GTS variations

[Miniac]

Following on from the information that's coming out in my build thread, I'd love for us as a mini loving community to put together a sort of central logging area for any and all information pertaining to the South African GTS.

As has already been discussed, we've already noticed a number of variations between similar year models and this for me has created the perfect basis to begin this thread so that we can begin to piece together the now +/-40year old models shaded history and hopefully assist future owners in their plight to restore their beloved GTSs back to (or as close to) factory spec as possible.

So please feel free to add in any and all information that you have, be it interior, suspension setup, colour and stripe, even if it seems a little insignificant, it could very well be the missing piece in another persons puzzle.

[theMINIguy]

My 1974 GTS
Colour: Orange with black stripe
Interior: All black
Seats: GTS bucket type with no headrest hole
Wheels: 12" (silver rims, black hubcaps)
Brakes: 8.4" discs front, spaced drums rear
Single circuit master cylinder (big steel bottle like S)
No brake booster
Fuel pump: Electric, mounted in rear subframe
Tail lights: Mk2
Reverse lights: Black plastic pods fitted on rear valance below bumper
Cast chrome Austin badge in center of grille
Plastic moulded wheels arches held on by factory installed body tabs on wider wheel arch seams and the beading trim (All GTS's have the same arches)

[Miniac]

That's a superbly laid out response, thanks Malcolm.

[Boyscout]

Maybe add detail on wheel arches?

[Miniac]

As far as I am aware the GTS was the only model that came out with the additional 1" metal lip for the GTS arches to mount to and the arches were standard and there was no variation.

I know that on my own GTS the additional one inch lip was removed to allow the fitment of the mini special arches as the originals fell to pieces while being removed for the bodywork to be carried out.

[abri]

I have a nice collection of GTS images that I will share once I can get them loaded onto the dreaded photobucket.

[Miniac]

That'll be highly appreciated Abri. If you find Photobucket to be a bit of a pain, you could always mail them to me and I'll upload them and post them for you.

[Jared Mk3]

Looks to be a lot of variations on the GTS cars. Glad the Mk3s are much simpler in terms of differences.

[Miniac]

The GTS was manufactured over a stretch of 7 years from 73 up to and including 79 with a number of changes happening over that period of time in terms if both improvements and interior styling, this for me is one of the main areas of confusion as I've seen a number of GTSs sporting similar seats but with an abundance of different materials used ranging from houndstooth to the material used in the Van Den Plas and so on and so forth. My personal '79 GTS had a revamp of the interior many moons ago which has left me in the dark as to what should be in there as opposed to what is in there, where as my late '73 had its period correct low back seats with a sort of Ox Blood/Burgundy interior trim.

[Jared Mk3]

Similar to the interior of my dad's GT? The oxblood interior that is Ed.