914/6 Chassis #??, Where is it? Options

[Lawrence]

Okay, I was looking around for Dave Pateman, gathering data on my /6. (I know my VIN from memory, but not the other numbers.)

I went to the door jamb to get the chassis number - huh? WFT? Did someone steal my chassis number? I got a color code, but no chassis number.

Dave said look on the rear trunk floor. Where on the trunk floor? I don't see anything.

Suggestions?

-Rusty

[meursault]

You should still have vin numbers in the normal places, like on top of the right wheel housing, inside the windshield frame on the driver's side, maybe even on the headlight bucket. If not, I'd start to think something fishy's going on... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Lawrence]

I don't mean VIN numbers, I mean chassis number. Two different things.

[meursault]

Oh, I'm sorry. Chassis number? Yeah, I think there's an internal chassis number sometimes stamped on the rear trunk floor above the crossmember, if memory serves. I just don't know what use this is for anybody. The VIN, transmission number, and engine number tells me all I need to know. I don't even think my certificate of authenticity documents the chassis number of my six.

[jtf914]

Pretty sure my chassis number is blank as well. I'll check tonight and let you know.

[meursault]

I gotta admit, this whole chassis numebr business intrigued me. So I took a look at my six and took some pictures. I looked at the plate. nothing here.

[meursault]

took a look at the trunk and though there are several layers of paint there, no sign of a number. I know I've seen this somewhere. So I opened the trunk of my '70 914-4 and....

[meursault]

So now I know where to look. Back to the six. I don't see anything here....

[SirAndy]

i replaced the rear trunk floor and altough my original floor didn't have a number, the "new" floor had a number stamped in on the passanger side behind the tail-light.
kind of a odd place for a chassis # ?!?

[meursault]

The only other place I can think of that might have such a number is the underside of the dash where ther might be a chalk number. I have that out so I can take a look. Any other suggestions?

My six needs help. Can anyone recommend a media blaster in the San Diego area?

[Dave Cawdrey]

Mine is on p.side, below tail light. Then again, itsa /4... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[meursault]

Yeah, I noticed that on a '74 chassis I wrecked and still have around. Thought I'd look at a car that was about the same vintage though....

[Brad Roberts]

Did you find a blaster in SD ??


B

[meursault]

Nope, haven't gotten any leads. But I'm not in any real hurry; I just want to know if anyone's had any experience with someone local before I get to that step. I'm looking in particular for a company that deals in plastic bead media to do pretty much the whole car.

It looks like the only way I'm going to get this car back together is in turning it into a racecar for a vintage 2 liter series my dad's buddy is really into. At some point it may sell as a prepped car. I understand these cars bring in big bucks in that state, especially if they are original sixes.

Any thoughts?

[Brad Roberts]

Big bucks ?? LOL

The 2.0 vintage HSR West group is gaining momentum here but you'll be lucky to get out of the car what you put into it during race prep. I would hate to see a real six cut up and used for racing. If I remember correctly, the HSR rules dont call for a factory 6 VIN number on the race cars...so you could pick up a free 914 roller and build it into a race car using the stock 2.0 6 out of the 9146.


Just a thought. The cars are not going up in value right now, but dont sacrifice one for racing...LOL


B

[meursault]

Well, okay. Maybe that whole bit about big bucks seemed a little naive. A partner of my dad's is pushing the idea, reasoning that we can run the car, perhaps rent it out at the track (I don't know if this puts you out ahead or not) and if it's sold, you get a better return on your investment with an original six vin. I don't know how much of the car needs to get cut up to do this; I envision replacing replacing body panels with fiberglass where able, making a few cuts for a front oil cooler, and adding a roll cage. If we add GT flares it'll just mean that I wasted my time attaching stock fenders to replace the originals that a PO had cut for fiberglass flares. But I think we'd be pulling out the fenders to make room for whatever wheels we'd be able to run.

Anyway, I agree with you. I'd be much happier just building up a 914-4 chassis for the series, actually building the motor from scratch and leaving the original 914-6 motor alone, and race it without worrying too much about stuffing a valuable chassis if something goes wrong.

But If I have reason to believe my dad's partner (and oftentimes I don't), I can get something going with this car, perhaps have a little fun with it, and get out from under it financially (he'll put up most of the money and effort to put it together and prep it) rather than wondering if I can ever put Humpty back together again. With the best intentions I stripped a running car to begin a restoration and now I'm just a little too discouraged to deal with it.

Actually, Brad, some months ago I had arranged to buy a 914-6 chassis from you but it ended up being taken by a local buyer you thought had backed out of the deal. You said you'd get back to me with another offering. I haven't heard from you again about it. I completely understand if you've forgotten about the whole thing, but in any case, do you have a six chassis better suited to build up for the series you could sell?

Marc Le Friant

[meursault]

Anyway, just to run this chassis number issue into the ground...

Here's my certificate of authenticity. Again, no chassis number. It seems 914-6 chassis didn't use any chassis numbers, which is especially strange since Karman built the bodies. They were then transported to the Porsche factory, where the suspension and drivetrain were installed. I remember seeing pictures of the bodies being pushed around on dollies into Porsche's factory. You'd figure that Karman would need a chassis number outside of Porsche's numbering system to keep track of what they were producing since the cars were leaving their plant unfinished as opposed to the four cylinder cars, which in my understanding were finished there.

Anyway, here's my certificate. Speaking of numbers, I figure my car was just a few numbers away from being a factory six. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Oh well.