These are pics of 2 cars 1977 VIN 1994 Spec Mini's, but the engines look quite different. I think the first picture is from a RHD and the second LHD which explains some of the differences, but beyond that the air intake obviously looks different and some of the pipes/hoses as well. And on the far right hand side the first one has what looks like a box of some type while the second has a fluid reservoir. I am assuming they are both 1275 cc's (but maybe that's a bad assumption) and I'm thinking maybe the second one had SPI converted to a carb, but I'm really pretty clueless and trying to learn. Thanks for any expertise you can share. Also one obvious thing is the
first engine looks a lot cleaner.

Car#1


Car #2:

 

I'd guess that the first is NOT a 1977 Mini - but has been "re-VIN'ed" to get away with bringing a newish (1990s likely) Mini in to USA, under the 20 year old restrictions

 

I think that might be the case with both of them. What makes you think the second is a 1977 engine since it apparently has AC?

 

#2 might be from this time frame

I doubt #1 is given the valve cover logo . . .

neither look anything like my 79's engine hole

and both appear to have A/C coolers . . . not an early Mini feature now was it?

My RE-VIN alarm is ringing

 

Well. one has fuel injection, the other is carbureted....

 

Thanks for replies. Okay, here is another pic of the engine of a 1994 Mini Cooper Convertible done by an autohaus in Germany. It looks very similar to car 1 above with the exception of the missing AC condensor I think:

 

1st car is at least a 1994 SPI (looks to have a v-belt) 1275 motor (red painted block) A/C, RHD, maybe a Japan spec

2nd car is at least a 1988 (brake servo fitted to master cylinder) carbureted 1000 motor (yellow painted block) A/C, LHD

So neither car is a 1977......re-vin definitely!

 

Based on the domain name that the 2nd picture came from I can not recommend that you purchase a Mini from that particular seller. They are notorious for re-vins and selling cars that have issues.

 

Thanks again, okay, what is a v-belt exactly? Is there a way to tell if a car was SPI retrofitted to a carb? I gather there were years in the early 90's where they were producing both carburated and fuel injection models in the same year.

Personally I don't really have a problem with a re-vin as long as it is titled and registered in the US. Maybe it's just me but I actually prefer having a 15-20 y/o car over one that is 30-40. Having functioning seat belts and AC is a big plus to me as well, but what I don't want is a car with a lots of problems. I'll be looking for a while before I actually move forward. Also I think the newer cars actually had Cats so unless they have been removed, they are actually greener than the > 25 y/o "legal" cars.

 

Love that red block look also

 

Ahhhhh Turkys . . .

he does have a bit of a reputation does he not? No, I did NOT say good or bad.....

One feature is that as a dealer he sells cars with a South Carolina title so you are 99.5% past any re-vin import issues with the Federal side.

http://turkys.com/

After that it is a question of knowing WHAT you are buying and maybe having a grasp of the extra difficulties you can have in finding good mechanic support of a re-vin .... with a propriatary computer interface that few in the US have.
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2nd car is at least a 1988 (brake servo fitted to master cylinder) carbureted 1000 motor (yellow painted block) A/C, LHD

You can add that servo as part of a kit to bring Copper disks to an earlier car if we're talking about the same thing. This started as a 79 Saloon 1000, and now has a 1275 and Cooper Disks .... and a servo



So once again it is just important to know what you are looking at..... I tell people about my add ons but some might look at my car and say it isn't a 79 because it has a servo. (the servo is a part of the Cooper disk conversion kit used here)

 

Your engine looks awesome. Very clean

 

Thank you

amazing what you can do by driving under 100 miles a month and hitting it with a steam cleaner every 6 months!

And the pic was taken just after I'd spent some 5 hours with the valve cover on the buffing wheel.

 

I see what you are saying with the servo kits, but you can look at the heater hose routing as well the older models have a heater valve mounted to he cylinder head and heater hoses are routed one on each side of the cylinder head going thru the firewall as the later models have both hoses routed by the right side of the cylinder head going thru the firewall as well as having the heater valve being mounted inline close to the firewall

 

YES

but the suggestion was a servo means . . .

many first timers are looking here as I did and so we should be careful of our flagging a sign if it is not really a sign. In this case a servo addition is not at all unusual . . . if one added Cooper Disks it will be there.

Moved heater valves .... much more unlikely.

 

true, but the servo is something i look for first.......but you are right we do need to be sure to give better info for the new guys