8 replies to this topic

[Hampo]

Hello everyone.

 

I have just joined this forum and was hoping I might get to talk to someone who can help me discover the heritage of my Mini. The registration is S139ABV, and the car is a Paul Smith Mini Cooper Sport Si. I have owned the car since 2004. I took it off the road in 2006 after my son, who used to drive it, failed to put any oil in it and essentially broke it. It has since sat in my warehouse until 2012 and it was at this time I put it into a garage to be restored. After spending £10,000 over a period of 3 years, I eventually went to see the car, and to my horror it didn't look a great deal different than when it went in. Needless to say, I brought the car home in boxes and decided to do the job myself.

 

I am now at the stage where I am about to put fluids in the car and start her up. I am very grateful to the boys from the Manchester Mini Club, Ed, Aaron,Matt and Will for all their advice and help in getting the car back to its former glory, however I need to know what the boys at John Cooper would have done to the car by way of modification. I have attache photos of the boot badges and Carpet plaque, so if anyone can advise me I would be eternally grateful.

 

Looking forward to some interesting chats.

 

Thanks

 

Hampo

Attached Files

•  Boot.jpg   129.47K   4 downloads
•  Plaque.jpg   250.97K   5 downloads

[mab01uk]

The expert on these particular Minis is John Parnell who is the 'Rover Cooper Registrar' for the Mini Cooper Register:-
https://www.minicoop...ooper-register/

 

 

 

[Maccmike8]

Thats a fantastic colour.

[Ben_O]

Is the si anything to do with a mini?

The badge looks like its come off a Ford fiesta..

[Ben_O]

[Ben_O]

I'm also thinking that the cooper sport badge is not relevant to this car and has simply been added.

Those badges were fitted to the last minis.

 

As for the conversion, isn't it just a stage 3 head, updated rockers and a different exhaust and air filter?

[Avtovaz]

Im sure ive seen in a vid on youtube they fitted the fiesta SI badge to them, but not 100% sure where i saw it.

[minidizzy]

The badges are a bit puzzling. The Paul Smith model was an MPi and the S registration is consistent with that. John Cooper Garages started doing their S conversion kits in 1991, adding new versions as the engines evolved from carb to SPi to MPi. In 1995 they started producing their own special edition Minis by buying standard Minis from Rover and customising them. The first model was simply called the Mini Cooper S. JCG bought Ford Si badges and put them on the boot lids.

I am assuming your car is an MPi. I don't think your car is a special edition as the plate gives a conversion number rather than a car number. That should not detract from its interest.

Both extra badges on the boot look as if they were added later, one being earlier than the car's year and one later.

The 1997 Cooper S Kit had evolved from something Cooper had originally developed with Janspeed but had continued developing with MiniSport.

It consisted of: "large valve, fully ported S stage cylinder head, high performance exhaust and improved fuelling and induction". An increased output to 85 BHP was claimed.

I am guessing the original paperwork is missing. Unfortunately there are no available records from John Cooper Garages.

[Squipper]

Have a look on Autotrader for Rover Mini, there is a Cooper SI for sale and is supposedly genuine car, previously owned by John Coper Garages.  This is badged nothing like yours