Remind me again where to find production date for our cars?

Hi Ben, I used my Karmann Tag as example, hope it helps a bit to get closer to the date !
Click to view attachment

Frank I don't have that tag just the VIN.. Can I decode the VIN 4742910193

VIn between 4742900001 - 4742921370 = 1974 914
and problably an engine from below ranges:
AN0000001-AN0008797 1.8
EC0000001-EC0037551 1.8
GA0006766-GA0015021 2.0
GB0007402-GB0009821 2.0

Sorry...that is all I can 'decode' for you.

Hi,

as far as I am informed, it is the last 2 digits that count the number of produced cars on that very day.
If in some cases more than 99 cars were built on a specific day, the number "95" changes to "96".

262|95|73 means, it is the 73rd car built on the second day of the 26th week. (262|96|73 would be car #173)

Please correct me if I am wrong. Does anybody have a "96" on that plate?

Arno

Chassis number in the rear trunk floor?
If still readable...

Good question about the 6xx.

Datapoint from the 914LE Registry (~280 cars) which indicates a couple of 580s, a couple of 570s and nothing 600 or above. Most are 550 and below. Not definitive due to the limited dataset. I don’t recall ever seeing a 6xx plate, if they exist hopefully someone will post it.

I bet Dave Pateman knows. @davep

Oh man long gone..

Thanks for the heads up. Yes, for the 914/4, the Karmann # is a pretty good start for the production date. BUT, this is the date that the body was produced, not when the running car was completed. I am certain the Karmann # was on the body well before the VIN was stamped into it. Corresponding with Werner I understand that Mittelmotor says the last two digits were the running total for the week, but this is wrong, it is the running total for the day. And yes, the base was 9500 for the early years, and then changed to base 9000. I have a lot of examples of 96xx, so there were often runs of more than 100 per day. I have some really odd data for the last couple of years, but I think that some of that is in error. I do like to get combos of VIN, Karmann # and if possible compliance date code. Another # that may help is a parallel to the Karmann # which is the production # handwritten in crayon on the underside of the dash. In many cases the Karmann # and the production # are identical but not always. You just have to stand on your head to find it, and hope it is still legible.

These #'s are on a 914/6 as well, but the format is completely different, and has no real relation to a date. If you want my help, then email with enough info to make it possible.

I should know this, but isn't that number also written on the bottom side of the dashboard by hand? (as long as it still has the original dash) I just removed the dash from my current project car and it does match.

Anyone have a clue about what colors and why they chose those colors on the original dashes? The bottom of the dash of my L96D car is an odd yellow color.

I am really just looking so I can have the jamb sticker reproduced.

Any guesses to month of production? I wanted to out a new stick in mine to round out the conversion but its not that big of deal.. I might just buy the blank and put the VIN on it myself.. Crazy? Probably

if you can't find a Karman production number on your car you might find cars with a VIN close to yours. That might help you to determine the month of build. Dave can probably help you there.

On my car the production number reads out to 22 August. The car is punched to be produced in September. That is okay if the production of its body started on 22nd August, than it is likely that the car was completed in September. In those days the production of a car took longer than it does today.

take care

The chassis numbers (rear trunk floor and under dash, unfortunately the paint code plate is missing) on my current project car match up with what is left of the compliance sticker in the door jamb. The chassis numbers indicated it was from December 1973 and the compliance sticker also indicates 12/73 as a production date.

One note though, my numbers don't have a 95 in the middle, mine have a 96 there.

4859616

As far as I have learned, John´s car was the 116th built on that very day according to the "96" instead of the "95" on the plate. Makes some sense, since 1973 was the year with the highest 914 output from the Karman factory.

I am not sure any of this conversation is about my cars production date? If so I might need some more hand holding.

I had to get a new door jam sticker as well, got it from Carbone. What I used for the production date on that sticker was the production date that was on my COA. using the above karmann body production date put my body production in August '75 and the completed date was Sept of '75 . I know the order date and delivery date of the car(Oct '75 was delivery) because i have the original sales paperwork and the window sticker etc too. so that helped make sure those dates made sense. YOu could get a COA and they can verify you have the engine and chassis are correct. mine was a special order color . Interesting that from order date to delivery was only about 2 months. Good luck with your search.

4742910193 should have production month 11/73

What is the VIN of this car John? As stated, 616 means chassis 116 that day.

Have you checked the VIN database to see if you can box in the month from cars with VINS near yours? If they have recorded chassis numbers, it could help narrow it down.

The VIN of my car ends in 10068. Interesting thread, but I think it will find that VIN and chassis numbers aren't sequential as has been found again and again. I would assume that a VIN ending in 10193 would be close to the same date as my current project.

Thanks. That helps