... and that's why I wrote "Unless it is a concourse-correct detail..."
(no worries - just a suggestion to reduce the chance of pilferage)

Early cars all had vin plates attached with screws Dan.

Unless it is a concourse-correct detail, I'd replace the screws with pop-rivets.
The lettering embossed into my cowl gutter would be pretty hard to obliterate. Once could fill with welding and grind smooth but to replicate the size and style of the lettering would be difficult and you'd need a press to do it. I suppose the numbers were pressed in before the panel was joined to the rest of the body.

Have often wondered if striking over such serial numbers with additional numbers/letters, then grinding, would screw up that science. Not something I need to know, just wondering. On my 62 mini I am just a single 2 screw tag away from being lost to history, but with it, a heritage cert, and the car supporting what it says, i'm good. Kind of a fine line.

Richard, that's a good story and you should definately stick to it, but in this case the car is obviously a ReVin. There is a legal % of original parts that must be retained to keep the VIN number. I don't know exactly what that number is, but in England there is a way to re-body a car and keep the old VIN. The body shell of this car is obviously post 91, as well as is the engine. That in itself would push it over the top IMHO. Anyway, and if the original VIN is still stamped into the gutter it's a no brainer. Smearing bondo or goop over that number is like wearing a condom with a hole in it. You might think you're protected but you ain't. Even if you grind the number out, officials can still retrieve the number. Has to do with grain structures and how metal deforms when struck with a number die. The number distorts the metal all the way thru from the top to the bottom. Making the top and bottom smooth does not affect the metal in the middle. If a person truly wants that number untraceable then you either have to drill thru the numbers and mig something back in it's place or change out that portion of the gutter. Supposedly there's another stamped VIN in the body but I certainly have never seen it. Good luck with the car and I am glad you aren't in California. The other 49 states are more user friendly that our friends out there in good ol' California.

In cars like these, without a main chassis, the question would be: "What part of the car does the VIN belong to?" VIN was the chassis number. But we have two chassis. 
- The Rover models had it stamped into the cowl, but if that rusts, and you replace your cowl with one that has a different number, but the rest of the car is still the same?
- The earlier models just had a plate on the the front panel. Get in an accident, and you change the panel with a used one.
- I put a plate on with the old VIN number (that was still registered), but the only thing that really came with that number plate was the rear sub-chassis, pickup bed, and roof. The rest came from 4 different VIN numbered cars, and many panels were made from donor steel from wrecked Toyotas or whatever. Sort of like the song by Johnny Cash.

The important thing is that there is only one set of numbers, and that set is registered and paying taxes.

California or not, a reVIN is utterly illegal and remains so after the original car turns 25.

I'd be keeping slightly quieter about the car's provenance if I were you - we all know it happens, we all turn a blind eye to it, but the Authorities don't...

The radiator and shroud you have will come out together as one unit. You will have to bend the plastic fan blades slightly but there should be just enough room to remove both the radiator and shroud together. You may also have to remove the secondary electric fan in the fender well to free up some extra room.

Welcome.
It could be assembled from parts. I have a 75 pickup, but I bought a new front clip from a 91, judging from the date on the wiper motor and a couple of other things. The engine I bought is an SPI and was built in mid 92. I'm not sure what year the doors are from, as they came a different color from the rest of the clip.

As said, if it is an original SPI body, there was originally a stamped vin number in the channel of the cowl that you can't see when the bonnet is closed. I filled mine in so there would be no confusion, and bought a new VIN plate since the PO had lost the original one.

There are dates on a lot of parts. You can pull the lip off the front if you want it to look like the original style. just drill out the rivets. My 91 dash was plastic, so I replaced it with wood.

If you want more ideas, check out my build:Richard's Mini Pickup

I am trying to get out the radiator and the shroud. I have disconnected all the hoses and bolts except I can’t get the bolts to the shroud. They spin but won’t come out. Is there any way I can’t get this out? Should I just give up and start breaking fan blades so I can get it out around it?

if it has a factory wood dash the back side of the glove box will often have a sticker on it as well. 

Nothing cool. Just a bunch of sanding to get rid of some rust. Primed bare areas. Next I need to weld the fender in place and patch a few spots that had rust holes. 

Thanks for the info! Will check these places as well. Not in California, but I suspect it to be a while before it's even on the road. By that time it'll be 25 years old ??

definitely a re vin

you will find the original vin etched into the front and rear glass, and stamped into the drain trough below the hood (bonnet) on the rh side of the windshield (lh side when standing in front of the car looking at it)

note that if you are in a state like California you do NOT want to post any more details about where you are, or your name, because you do not want your car confiscated and crushed by some overzealous government official or to have your registration denied when you go to the DMV 

I like the security system.  he looks fierce

 

Thanks guys. Will check out the gas tank as well! ????

If you take the gas tank out it might have a date on it too.  I recently had mine out and there was a label with month and year under where the strap holds it in place.

hi minimike 21.. welcome to the club.. might fill out your profile and some one local to you will chime in to help you with your mini.. later bc

Here are a few pictures I snapped. Going to have to have a new right side trunk panel welded in around the shock mount area as it's pretty rusted out. Most of the other rusty spots on the car seem to be ok and should clean up pretty well, but we shall see. The rear sub frame (which is out of the car) seems like it's going to havetk get replaced. Some parts in it look to rusted out to. So looks like this guy will be on jack stands for a while 

Hey guys. New here. Wanted to introduce myself and my new mini. I have had in the past and 02 S, and '11 S, and now my wife and I have a '13 Cooper. I just recently on trade picked up a what I thought to be 78 mini, but with further investigation seems to be a '93 Rover SPi mini. Possibly a revin? I don't know still trying to look into it as the title says 79, the owner said it was a 78, but the boot stamp says 93 and the it has a SPi motor in it. The vin number and the vin on the title match and it seems to be the vin for a rover mini with a 1275 SPi high output motor. But anyways it's definitely going to be a project as I start digging in I'm finding more and more things I need to address. But hey that's Minis.... RIGHT???