Two quick, easily-answered questions..., ...about VIN #'s and jacks Options

[Eric Hagelin]

1. Is there any way to tell, from the VIN #, what the original color of my car was?

2. Where can I buy a jack? (I didn't see one listed at Pelican.)

Thanks in advance,

EH

[davep]

The only thing the VIN tells you is the model, model year and the serial #.
47 5 29 06985, type 47 is the 914/4, 5 is model year 1975, 29 is probably the Karmann factory, and the rest is the serial #.

Now the chassis number is more of a date code. 50 4 9 045, week 50, day 4 (Thursday) and 45th body that day. So the body was welded up in December, and then finished into a completed car the same month.

The decal basically says the car met regulations for the date it was produced, and was only used for North America.

Karmann used two silver paints for 914 production. L96D was used to the end of MY 1974 and did not stand up well at all. L97A was used for MY 1975 and was an attempt for an improved paint. Some 1975 cars did have L96D in the early production.