so i dont see the extra bolt next to the water neck on the drivers side. So if its not a cooper s engine did other cars have a 1275 without the etra bolt and stud? Can the engine id 9fsay6602 be used on other 1275 engines besides the coopers?

Yes, in Australia the engine number is stamped on the block. They do things differently in Australia and I don't think you can rely on UK numbering systems. If it is a Cooper S engine it will have 11 head studs, the extra 2 being on the ends. The one on the left end is a bolt not a stud and nut.  

If you plan on doing a restoration, you definately need to find out what it was born as.  If doing a rebuild...style it how you like.

My chassis # is YG2S16847 and was built 4/1970 from everything i can tell its a mini k . The engine id says 9fsay6602 which is a coopers engine. What where the diferences from a mini k and a cooper s? Mine has duel tanks,front disc brakes, the badges are morris cooper badges with a small seperate s above it. The speedo is a 140km speedo . Did someone put a coopers engine in my mini k and make other upgrades? What do you consider a mini k , an mk1 or mk2? Do you know if there where any factory upgrades on the mini k. Also the id on the engine is not on a tag it is stamped into the block. Did they do this in Austrailia? I just got this car from my brother and plan to do a complete restore. Its in good running condition. I just need to decide whether to style it like an origional mini k or cooper s?