What is in a COA?
Interior color?
Options?

I get exterior color and engine…

$500.00 is a bit steep for a DB search and hitting print

What?

i doubt you would need one of those useless CofA's Van.
not with that fat file of paperwork you got with the car.
betting there is the window sticker still in there.
worth much more than a C of A if you ask me.

@r_towle
PM dave pateman.
i'm sure he does a much better job with the service he offers.

word down here was some naughty folk were doing counterfeits.
so porsche has tightened up.
dunno how they stop the fakes but.
just an excuse to charge.

i believe you can actually get them out of VW germany.
i thought about trying that out a year or so ago.
its a more old fashioned process where you have to write to VW.
but from what i have seen you get a stack more info from them.
pretty sure they would cover 914/4s.
after all it was sold as a VW more or less through VW dealers in europe.

Here's my old style COA.

Is there a "new style"?

The "Cheaper" route nowadays is the Porsche Production Specifications (PPS). It's not very detailed, and I think it costs about $200. If you want more detailed information, you can get the Porsche Classic Technical Certificate, but you have to take your 914 to one of a handful of Classic Porsche Dealerships and have their mechanics inspect it. I think this process costs about $500. Here's a link to the second option and what you actually get:

https://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesands...calcertificate/



Click to view attachment

That doesn't sound like it's a verification of what was installed during manufacturing (which would be verified through manufacturing records). It sounds like dealerships visuallly verifying what's actually installed on the car.

If I'm correct, then someone could get a "Certificate" of a VIN compilation that didn't actually exist.

A lot of people don't understand that Porsche 914s were high-volume, lower-priced, mass-produced automobiles and were never expected to reach collector status. They were just squirted out like Hershey bars to make the companies some money and keep workers working.

I suggest expecting concourse-level documentation is expecting a bit much... - GA

MSRP - not available.



As if Porsche doesn’t know what MSRP was at the time. Porsche and COA have joined the clown show.

Get in contact with @DaveP . His research will get at least as much info as a COA - just no fancy piece of paper with a Porsche crest on it.

My guess is that they are only requiring you to go to the dealer so they can make more money and, possibly, to verify what they find in the inspection matches the info that they already have(and could give you w/o a trip to the dealer). That said, I'm not advocating this process, just linking the info from Porsche.

I like the matching numbers line. Like the numbers for anything wouldn't match coming out of the factory.

I especially like the "optional" sealed beam headlights (which were mandatory for the USA in 1974). Oh, and the rare "US Equipment" option.

Everything in that photo that be determined with a simple inspection of the VIN, color plate, and engine number (and looking at the interior, of which the vast majority were black). Someone would be paying $500 for a letterhead/logo.

Is this where our 914 community is going to? Comparing certs and color codes with 911 owners? Not for me, thanks. - GA

I used David Pateman on my recent purchase and was very pleased with his process. Money well spent.

I agree.
He actually got my key code - very useful.

For me, that was the really the only useful part of the old COA and was legit. You had to provide the VIN and engine number on the application and they would verify IF it matched how the car left the factory.

Here is a sample of what I provide for the 914/4 and /6
Sometimes I get a snippet of an image from the computer record that I have to copy the numbers from and translate that into a report. But I also like to get information from the car such as images of the paint code badge, the compliance decal (for the date), and Karmann body # as well as the installed transmission. I tie all the confirmed data into the Report. I think it is more useful than the CoA and PPS, but you be the judge since you will be paying for it. The more I do, and the better the data I can get these reports will only get better. Any window stickers or maintenance books and original sale documents are very useful also, and selling dealer and so on can be added.
It is best to email me to get my order information package.
Dave

what are classified as "factory installed options"?

Rich

Items that are on the factory list of installed options. However, one has to be careful with the 914 since there are multiple possible model codes for the different trim levels. The model code does add certain items to the "option list" that are not otherwise specifically listed. This is a bit of a work in progress for me, but is is still much better than the CoA/PPS that does not even consider the model codes.

Dave has been great when I used him for my 356. Old school good customer service.
Luckily with my BB the previous owners had obtained a COA back in the old days when they gave the engine number.

When we got our 914-6 from Rusty, there were 3 different COAs that came with the car.

And all three of them had different info in them. And this if for the "real" Porsche version of the 914. Not the VW built one.

So I don't put much stock in the old COAs ever.

I had purchased a COA for a 356 project I did to validate matching engine and trans numbers. The COA I bought was back in 2016 I think? There wasn't very much information on it including the trans SN. Luckily the PO had a COA from the late 90's. It had WAY more detail on it including the trans SN.

Others have said it already, think Porsche stopped including so much detail for some reason. maybe lost info? Maybe some info was incorrect?

The Classic dealers seem to have access to the same PCNA data, was sent this for one of the LE cars.

I am agreeing with GregAmy on this one, but as prices increase also does the

years ago I purchased a 911 turbo, thinking it was a 930, did I get fooled. these days I can barely give it away

Yes, inventing procedures to bill more, and IMO also increasing the focus on the brand "experience". If you can afford to play with a classic Porsche maintained by a dealer, then this is another excuse to go hang out the dealership.

I believe part of the reason, or at least what Porsche said it was, they stopped putting engine and trans #'s on the COA's, was that folks were using them to fabricate matching
numbers on cars when they weren't. Lots of threads on re stamped engine #'s on the 356 registry forum.

yep, thats the story i hear down here from folks in 356 registry.
faking up matching number cars thanks to porsche being helpful about original build documentation. crooks ruin it for everyone.

its entirely possible that porsche might be doing these "technical inspections" to not just advise you on how they can sell you some parts or do a classic service tune up or other work on your car, they might also be carefully keeping tabs on engine numbers and gearbox numbers etc floating around out there, themselves. its like doing a real world audit? they are going to turn up "double identities" if they begin to build a data base.