VIN Page Options

[robkammer]

Hello all: I'm new to the 914 world and am hoping to add a 2.0 to our garage soon. I have seen references to a VIN page in the forums but can't find it on the site.
Can someone point me in the right direction?
Thanks

[JeffBowlsby]

I'm still processing the above, but here are a couple of other fun facts to ponder:

The 1971 wiring schematic includes an oil temp sender circuit on the ignition harness and the original ignition harnesses have this circuit. The 1970 and 1972 do not. My thinking is that a separate wire directly connected the 1971 ignition harness to a sump mounted oil temp sender. Unlike the later 73-76 cars with the circuitry in the main chassis harness.

The 1973-76 cars have the center console gauge harness connections in the main chassis harness under the carpet, the 1970-72 cars do not.

[wonkipop]

I'm still processing the above, but here are a couple of other fun facts to ponder:

The 1971 wiring schematic includes an oil temp sender circuit on the ignition harness and the original ignition harnesses have this circuit. The 1970 and 1972 do not. My thinking is that a separate wire directly connected the 1971 ignition harness to a sump mounted oil temp sender. Unlike the later 73-76 cars with the circuitry in the main chassis harness.

The 1973-76 cars have the center console gauge harness connections in the main chassis harness under the carpet, the 1970-72 cars do not.

thats pretty interesting stuff.

hints at something i came across when researching the EC engines of 74.
it was in the emissions legislation historical material i stumbled on.
not that i am an historian of the usa epa. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

but around about 72 all the USA domestic manufacturers and the main import vehicle makers (VW being a big player) sat down with the EPA to discuss the timing in play as a result of the Nixon Clean Air Act of 1970. the hiccup was going to be the proposed deadline for the introduction of catalysers. this had been set at 1975 model year.
it was agreed to move it one year to 1976. there were concerns that not enough platinum could be manufactured to ensure there were sufficient cats for USA wide car production.

As a side note California was always one model year in front of the EPA standards introduction. This was agreed to in 1970 for the same reasons. to allow for phasing of manufacture and supply logistics. hence california was to have had cats in 74. they still went ahead with unleaded phasing in on schedule but not the cats.

it struck me there was a possibility that the EC engine with L jet was originally intended for 1973 but was as a result delayed until 1974. they kept running with the D jets for 1973 in the 1.7s. the result in california was the unleaded 1.7 with the 73 (or 70) hp engine which was very weak. i still ponder that weird notation of the 1.8 engines in 1974. where the california engine is the EC-A and the USA engine is the EC-B. they reverse their notation from 1973 in a funny way. and in 75 they reverse it back again on the EC engines. it almost suggests that somehow it might have been that in 73 they might have been going with EA engines for USA 49 states and the EC 1.8 engine for california. like maybe a phased engine introduction. but they held back and just detuned the 1.7 D jet for california. you would need access to the factory archives to get to the bottom of it. but there is something there.

its almost like the wiring harnesses you are describing for the 73 cars were in anticipation for the L jet 1.8 variations that were available in 74 and were in the pipeline and incorporated into the body during production regardless. but a last minute decision was made on the engines to the contrary.

i'll dig around more in my L jet files to find any other package bin fitted cars i came across in 74 and 75. i've ended up with about 80 74 cars on file from the L jet research. i was tracking those painted engine stamp numbers.

what i found is the L jets for USA definitely only had 4 of those painted stamp numbers.
they corresponded to whether the cars were california or USA epa markets and whether they were fitted with the sump plate sender and engine wiring for the sender.

the same patter repeated in 1975. ended up finding all 4 of the numbers for the 75 L jet.
same pattern associated with the 4 numbers as in 1974.

i looked for it in the 73s. only two numbers. never came across a 73 1.7 that was fitted with guages and was what i considered trustworthy as an example. ie its sales docket data corresponded to its present condition.

another little thing i noticed is just about every 1.8, whether 74 or 75 i found has vinyl on the targa bar originally. (again using trustworthy examples). there seemed to be no 1.8s without the vinyl. there are some now of course but they were all repainted/restored cars. this was whether a base 1.8 or an appearance group 1.8.
i'm strictly referring to USA market cars here. there were vinyl targa bar deletes in Europe. the 74 1.8 in the porsche museum is a no vinyl 1.8, but thats also an AN twin carb euro engine car.

in 73 you could get a base 1.7 without vinyl targa bar and you seemed to get the vinyl with the appearance group. you could also get the 2.0 the same way.

most of the trustworthy 2.0s i have come across with the research seemed to have vinyl targas in 74 and 75 - whether appearance group or not. apart from the LEs.

that was a pattern i could see in all the examples we found for L jet research around the 73 to 75 model years.

not saying this is 100% accurate. there could well be examples existing that discount the pattern i have seen from the examples collected on file. but......its what i am seeing in the material i did collect.