chassis number decoder, is this right? Options

[914 RZ-1]

So I'm looking for something that will tell me what the numbers mean on the chassis number. I find the "chassis number decoder" info shown. However, it doesn't seem to work. Am I missing something? My chassis number-found on the inside front fender on a plate (is this supposed to be the same as the VIN number?)-is 472 2910951, door sticker says car was built in Feb '72.

So using the decoder it seems my car was built in the 29th week of the year (29) on Monday (1) at the Karmann factory (9) and it was the 51st car built that day.

By the way, the chassis plate states the car was "Made in Germany", but there was a West and East Germany back then, so what gives?

[mgarrison]

So, my chassis # = 4649581 and my VIN = 4742908715 with an 11/73 build date.

Then:

46 = 46th week of 1973
4 = Thursday
9 = Karmann Factory
581 = 81st build of the day (nobody knows what that pesky "5" is...???)

So...November 15, 1973

Did I work that out correctly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

If so, that's pretty COOL because our daughter's birthday is November 15th! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)

[wonkipop]

So, my chassis # = 4649581 and my VIN = 4742908715 with an 11/73 build date.

Then:

46 = 46th week of 1973
4 = Thursday
9 = Karmann Factory
581 = 81st build of the day (nobody knows what that pesky "5" is...???)

So...November 15, 1973

Did I work that out correctly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

If so, that's pretty COOL because our daughter's birthday is November 15th! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)

the pesky 5 is the number assigned to 914s on the karmann assembly line up to the first 100. then it flipped to a 6 if they went over 100 for the day (which they rarely did).

other cars on the k production line got a different number at that location.
something like 1 and 2 for the beetle cabs and 3 and 4 for ghias. not sure i have the actual number assigned correct but they got different numbers.

later when they shut down the ghia line and moved the 914s across to the cab line with the beetles the 914s got a different number instead of 5 and 6. if i recall when i looked into this they might have got the ghias old numbers. but there was also a week where they got scrambled. dave p knows all about it. i think the scirrocos ended up with the numbers that the 914 had from 70 to 74.

the number on the karmann plate is a VW production number. all VWs of that era have it. depending on the factory or the model where the VW was made the factory number is different. ie its not a 9 if its not the karmann plant. and the next number after that is different depending on the model being made at the factory. some models got more than two numbers allocated for the sequencing of cars for the day. they were making a lot more than 100 beetles for instance at wolfsburg than 100 per day. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)