Engine tin number stamps, ..could this be the answer? Options

[Bleyseng]

pic from a 40k mile 76.

[Pat Garvey]

The more I look at these markings, the more I can envision how they were probably applied. They don't look like they were sprayed on, using a template. The consistency of the paint is weak, so I son't think a padded stamp was used either.

Looks to me as if they used something like a hard paper stencil & a small, hard roller.

[Bleyseng]

I think that the assemblers were playing long distance Bingo with the Dealers.

"I25"...ok, next is "O65"

[ClayPerrine]

I just picked up the last load of used parts that I bought, and a bunch of engine tin came with it. As soon as I can, I will take pictures of the numbers on the tin.

But some of them have the engine code above the numbers.

[1970 Neun vierzehn]

I just finished a long distance conversation with a Porsche Factory service rep who worked for Porsche from 1959 thru 1977. After that, he transfered to the Audi division, then went on to work for the VW organization. My loose professional affiliation with a VW dealership was what led me to him. He had retired several years ago, and unfortunately no longer has any of his Porsche reference material.

His recollection of the significance of the engine tin stamping was to indicate the "origin of (the) parts location". Before inventory was bar-coded and tracked by computer (when our 914s were manufactured), the stamps on various parts were to show where (factory or parts source) that the particular part came from. Obviously, small parts such as tune up items, cables, lenses, interior bits and pieces oft times came to us, the ultimate user, with the familiar little paper tag attached to them. Without my prompting, he recalled how the "GA" designation indicated a "stocking location". From our conversation, it appearred that these obscure white stamps on our engine tin mattered not one bit to anyone after the car was assembled. These stamps didn't concern dealer service, parts or, of course , the sales department.

From what I can gather, the engine tin numbers just told the inventory control personel at the assembly plant in Osnabruck where these parts came from.

Yesterday, I had an all too brief conversation with a guy who worked as a mechanic at Classic Porsche/Audi on Hamilton Avenue in Cincinnati in the early '70s. When he recalled prepping 914s, I asked him about the white stamped markings on the engine tin. His reply was that they indicated the origin of manufacture (plant or division) and/or (specific) vendor if not produced "in-house".
He further stated that the stamps could/would be used to determine the origin of the sheetmetal if there was a fitment or failure issue related to a warranty claim.

Paul

[JeffBowlsby]

There is a clear relationship of the white painted number codes to the engine type and model year, the same code occurs on all the same engines of a given type for a given model year, they did not vary. If they were identifying the supplier or the mfr plant of the tin, it would have been the same for all parts produced for that engine/model year, which would be already known so why would they do that? Skeptical...

[pnewman]

I love this thread!

Nothing like a good Mystery!

My tin is sans any numbers after looking.

Consider this a "bump" to keep this thread going.
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[1970 Neun vierzehn]

If they were identifying the supplier or the mfr plant of the tin, it would have been the same for all parts produced for that engine/model year, which would be already known so why would they do that? Skeptical...

But, but.......how would they know in the fall of 1969 when 914 production was ramping up that the same mfg. plant or vendor would be still providing engine tin (or some other component) throughout the entire 914 models' production run? In 1969 did VW or Porsche foresee the end of production a mere six years on?

Paul

[914Eric]

Here are my numbers off an early 73 2.0.

It is EA349 over 621 although it is smeared and hard to read.

They really smeared mine.

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