Introduction

[grahlynne]

Hello
we are hoping for some guidance or info into our recently acquired projects
we have a 1976 mini panel van currently stripping back to start some repairs to body before starting to apply primers etc
wanting to change the yucky brown colour to a burgundy and wonder if anyone can steer us with mini colours of the 76 era
secondly we have a mini deluxe and trying to identify its age as it is not dated on comp plate it will be done again in its original toga white
any help would be very much appreciated
would be great to meet along the way one day
regards and thanks in advance

[PhillB]

Hi

Although your 76 van will have a compliance plate with a date the Deluxe will not as there was no legal requirement for one until early 1970.

It will have what is known as an ID plate which should have info such as the model code, eng no paint colour etc.

If you let us know the type code and Car No someone will be able to estimate the manufacture date pretty closely. Bmc generally started car numbers at 501 so for example if yours was car no 2501 it would be the 2000th deluxe built. The car number is usually also stamped into the firewall just below the ID plate. On the deluxe you may also see numbers in the radiator shroud but these are factory numbers only for the deluxe and NOT for rego. Just to confuse matters the numbers on the 76 van on the radiator shroud WILL be the numbers needed for rego. BMC/Leyland changed stamping spots on the body many times over the years.

Another rough dating method is to look at the manufacturing date on the wiper motor. If it’s never been replaced you can probably add a couple of months to get the approx manufacture date of the car.

[PhillB]

Colour Charts courtesy Ausmini Forum. Should give you some idea of 70's colours.

by , on Flickr

by , on Flickr

[Gambo]

If you need a paint code for the Toga White, let me know as I have resprayed my van in it's original colour. Was hard trying to find an exact match,but ended up going with an old VW colour called "Toga Weiss". Had the paint mixed by the guys at Autolac in North Wollongong, and it's pretty close to the original.

[PhillB]

It's really hard to tell those colours from the chart but a good trick if you want to see 1973 colours is to google "Leyland P76" photos. The P76 was released in 1973 and you'll see all those colours.

Not much in the way of Burgundy, more purple. It's the 70's so the colours were getting a bit more funky and less conservative. My Car is 68 and "Special Burgundy" and they stopped it in about 1969/70 I think.

[grahlynne]

Thanks everyone that helps alot we have come across Damask red which is somewhere to start from
I will get the numbers of the round nose and post them back here

[grahlynne]

ok so the numbers for the beluxe are
Type YMA2S2
Car Number 24780
Engine 9YA/Ta/H25841
Paint 1/Toga White/3

[PhillB]

[grahlynne]

[grahlynne]

We have had success with identifying age of round nose its a Jan 1967 as found on wiper motor