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littledude
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 7th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 26 |
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Posted: Friday November 16th, 2007 01:29 pm |
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Hello all,
Just wondering, some time ago my dad bought a 94 SPi cooper off the "bay" for a very reasonable sum.It needed wings and a front panel as they seem to do at that age.
On further looking through it's bills (it came with over 2.5k worth of them!!) and cross checking the car, it is looking like it has been fitted with the john cooper Si kit but I do not have a bill for this conversion or any bills relating to the additional parts found.
I noticed the stickers first off when we went to see it but thought they were just that, stickers. However on further inspection it has the blue painted head, 1.5 rockers, airfilter, manifold but not the Janspeed (I think it would have been) system. It has the body colored arches and the "S" stickers on the flanks and boot lid (on the right hand side next to the Number plate) but no "Si" badge or the red imbossed Cooper wing badges (not sure if it should have them anyway). It also has the "john cooper garages parts fitted" black sticker on the original black rocker box and the oil cooler that fitted to one side (under the Alt) unlike the mocal's and the like you would fit normally.
There is no plate anywhere else to say its factory (JCG's) installed kit but I belive you could buy them as a bolt on aftermarket thing.
If this is the case, does anyone hold a register of the cars that had them or is there any tell tail signs?
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taffy1967
Member
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Posted: Friday November 16th, 2007 04:13 pm |
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I don't know the answers littledude and I think it's time someone did set up some kind of register for these cars, but the only thing I can point you to is the scanned article that a mate of mine posted on the Mainstream Cooper Register site: -
http://z11.invisionfree.com/mainstreamcooper/index.php?showtopic=172&view=getnewpost
The scanned documents that were posted a while back on this Minifinity thread might be of interest too, although they mainly concern the 1380cc conversion that was available for both carburettor and injection Mini Coopers: -
http://www.minifinity.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=41466&highlight=mini
Last edited on Friday November 16th, 2007 04:15 pm by taffy1967 |
mcrwebmaster
Administrator
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Posted: Friday November 16th, 2007 05:28 pm |
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Hi littledude
I have a 1994 Spi Cooper which I have had from new. This I purchased from new from John Cooper garages, they put on their Si plus kit on the car for me before delivery.
The conversion plate with the kit number is on the cross member which runs under the seats, mine is in the gap between seat and the drivers door. I did also get a certificate from Cooper's confirming the conversion.
The decals under the rear windows have a "S" motif in as opposed to "mini cooper".
The head was painted blue, I believe they retained the original exhaust manifold down to the cat. Then a Janspeed system. Obviously there were changes to the valves and valve springs, also the fitment of hi - lift rockers. I don't have all the details to hand.
The oil cooler is set off to the right, as you face the car, and is only about 2.5" high.
The air filter is replaced with a K&N filter.
Mine has black wheel arches, I believe the only cars with colour coded arches from the factory were RSP's - again I stand to be corrected here!
Hope that helps - though there better experts on here than me! I needed I can photo the relevant bits.
Robert
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sworks
Member
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Posted: Sunday December 9th, 2007 06:42 pm |
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| It does sound like it has been a JCG car. I started thinking about a register a few weeks ago but after many hours looking it doesn't appear that there is one. After various e-mails with kay at miniworld who has a JCG car, she has contacted Mike cooper (who has all the records) and hopefully in the new year they will run a feature. i think it is important that a register should exist as i noticed only yesterday that there is a seller on ebay selling reproduction chassis plates - good for genuine cars but sadly a way af faking non genuine cars
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DaveShreeve
Administrator
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Posted: Sunday December 9th, 2007 11:23 pm |
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littledude wrote: but no "Si" badge or the red imbossed Cooper wing badges (not sure if it should have them anyway).
The 'Si' badge isn't the hardest to remove. I know of one that disappeared during a 15 minute period at Mini in the Park.
The red Cooper badge was introduced on the Cooper Grand Prix so vehicles before August '94 won't have them. After this date it still seems to be hit and miss, probably down to either availability at JCG, or cost to the buyer.
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littledude
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 7th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 26 |
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Posted: Monday December 10th, 2007 08:40 am |
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Thanks all, the plot thickens.
It's not that I am bothered one way or the other (though it would be nice!!), it just caught my attention and I wanted to know more.
Could you buy all these bits seperately?
It also has the rear window sticker's and I know you can buy them (or could if I remember rightly) but also the reg plates have the John cooper logo in them under the reg number.
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sworks
Member
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Posted: Monday December 10th, 2007 07:15 pm |
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| The S stickers varied depending what conversion was done and if it was fitted from new or a later date - any pictures? My cooper head is stamped 'john cooper' and a number just behind the thermostat housing, is yours?
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littledude
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 7th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 26 |
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Posted: Tuesday December 11th, 2007 02:11 pm |
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| I'll have a look at the head and get some phot's of the stickers.
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taffy1967
Member
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Posted: Tuesday December 11th, 2007 03:16 pm |
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Anyone could order a set of number-plates from John Cooper Garages (with the logo) and I've had a set fitted to my Mainstream Cooper for years.
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littledude
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 7th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 26 |
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Posted: Tuesday December 11th, 2007 03:38 pm |
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I suspected that could be the case, it's just with all the other bits it was starting to add up.
Like I say, it maybe that it a cooper that's been built up for proper parts, its nice, nippy, fun to drive and my Dad loves it.
If it's not a factory car, no problems.
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sworks
Member
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Posted: Tuesday December 11th, 2007 04:36 pm |
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| Something else to look at is the rocker covers were colour coded so if the car was red you got a red rocker cover, blue cars got a blue rocker cover. Very easy to fake i know but not many people know
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taffy1967
Member
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Posted: Tuesday December 11th, 2007 08:42 pm |
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I've heard a rumour that Mini World Magazine are planning to do a feature on the John Cooper S Conversion Minis.
If it's true then I really hope that they do a better job than what Mini Magazine do with their buying guides?
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DaveShreeve
Administrator
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Posted: Tuesday December 11th, 2007 08:47 pm |
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taffy1967 wrote: I've heard a rumour that Mini World Magazine are planning to do a feature on the John Cooper S Conversion Minis.
If it's true then I really hope that they do a better job than what Mini Magazine do with their buying guides?
If they cover all alternatives it could be a series that runs for a couple of years!
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sworks
Member
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Posted: Wednesday December 12th, 2007 08:52 am |
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sworks wrote: After various e-mails with kay at miniworld who has a JCG car, she has contacted Mike cooper (who has all the records) and hopefully in the new year they will run a feature. i think it is important that a register should exist as i noticed only yesterday that there is a seller on ebay selling reproduction chassis plates - good for genuine cars but sadly a way af faking non genuine cars
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hawaiianblue
Member
| Joined: | Saturday June 2nd, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 214 |
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Posted: Saturday March 22nd, 2008 12:24 pm |
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littledude wrote:
If it's not a factory car, no problems.
None of them were actually factory built S's, thats to say none were ever line fitted at Longbridge, they were either supplied to a Rover dealer as a standard SPi and the Rover dealer then fitted the kit which JC were selling.
Or you could buy the kit direct from JCG your self and fit it, or you could take your car to JCG and have them fit it for you.
JCG also sold new cars as a rover dealer would, they bought new cars wholesale from Longbridge and then added their own tuning kits and sold the cars direct to customers.
When fitted by your rover dealer or JCG to a new car it preserved the warranty, hence they were often stated as being factory approved.
You can of course buy all the bits separatley, Janspeed made the heads and Exhausts, so you could buy the parts direct from them. High lift rockers etc are availiable from various sources. There are people who make repro decals. As already said you could buy number plates from JCG by mail order.
Of course it could also be that a second hand kit has been fitted, someone has bought the parts from a written off car.
Things like the ID plate could have been removed, some people take these things off cars when they sell them, you know like how some people keep the owners handbook (what's the point in that!)
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