Me again,
Does anyone know what the process for ordering a "Custom Porsche Colour" was in 1974? Did you just go into a dealer and say "I'll take one in (insert favorite porsche paint colour here)"?
My chassis plate says "98" but the colour is close to L13K

Thanks SW

Has it had a colour change? Pull back some carpet from the floor and see if you find traces of something else. And yes, in a nutshell, you ordered a special paint like ordering an option - either from one of their old codes or by paint to sample. Still can too.

And, Porsche/VW had a lot of yellows back then - might be close to Sunflower but something else. Either way if it is L13K it's a great colour.

. . . and you realize our American brothers are reading this going WTF is with the 'u' in color!?! Damn Canadians and their extra vowels!!!

Thanks for the insite. It's yellow for sure, even under the undercoating. I would like to paint it yellow again so I guess I could just pick from the '74 and prior yellows or oranges for that matter. Code "98" gives me a pick any non-stock colour and go for it.
tx
SW

Signal Yellow is nice too. It was never a standard choice for the 914 but you can see it on 912s and 911s and some of the 914-6 GTs. Little stronger than L13K (which is a great choice too - my fav of all the 914 yellows)

You could try getting a COA - they may have the info if it was a special order paint. Then again, they may not.

Very interesting. I have the 3 bodies listed here as all L98 customs:
1649503, 1659501, 1659509
One raspberry, and one india red. I have not heard of a custom yellow before though. I'd try an match the original colour though, this would maintain a significant price premium. Can you post a picture. If it is a light yeloow, then it might be colour 117 (light yellow), darker would be signal yellow 114.

BTW, the body numbers above give me a hint that quite a few custom colours were being done at that time.

Here's a couple of pics. It has been repainted but only the outer panals. The colour is slightly different in the trunk and front boot.

SW

What was the difference between L98 and 98? I'm registered in your VIN data base.
S.

Very cool! Some bigger pictures of the color would be helpful.

I had never heard of Signal Yellow. It's a pretty cool color! But I don't think yours is Signal Yellow.

Hard to tell from those pics; definitely not Signal - I went to look at an early 911S that was Signal Yellow; I think that's my new fav for early 911's - car needed too much for what he was asking though.
It might just be my monitor but in the pics you posted it almost looks too pale for Sunflower (L13K) too - maybe Chrome Yellow? Though Chrome/Saturn were available colours so I doubt your's would be either with a L98 code.

Signal Yellow
Click to view attachment

and Rich Johnson's spectacular -6. I think it's Chrome Yellow and if not, still a good excuse to post a shot
Click to view attachment

I don't think it's signal yellow either but it may end up that colour. It is very pale but not as pale as Champaign yellow. It's like a creamy sunflower yellow. For some reason it won't let me post the big pics but I do have more pics on 914club.com same user name.
Steve

Steve, when you can, try posting some larger pictures; there's a tutorial in the FAQ right at the top of the page or an admin could help.

What Dave said in his post is very true. If you can find out what the original colour was when ordered you might want to consider keeping it. A custom colour will only add to your car's value.

I don't know how to find out other than ordering a COA; it'll cost you around $100 and would be invaluable for resale on a car with custom options. Fair warning though, the records on these are sketchy at best so what you get can be a crap shoot.

m.

L98 or 98 are essentially the same, just used at different times. It means a non-standard paint colour for the year was used, but the colour chosen was already in the system.

Heres' a little bigger one. If you look in the front trunk you can see the unfaded original colour.
SW

Some closer up shots of various areas would be helpful. That far away shot is only good for a rough idea.

the other yellow Dave mentioned; Light Yellow (117)

Click to view attachment

Very hard to tell with screen shots, but the light yellow 117 seems to be a possible match.

Funny that you picked that colour, I also found this pic online and thought it was close. I cut waxed a portion of the inner fender and will take a picture later in the sunlight.
SW

Could be Talbot Yellow 106

'Sahara Beige Steve 1' meet 'Sahara Beige Steve 2'

Wow, thats interesting. If there is another Sahara Beige 914 out there I would love to hear about it. I'm sure you realize the photo (above) is actually my car. I took that photo and many others right here in my neighborhood.

Your car is possibly the prettiest 914 I've ever seen and I know I'm getting old but you can't tell be that my car the one in the pic earlier in this thead is Sahara Beige. Pail brown and yellow are not that close even for my eyes.

This one could be. It's a 98 paint code ...

Click to view attachment

OK Guys,
This is the part where I eat a little crow... I jumped on to my little friend google and I find a Color Code 516 Sahara Beige '74-911 and this is my colour. (Sorry if I doubted you Dave)
So why the difference between these two Sahara Beiges? This one is much more yellow right?

Steve

Yes, Steve (1) I had to steal your photo from an earlier thread of mine you posted to. It was the only good photo I knew of (of a PERFECT Sahara Beige). Andy, yes that car is also a good candidate. The pictures posted on the web are not good representations of the true color. Andy's and Steve (1)'s photos look a little grey compared to the yellow hint in the actual sample. The Carrera looks a little too deep a shade.

The same argument can be said of the Fraise / raspberry / pink / rose red on a few of the cars. Some pictures show a pepto bismol pink, but the actual color is closer to a strawberry red ( coincidentally, the fraise is French for strawberry so how it got translated to raspberry I'm not sure).

Dave and Steve 2,

I too have been a little confused over the years during my investigation of the Sahara Beige color used by VW and Porsche over the years. Most of the shades are fairly close except for the Sahara Beige used by Porshce on the '74, '75 911. I remember seeing a Sahara Beige 1974 carrera at Rennsport Reunion Daytona and thats when I found out that this version was totally different then all the others I've seen. The other versions of Sahara Beige are much more of a gray beige, i.e.; 1953-1954 VW paint code L272, 1956-1957 Porsche 356 paint code 5604 and 1973-1974 VW paint code L80Z.

By the way Steve 2, I love your Sahara Beige carrera.

they cheat at scrabble

I wish it was my Carrera. My 914 will have to do for now.
Steve

aside from probably having the best avatar - THAT was funny

Steve(1), I have seen different colour tints between VW/Porsche on what is supposedly the same color - note: I have used both spellings; the correct one and the incorrect one

If you take a late 356 or early 912 or 911, a 914-6 and a 914 all factory painted Irish Green you will see shades leaning more to blue or yellow depending on the car/year.

I told smg914 today on the phone that his car came out brown because the guy mixing the paint just got back from his Beer Break.

T.C.

Click to view attachment
Another pic of a yellow Saraha Beige

Still not the same as smg's. A friend of mine had a 911 that color. It always looked like somebody had been drinking Jager all night and yakked on his car in the morning

T.C.

Easy T.C.
That's my girl you're talking about...

I'm sure yours is much nicer.

T.C.

Hmm Chrome yellow? I was thinking of going Porsche Speed yellow which one is darker/brighter, still going to have it painted a yellow colour

Click to view attachment
Roman Buddy,
YOU ARE HARDCORE! when I went looking for a car, I walked away from at least 10 cars just like yours because I had been there 20years before. I did exactly what you are doing on a 67 MGB GT and vowed I would never do it again.
You must have a sick facination with welding to take on this project.

When I found mine I knew I would spend a little time with a MIG welder but not months.
Nice job and great idea with the thread, It is an epic journey.

This is all I have to do:

Ah yes but I am attached to mine, not much progres recently but then again any progress is good.... epic journey oh yes.....