Hello oh wise ones. A newbie here with a question about my '72 1.7's original color. The riveted Chassis Tag in the LF door jamb says the car's color is L80E (Light Ivory). The color showing through the VIN/Compliance sticker in the LR door jamb clearly shows L13M (Saturn Yellow). Chassis # stampings in the RR trunk, on the RF fender and on the riveted Data Tag on the RF headlight bucket all agree with the Chassis Tag. Every crevice and cavity of the car shows L13M paint. The edges of the "taped-off", Earl Scheib-type yellow repaint of the car reveals a factory original-looking L13M paint. The PO got the girl into an argument with a guardrail, and the LF sheetmetal was replaced (fairly well) from the tire forward and across to the edge of the RF headlight. The red donor sheetmetal is covered with the Earl Scheib-type yellow paint.

Is the Chassis Tag paint code stamping wrong?

And on a tangential note, are the Fuchs-style wheel covers hard to find? Pricey?

Thanks for any help ...

does the karman tag have the chassis number as well and does it match the rest of the car?

if not, someone might have swapped the plate ...
Andy

PS:

Andy's correct. We do require some good photos of the Karmann badge on the hinge post, the VIN decal on the latch post, and also find the body # stamped into the rear trunk floor in front of the right taillight. That stamped body number should match the number on the Karmann badge. You can also check the underside of the dash, above the ashtray, and see if the handwritten # matches either; they should all be the same. In all my years of data collection I have not yet come up with an error, but I would not be very surprised. The one error we know of was a mismatch between the body numbers as well, so the wrong Karmann tag was attached to the body. I certainly do love these mysteries.

Dave
914 Historian
Vin Admin

Andy, Dave:

I will endeavor to get you pics of the Karman Tag, Compliance Sticker and Body Stamping. They do match. Looking through the ashtray opening--with my daughter's compact mirror--I believe I saw 5, 1 and what may have been 9. If so, that would match the last three digits of the cars apparent chassis #. Guess Ill have to learn the dash cover removal procedure to get a good look at those numbers. Also, the overspray paint in the dash cavity is yellow just like all others that I've seen.

I'll work on the pics ...

Click to view attachmentThe Karmann Tag. This is tough to photograph, but you can just make out the numbers with a little "creative" focus -- 0249519 & L 80E.

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Here you can see the L13M color showing through the VIN on the Compliance Sticker.

the VIN sticker on the drivers door jamb shows color code too? -JON

Not saying there's a color code on the sticker, Jon. There's not as far as I know. I'm just assuming that what's showing through the manufacturing date and VIN # perforations on the sticker is the absolute original paint, since it's yellow on my car. The perforation color may be just part of the sticker for all I know, as this is the only one I've ever seen. Also, I've no idea what my assumption would mean on a black car. Maybe they'd use a silver sticker on a black car. I don't really know the expert-type stuff. That's why I'm asking you guys.

You can't really tell from the pic, of course, but the door jamb paint looks original. It was not cheaply repainted like the car's exterior.

I'm just getting back into the air-cooled boxer engine cars after having owned a '66 Karmann Ghia for about 10 years. But that car was many, many moons ago. In the days when I could only dream about owning a 914.

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Despite the poor stamping quality of the chassis #, and a bit of rust obscuring the 5 and 1 digits, I think you can match this # to the one on the Karmann tag. It's pretty evident in an actual inspection.

Okay, good info. We can be relatively certain that the body #'s do match, so the paint code must be in error. The factory probably made sure the body # was correctly matched to the body even though the paint code was in error. I'd be guessing that the body was at or near a paint changeover. I don't have enough 1972 data to know that yet.

You may find that better photos can be taken if you set the camera to macro /closeup mode, and turn off the flash manually.

Thanks Dave, that pretty much confirms it for me. I'll stay with Plan A and sort of drive the girl back to good condition--in L13M--after the hell-hole and floor pan edge repairs, of course. Doubt we'll quite reach the condition of Jon's Achtung! car, but will try.

Would a COA contain any useful info on the paper documentation of the color? I'd sort of like to have one anyway, to verify that the extra engine I have is indeed original to the car per the PO's statements. However, I hate to reward a company for what some folks here have said is a rather dubious document. I am curious, though.

Following up with better images of the Karmann Tag and Compliance Sticker. It's that Flower Hieroglyphic that means Macro Mode. Doh!

And one more thing. Why is there no Achtung!-colored Emoticon in the list.

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Clear view of the Compliance Sticker.

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Clear view of the Karmann Tag.

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Clear view of the Right Rear Chassis # Stamping.

Now those are some of the best such photos I have seen. Thanks very much.
It would be interesting to see the COA, especially in light of the error on the Karmann tag. Documented proof of the error is always useful. If you and Pat Garvey can beat up on PCNA to give useful COA's, then that would also help. In reality they are always useful, but they can have errors, and they can provide better information. They should be able to provide the engine type code as well as the engine number. They should be able to provide option codes along with the option description. They should be able to provide interior option codes along with the description of the carpet & upholstery. I have seen them include dealer information, and despite the fact that the vast majority say that the transmission # is not recorded, at least one COA included it. The 'birth date' is usually given as the first of the month indicating that either the correct date was not recorded, or the preparer is just lazy.

My own database includes the body #'s when I know them. Your engine and transmission #'s would also be very useful. Some cars I like to document the hell out of, since it provides reference points for the rest of them.

When restoring the car be very careful to preserve the compliance decal. It can never be replaced exactly as it is.

yea, well....its not as nice as pictures make it look but thanks! -JON

There's absolutely no way I'd ever touch the Compliance Sticker/VIN Decal now. I love the Saturn Yellow. It's original to the car, and that's what she'll stay. Not to run blindly with the herd, but bold yellows seem to be the "power color" of choice for cars these days. Following up with pics of the engine and transmission #s for your database. I suppose I'll go ahead and work on getting the COA. Will check back in with you when I've got that info. Thanks ...

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Engine #.

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Transmission #.

OK, the COA is ordered. So in "4 to 6 weeks", with the factory's support, all will be well with the world.

Hey Dave, the COA for my ugly duckling has come in, and it shows Saturn 'Chrome' Yellow as the color of the car. For my sake, it also shows that I have the original engine under the workbench, awaiting its return to glory.

Now that the case of the mis-stamped Chassis Tag is documented, guess it's on to the real work ...

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That is good news. Too bad they used the wrong code series for the paint. Even the 914/6 no longer used that code by that time. Fact is they usually have the wrong code series. They could also use the correct engine code, but almost never do so.