We look forwards to helping you discover what you have. There could have been a lot of changes over the years - or you might have a survivor.

Assuming the VIN plate has the correct original number of the car (not always the case) you can order factory heritage records for it. 

Thanks for the info.  I'll take it all into account and try to see what I'm getting.

Congrats on the purchase. Pick up a copy of Original Mini Cooper and Cooper S by John Parnell it has a wealth of information on both models.

Welcome, Jeremy!

Three weeks is going to feel like forever.
Your new Mini will have a vehicle identification plate somewhere on it under the bonnet. That identifies the car body.
The engine serial number normally is on a metal plate on the top of the engine block in a flat area just below the line of the head gasket near the head bulge for the thermostat. (The plate on the valve cover is more of a decorative logo and doesn't really tell anything about the engine.) The engine serial number plate is about 1cm wide x 4 to 5 cm long and is riveted to the block. Sometimes the serial number is lost when the engine block is chemically cleaned during a major rebuild.
Here is a short article on identification of Mini engines:
https://www.minimania.com/Mini_Identification__Identifying_Minis_by_Engine-Power_Unit

You will see toward the bottom of the article a list of Mini engine serial number prefixes. They are for engines originally installed in Minis and Coopers. However, engines don't last forever and need to be replaced. It is not uncommon for a Mini to have a replacement engine. For a time factory built (or rebuilt?) engines were available, commonly known a Gold Seal engines. - a whole different set of serial numbers. Some Minis receive engines from cars that weren't Minis, e.g. Metros, another set of numbers. My Mini, for example started off life with a 998cc standard compression engine in Germany. Somewhere in its life it had a MG Metro 1275 high compression engine swapped in and it came to Canada where I bought it. My engine number starts 12HA83AA... - not on the list in the article.

Here's an article on Mini Cooper Identification:
https://www.minimania.com/Classic_Mini_Cooper_Identification_Guide

I will leave it to you to dig into the details. Note the comments about counterfitting Coopers - makes for even more sleuthing variables.

Keep in touch and show-and-tell your Mini when you receive it.

Congratulations on your new mini!. In the best case there is a metal plate that will ID the engine on the block just below the head, facing up, near the water pump, but it's often missing. On an original S engine look for tappet chest covers in the back of the engine below the exhaust. 11 head bolts, or two extra head bolts, one near the heater valve and one near the thermostat. There is a ton of other things to ID a Cooper and or Cooper S car/engine as well.

BLUF: How do I identify the engine on my 1966 Mini Cooper/Cooper S, with dual carbs?

 

My name is Jeremy.  I am super new to the Mini community, but have been involved in other car communities for a little while now.  I have had a 2012 Countryman Cooper S for a few months and I am just coming into a 66/MK1 Cooper/Cooper S? in about 3 weeks (Delivery time).  I have deciphered my VIN and ID'd the car as a Cooper or Cooper S and I can tell it has dual carbs.  Other than that, I am not totally sure how to identify the engine.  I am going off of pictures my sister in-law took and she didn't get a good look at the identiplate on the valve cover.