!973 2.0 questions - Paint and configuration, Need some information please Options

[Downerman]

So I picked this up in Van Nuys and it's down to just the shell. Doors, hoods, well everything off the car. Rust cut out and repaired and next week the dustless blaster get's here and then I epoxy primer the car.

Now, that being said, the original color is L-80E which is Ivory White. I have read ALL of the threads and no one actually has the new paint formula to share here in the forums. My paint supplier told me to bring in some paint off the car. that's impossible as it sits 3' off the ground and ready to strip. I've been told to buy a quality paint (learned that lesson with my last car) and was told to get Matrix because PPG does not make a two stage that matches that L-80E number. Is there anyone who has sprayed a newer paint that feels the shade matches the original Ivory White? If so can you recommend the brand and formula?

Second thing is my car has the black undercoat along the underside but behind the rockers is white. I assume that the car was originally completely painted white as I see it under the black coating. I was planning on hitting some spots with some clear POR15, let dry of course, then entire car with PPG DP50LF with 401 Catalyst, then sealing all the seams with Wurth Seam Sealer GR1019. Then hit the underside with Raptor bed liner (Black) as many here have good things to say about it.
Any flaws or experience here from you guys that can share your experiences?

So my 73 is after the serial number denoting the black sills meaning I should have the black and mine are aluminum. I got two window/trim sets with the deal. One is polished Aluminum and the other is polished aluminum that has been either painted black or anodized black??? Is the black one correct? I can't imagine they would just paint those sills as they take some serious abuse but what did they use? The glove box lock was also painted black and that seems weird to me. I soaked it in brake fluid and it's of course chrome and looking good but was it black as well? It has the original center console with the correct gauges and I recently purchased a correct 150 silver dot speedo for the car. Are there any other 73 2.0 secrets that I might be missing?

On a side note, I called Porsche in Atlanta and they took my vin and engine/trans numbers and the car is numbers matching. The engine and trans are out of the car and appear to be complete. No compression out of #3 (Figures right?). If memory serves me, do the valves sometimes get stuck? This engine has sat for years and years. I guess it really doesn't matter because I'm planning on new rings and some head work (minimum). It will go to the machine shop for some thorough measurements.

Oh yeah, can you get a repo door sticker that has the vin in dot matrix form? Mine is ok but I'm not sure how to protect it from the blaster other than have him not get near it.

Thanks for reading.

[Tom_T]

Downerman -

See my blue notes in your message quote below, then the links for PPG & Glasurit mix codes for L80E "Light Ivory" (ignore all other names for the color that paint mfgrs use).

So I picked this up in Van Nuys and it's down to just the shell. Doors, hoods, well everything off the car. Rust cut out and repaired and next week the dustless blaster get's here and then I epoxy primer the car.

Now, that being said, the original color is L-80E which is Ivory White. I have read ALL of the threads and no one actually has the new paint formula to share here in the forums. My paint supplier told me to bring in some paint off the car. that's impossible as it sits 3' off the ground and ready to strip. I've been told to buy a quality paint (learned that lesson with my last car) and was told to get Matrix because PPG does not make a two stage that matches that L-80E number. Is there anyone who has sprayed a newer paint that feels the shade matches the original Ivory White? If so can you recommend the brand and formula?

Stick with Dupont, PPG, Glasurit or Sikkends paints, as they're the best out there (I don't know Matrix nor their quality). You don't need a 2-stage paint for a non-metallic paint like L80E, but I would think that any compatible clear coat could be top coated over the single stage L80E if you want the added protection. Being a small quantity for the 914, you may be able to get the old school solvent based L80E to shoot your 914 (I've been told that paint shops can have a CARB exception for small quantities on classic cars).

Make sure that it really was an original L80E, & I assume that you've taken the L80E off of the Karmann Plate on the driver's side front door jamb, but spend the money to get a COA from PCNA since it's a numbers matching 2.0 - if you didn't order when you called them (mention the COA ad in Panamera magazine & you'll get $10 or $20 off).

If you're going to use the new water based 2-stage paint, then find a removeable part like the headlight or engine lids with the original L80E showing, & take that to the paint supplier to use the underside of it (not exposed to sunlight area) to have them "shoot" it for a color match. I wouldn't trust that Rustoleum for anything but a close-ish match on a basic driver resto, & you're going to a lot of work & trying to do yours right

Second thing is my car has the black undercoat along the underside but behind the rockers is white. I assume that the car was originally completely painted white as I see it under the black coating. I was planning on hitting some spots with some clear POR15, let dry of course, then entire car with PPG DP50LF with 401 Catalyst, then sealing all the seams with Wurth Seam Sealer GR1019. Then hit the underside with Raptor bed liner (Black) as many here have good things to say about it.
Any flaws or experience here from you guys that can share your experiences?

The black was one of the dealer applied undercoatings on the belly & wheelwells, with the body color over a chip gaurd from the factory, so you can recreate the finish with Wurth Underbody Schutz (look for the threads in the Originality & History Forum on that). You can recreate the black top-coated undercoating with various materials, or leave it off - if you'll drive it a lot, the extra protection won't hurt, but if you're looking for a top dollar originality resto, then I'd say leave the black off.

So my 73 is after the serial number denoting the black sills meaning I should have the black and mine are aluminum. I got two window/trim sets with the deal. One is polished Aluminum and the other is polished aluminum that has been either painted black or anodized black??? Is the black one correct? I can't imagine they would just paint those sills as they take some serious abuse but what did they use? The glove box lock was also painted black and that seems weird to me. I soaked it in brake fluid and it's of course chrome and looking good but was it black as well? It has the original center console with the correct gauges and I recently purchased a correct 150 silver dot speedo for the car. Are there any other 73 2.0 secrets that I might be missing?

Unfortunately things at the factory in the 70's was nowhere near accurate enough to denote anything about colors & parts, since they used up the prior year parts in the bins on early MY cars. My guess is that you had a DAPO who decided that they liked everything blacked out. The 1973 should have polished aluminum or chrome at the windshield, windows, sails & targa; & if an Appearance Group - chrome bumpers F & R & chromed fog light grills up front; & all 73s had the aluminum door sills/carpet strips set with white plastic rivets (black plastic started in 74>).

On a side note, I called Porsche in Atlanta and they took my vin and engine/trans numbers and the car is numbers matching. The engine and trans are out of the car and appear to be complete. No compression out of #3 (Figures right?). If memory serves me, do the valves sometimes get stuck? This engine has sat for years and years. I guess it really doesn't matter because I'm planning on new rings and some head work (minimum). It will go to the machine shop for some thorough measurements.

It sounds like you'll need a head job, but I'd recco that you do a thorough engine & transaxle rehab/rebuild as needed now, while everything is out of the car, & fix/replace anything which is iffy. Assuming that you're sticking with the D-jet EFI, make sure to match all parts to the correct 73 MY, cuz they changed many components in 74-76. I'd also suggest a thorough cleaning of the cases, tins & other components on the exterior - not just so it looks good cosmetically, but also so you can trace any leaks or whatever else pops up post-rebuild.

Oh yeah, can you get a repo door sticker that has the vin in dot matrix form? Mine is ok but I'm not sure how to protect it from the blaster other than have him not get near it.

As Larmo/Lawrence mentioned above, SoCalAndy on here does them, so take some pix of your VIN sticker & shoot him a PM or email with the pix to order. IIRC he has a topic on here for ordering them.

Thanks for reading.

For the old school PPG & Glasurit paint cards with the mixes, you have to jump around MYs to get the L80E & have to use the VW version - since they don't seem to list any Porsche ones online that I've found so far for my own 73 L80E. The 914s were all made & painted at the VW Karmann plant anyway, & initially the 914-6's used the Porsche 1110 Porsche paint code (for "Light Ivory with Black" for the Targa top in black), while the 914/4's used the VW paint code of L80E for "Light Ivory" (the official "Ivory" for VW & Porsche is a darker & more yellow-pinkish color). Eventually they went with the L80E only in the 73 MY IIRC anyway.

Since L80E was exactly the same color & mix for all MYs 1970-76, you can use info from any MY, & there was no difference between VW & Porsche paints/codes.

Here is what I've found in my own L80E paint code research:

> For some reason this website doesn't list L80E in their PPG charts -
http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/aclchip.as...swagen-pg01.jpg

But they do in other 70-76 MYs here -

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1976-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1976-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1975-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1975-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1975-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1970-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1970-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1970-Vol...9121.1524935589

http://images.tcpglobal.com/chips/1971-Vol...9121.1524935589

Print the above out &/or save to your computer for future reference.---^


http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/aclchip.as...swagen-pg01.jpg

http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedispl...973&rows=50

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colou...ch_porsche_1973

http://p914.com/p914_paint_73.htm

http://p914.com/p914_paint_L80E_72.htm

Good Luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[bbrock]

... & all 73s had the aluminum door sills/carpet strips set with white plastic rivets (black plastic started in 74>).[/b][/i][/color]

Interesting. My '73 2.0 has black plastic sill plates. It's possible they were replaced by a PO but I have all the receipts for the car from 1976 on so they would have to have been replaced within the first 3 years after manufacture. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Downerman]

Thank you all for the great information. I think I will leave off the undercoating living out here in Monterey area. Also with respect to the black sill plates. The 914 book by Dr. Johnson (and I have no idea how it's perceived in the 914 factual world) say's that in 1973 after serial # 473 291 8919 they were black plastic. Hoping to shed some light on comment below.

Interesting. My '73 2.0 has black plastic sill plates. It's possible they were replaced by a PO but I have all the receipts for the car from 1976 on so they would have to have been replaced within the first 3 years after manufacture. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
[/quote]

[bbrock]

Thank you all for the great information. I think I will leave off the undercoating living out here in Monterey area. Also with respect to the black sill plates. The 914 book by Dr. Johnson (and I have no idea how it's perceived in the 914 factual world) say's that in 1973 after serial # 473 291 8919 they were black plastic. Hoping to shed some light on comment below.

That works. I'm 473 291 8937. I have the 1st edition of that book but never noticed the VIN cutoff, will look again. Thanks!