Like other cars, Classic Minis were manufactured with identification numbers. The identification numbers were formerly referred to as Chassis Numbers, but this was changed following the international standard to Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
You can easily know the real identity of your classic mini if you want to. This is a simple task if you know how to decode a VIN. Your car’s VIN can give a lot of information about the car and its manufacturer.
So why is it important to know the right Identification of your Classic Mini? Obvious, it is crucial to know what you own. This will make you certain of what your vehicle is. Here are some other main reasons why identifying your car is important:
After purchasing a Mini, it is evident that you will eventually want to buy some parts for it. You may also want to decorate it or even need some tune up parts. Maybe you are thinking a Mini is a Mini. Aren't you? In the past days, one set of plugs, rotor, condenser, points and distributor used to fit all the Minis. Unfortunately, those days are no more, and in the today’s world, you should know the car that you own. This will assist you greatly when purchasing auto parts. It is frustrating to buy a car part only to realize that it doesn’t fit into your vehicle. Most people think that knowing the model or the manufacture year is enough. This isn’t true.
Knowing the actual identity of your Mini is vital for legal issues of either owning or buying one. If you are thinking of importing a Mini, it is crucial to know the importation laws of the country. For instance, the Us Law implies that if you import a Mini that is at least twenty-five years old, you will be exempted from meeting any standards. Note that this will only apply at the point when you are importing the Mini but not when you are using it on the US streets. This means that you ought to comply with the inspections and registration laws of your state.
The importation laws vary from one state to another. You should, therefore, check the rule of law governing your state/country before importing any kind of a vehicle. For instance, if it is legal to import a 1980 Mini to the United States, it doesn’t imply that you can use it in Chicago. Knowing your car will help you to understand what it is that you are getting into.
The last reason why you need to know the correct identity of your car is for insurance issues. When your car is involved in an accident, the problems of the vehicles real identity might pop up. This might be the still the case when your car is stolen.
As we have earlier on seen, VIN provides us with a sure way of knowing the exact identification of a car. This is because a VIN is unique to a particular car. Every number or letter in the VIN stands for a specific detail of the car starting from the model, year of manufacture, the name of the manufacturer, the country where the Mini was built and the serial number of the car.
You can as well confirm the information of the VIN of your vehicle from the websites that offer such services. One good way is through using a VIN decoder.
Another great way to help to identify your Mini is by Mark. If you know the actual date when your car was made, you can get all the information about it. However, you should understand the Mark system of Minis. This will be helpful in knowing the correct identity of the Mini you have or you want to buy. When purchasing a mini or looking for parts, you can check on the Mark or Marque.
Knowing the engine that your classic Mini has is another way of identifying it. If your mini is a standard factory form, understanding the engine it has will definitely narrow down the hassle of knowing its identity. This will even apply even if your car isn’t from a standard factory form. By knowing the engine that your car has can give you a hint of what your mini was or is. This information is important especially when you are purchasing engine-related car parts. Remember that you can interchange car engines from one car to another just like any other car parts.
he task of identifying a mini by the engine is a bit difficult. However, you can easily do a quick visual inspection using the A versus A+ identification and the Pre-Verto or Verto Clutch. The rest of engine identification can be Greek to you given the many engines available.
Check for the engine ID plate on the block. If it the code is still there and is valid one to the engine, then the puzzle becomes a bit easier. Just read the code, and below it, you will see the Metro engine numbers or the Mini engine numbers.
If you have tried to check all the three option we have seen above i.e. identification by VIN, identification by Mark and identification by power unit/engine and nothing came up; then the last option is to identify for non-standard Classic Minis. Perhaps, you have found that you can’t determine your Mini type because the car says one thing while the VIN says another or may be the VIN plate is missing.
Earlier on we saw that the Mini parts could be easily changed. This may contribute to difficulties in knowing the correct identity of your Mini. Keep in mind that you cannot find one concrete reason as to why you can’t identify your Mini. The reason might be that your Mini had so many changes over the years leading to loss of its original factory identity.
This method entails checking on the characteristics of other types of minis. Then see the one that is closest to your mini i.e. the one that it shares most characteristics. This method is perfect for old model cars.
You can also check on the parts that are hard to change from one Mini type to another and use them when deciding on the kind of the mini you have.
Though not all the parts of the Classic Mini have official date codes, other parts are dated. The dates are usually some few weeks after the date the car was made. This can help you to know the year of manufacture of your vehicle hence help in identification.
Classic Mini identification is paramount to any Mini owner or whoever has an eye of importing one. This will help you to know if the Mini you intent to buy is worth the cost, and any hidden issues attached to it. Following these methods we have discussed above will lead you on your journey of identifying your Mini. If you have its VIN, the better, since it is very easy to determine your Mini using the VIN.
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is the car’s identification which consists of unique alphanumeric characters. You can use this number to figure out everything about a specific vehicle.
What are the various parts and vehicle identification numbers and records on most vehicles and where can they be found or located - well at least easily?