Saleofcar.com :Austin

Austin Cooper S (1966)
for sale

Price: US $4,050.00

Description:

This is an original, documented Mini Cooper 'S' which has lived in California since new and still has the California blue plate. It was purchased brand new on 7/13/66 from a dealer in San Francisco and cost $2765.80 out the door (and the buyer notes he could have saved $320 if he bought it overseas).. The following documentation is available with this car:British Motor Industry Heritage Cert (chassis and body numbers match correctly)Original BMC service booklet showing services from 8/22/66 through to 1980Original BMC Customer Identification Plate (metal plate stamped with original owner's name, address and the car's chassis number). These were issued to be used when expediting warranty service to BMC customers from March 1, 1966 onwardsOriginal Driver's HandbookOriginal sales brochure with handwritten notes on the extras added to the car and their costThe car is running and driving well and my original intent was to do a full restoration as the shell and major components are all good. This car was originally built with a 1275cc engine and still has a 1275cc unit. but it's not the original block. Apparently it was replaced sometime in the early 1980's. It has the correct twin SU carbs and runs very well, with no issues. If sitting for a period of time, some oil drips are left on the ground but nothing that wouldn't be expected from an older engine.
The gearbox and clutch are good, though gear changes feel slightly stiff. This could be due to road grime/grit gathered around the remote linkage underneath the car, but it's really not noticeable after a minute or two of driving.
The paint was redone by a previous owner and while it looks good from 10 feet away, the quality of the finish is below par. There is no rust or damage to any of the panels, though the plastic 'add-on' wheel arches have been poorly fitted and have some gaps. If restoring, I'd replace both the drivers and passenger floor pans. It looks like the car was incorrectly jacked from underneath, bending the floor pan and therefore cracking the underseal. As a result, there are small holes appearing in the floor pan on both sides.
The car left the factory tartan red with a black roof and my intent was to restore it to the original color scheme. Somewhere in it's history the car was painted blue, then finally the green and white/cream color it shows today.
The interior is in good condition, though the dash could do with some fresh varnish. The car was used for autocross events in the 80's and 90's so has a roll bar bolted in behind the driver and passenger. Factory options include a heater ($65 in 1966), oil cooler ($40 in 1966), and seat belts ($17.50 in 1966).
The original Hydroelastic suspension is still on the car, though I'm not sure how effective it is at this point. My plan had been to switch across to dry suspension during a rebuild.
Overall, this is a perfect candidate for a full restoration as it has all the documentation confirming it's authenticity as a real Cooper 'S' vs one of the many faked ones in existence. The shell is solid and if doing a full rebuild, I was planning on swapping in an engine with some period modifications to give it a little more power. While the cost of rebuilding a regular Mini would be the same as rebuilding this one, ultimately real 'S' will have more value. I'd love to restore the car, but family commitments have taken precedence, so I have to reluctantly let my project go to another home.
Please feel free to email with questions and good luck bidding.

_{update: 2016-03-18}