All,

I've done a search and found bits here and there, but can't seem to get confirmation. I have thought of doing a COA, but I've heard that they are often missing information, so here goes...

One of the reasons I bought my car is that - to my uneducated eye - the numbers seemed to line up and the car is in amazingly original condition. I just pulled the engine and transmission (going through engine and having Dr Evil do the trans) and it was apparent that this was the first time it had been out. All the fasteners looked new under the layers of air-cooled adobe. Anyway, here's what I got:

VIN - 4742902957
Door date - 09/73
Engine - GA 006499
Transmission - HA 10093
Karmann Plate - 3749594

From this info, it looks like my car was built Sept 13th, 1973. The Karmann plate is throwing me off with the "4" in there. I can only assume this was because of the model year change? Hopefully the image comes out, as the PO painted over the factory Zambezi Green and the Karmann plate.

Also, the engine code appears to be a very late '73. I'm thinking that jives with the early production date for '74. The car has the early gas tank, charcoal can in the front, and silver dot gauges.

Thanks for any confirmation. The 914World community has already helped a ton, and I'm proud to finally be a 914 owner regardless.

Trying to upload images, but the forum bot keeps giving me the finger. What's the best way to host images so they can be embedded?

mapguy

Welcome to the insanity!

The ONLY way to verify the numbers is to get to get the COA, otherwise its all just a guess.

Your VIN is early-ish 1974 model year, yet the engine SN is late 73. Something seems amiss there at first glance...but maybe not, stranger things have happened with 914s.

PS...the trick to the photos is to down size them using your paint program or other. Good results happen with 1200 x 800, and don't click the preview button.

OK, thanks for the info. I'll definitely consider the COA a bit more now.

trying again with the photos...

Well...

At least they are on there! Rotate your monitor for proper viewing.

with Jeff....

PCNA will want a pic of your 2.0 engine number to verify it's a factory 2L.

More often than not they don't have the transaxle case # on file, but send that too anyway.

Use the Karmann plate's color number to verify paint color is what they give you, and use Jeff's website's interior section to verify that they correctly read the interior color & type (he has the 74 interior codes somewhere on there), which I used his 72 & 74 ones for my 73 when they incorrectly said biege #31 was black (#11).

PCA members & Panorama & Excellence magazines have a discount on the COA price, and the original window sticker copy gives you more off & them less room to screw up!

As often as they are wrong, it's still the gold standard - even if only plated & peeling!

Oddly enough - for half the price, 1/4 the time & correct the 1st time - VW had our `88 Westy COA dead on correct!!!! ....go figure!?

PS - as an early August/Sept. 73 build - the GA engine # could be a carry over of whatever was in the parts bin when going down the line! Mixing of earlier & the correct MY parts happened a lot the fist couple of months & my 73 2L has some <72 parts on it too.

This is very helpful. Thanks Tom and Jeff!!

Busy getting the trans, engine, and fuel system gone through and the fun little bugger back on the road, but a COA is definitely in the cards. It's at least nice to hear that I didn't completely mis-read everything before writing the check.

Hi there,

Here I have some extra info on how some of the numbers are made up.

The numbers on the Karmann plate translate to when the chassis was built by karmann;
3749594
37 = week 37
4 = day 4 of the week. this comes to thursday 13th september 1973
95 = number created by porsche
94 = number coming off the production line on that day.

The number of the gearbox is usualy date of manufacture, so your box was probably built on the 10th of september 1973

VIN: 4742902957
47 = 914 model 4 cylinder
4 = model year (1974) runs from 2nd half 1973 to half 1974.
29 = Porsche number
02957 = sequence number of assembled car.

Sorry, but I don't have any info on the engine number.

I hope this helps you a bit.

Hi,
Did you ever receive matching numbers confirmation?
I'm waiting for my COA but your numbers are so close to mine that I feel pretty comfortable that all is OK.
My car was built the day before yours only 177 up the line. My 2.0 engine number is G008652 or 153 engines up the line from yours. My car is signal orange with original paint. I've had the car for about 5 weeks.
Jack

Hi Jack,

Congrats on your car! I got your PM, and I'm looking forward to hearing how your COA comes back. I haven't done it yet, as that money is going to machine work and countless replacement bits. Is definitely in the cards, though.

Thanks again to everyone for your feedback!

It's all close enough. Dads car is 2 weeks younger with similar numbers. I'll post some picts. Dads car is original at least we've owned it since 1976 with PO history.

Picts

My engine number appears to be later for an earlier car, but the motors could have been arranged LIFO for their respective cycles.

Sorry, tough picture.

Dads Car:
Build date - 9/7/73
VIN - 4742901868
Karman- 3559565
Engine - GA008064

The original transmission is in a box to be mated back with the engine later.

Good luck!