Finally, pics of a 914 newer than mine! Options

[meursault]

All 76 cars came with the Euro lens front and rear to meet the new US requirements.
Thats how you can spot a 76 vs a 75 from a distance unless the 75 car has installed them.

That's the craziest thing I ever heard. So far as I know, U.S. cars still require amber reflectors in the front, red in the rear.

Best way I know of to distinguish a 76 from a 75 is to look for the 914 emblem. '76 had a decal for "914 2.0" while '75 still had the plastic emblem.

Both my current '76, vin#4762901738 and my previous one, built in 11/75, had U.S. lenses all around and vinyl on the rollbar. Course I removed the vinyl on the old one 'cause I didn't like the look then. The "appearance package" supposedly became standard equipment in '74.

[Bleyseng]

Ok,ok, I must be wrong. But why do ALL the effin car and trucks nowdays have the amber turn signals in the rear? I remember that started in about 76 for most cars. Yeah, I even remember the white front turn signals of the pre-63 US cars. My dad went out and got some amber lens paint so his 61 Belair wouldn't be old fashion.
Geoff

[Mike D.]

I had '76 #3612. metalic blue, Vinyl roll bars, ac, blue plaid seats. Stock U.S. lenses, stock steering wheel, no fogs, no sways, no center console, no rear defrost.

Also, several years ago when I used to find them in the bone yard regularly, I started popping the window seal vin plates off of them. I have about 15 of them in a ceramic skull on my model shelf. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) It used to creep out my old room mate. (the skull and an exact model of my car together)

-Mike D.

[JeffBowlsby]

Hey Geoff, if you didnt know already,

Your car was the 4th chassis which began assembly on Thursday of the 50th week of 1975, from the code on your chassis plate. They only took about 3 days to build each car.

Given your late VIN and the chassis date, my guess is that all 914s were done fabrication by the end of 1975, meaning that no 914s were actually built in calendar year 1976.

The one you drove in late 1976 still on the dealers lot musta been on 'end of the year clearance'...

We like you G...dont pay attention to the GRIEF these guys are passing around. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[MarkV]

Ok,ok, I must be wrong. But why do ALL the effin car and trucks nowdays have the amber turn signals in the rear? I remember that started in about 76 for most cars. Yeah, I even remember the white front turn signals of the pre-63 US cars. My dad went out and got some amber lens paint so his 61 Belair wouldn't be old fashion.
Geoff

I think plenty of cars use front white/clear lenses but they use amber bulbs.

[meursault]

Ok,ok, I must be wrong. But why do ALL the effin car and trucks nowdays have the amber turn signals in the rear? I remember that started in about 76 for most cars.

Rear turn signals these days are often amber, but you'll still find side markers in red. For example, my '86 325 has amber turnsignals but still has red lights for the side imbedded in the rear bumper bellows.

Sorry to give you a hard time.

[Bleyseng]

I have heard that all the 76 tubs were built in 75 so Karmann could start building the water cooled VW's. Thats why the weird number of cars built as they was all they could build out of the available stampings. Remember, VW killed the car not Porsche as it was a decent seller for them in a tough market at that time (High German mark and falling US dollar).

I don't think that 914 I drove was "dealer clearanced" as it was expensive and there was several others on the lot. I just drove the orange one with the funky pinstripes. I can't remember if it had the amber tail lens though. Shoot, that was a loong time ago!

Spent time tonight cleaning the old glue off the firewall from the sound pad. I have seen some pads held on with those clips and no glue, others with glue and clips. So what is the correct way the pad was held on?? (I am not putting it back on)
Geoff

[Eric Taylor]

Hey Geoff, if you didnt know already,

Your car was the 4th chassis which began assembly on Thursday of the 50th week of 1975, from the code on your chassis plate. They only took about 3 days to build each car.

Given your late VIN and the chassis date, my guess is that all 914s were done fabrication by the end of 1975, meaning that no 914s were actually built in calendar year 1976.

The one you drove in late 1976 still on the dealers lot musta been on 'end of the year clearance'...

We like you G...dont pay attention to the GRIEF these guys are passing around. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

bowlsby - Can you do my vin too? That's some way cool info!
Vin #
4722903285
Build Date
10/71
Chassis #
4329510

[Bleyseng]

I don't mind the grief, atleast I remember what these cars were like when new! It was a big deal to see a 914/6 in 1970 as they were rare then. Tons of 914's drove around Seattle in the 70's.

Geoff

[JeffBowlsby]

Sho nuff Eric...lemme look back into the future...

Your chassis number is : 4329510

So it was the 10th chassis which begun production on the Tuesday of the 43rd week of 1972.

From my LE website is the decoding procedure:

"Chassis Plate data: Chassis Production Number and Paint Code: The chassis production number is found in two places, on the chassis plate attached to the front drivers door jamb and also stamped into the right rear trunk floor. The chassis production number is actually a code telling us the consecutive number of the particular chassis, and the date production was initiated on that particular chassis. The chassis production number decodement is:

WW-D-9-5XX Where:

WW = the week of a given calendar year

D = the day of the week of the calendar year (Monday =1)

9 = the code for the Karmann Factory at Osnabrueck where all 914 chassis were fabricated

5XX = the consecutive chassis number, beginning with number 500 each day for 1974 Porsche 914 cars

The chassis date on the 914 chassis plate, reflects the date production began on each chassis, by calendar week of the given year, and the specific day of that calendar week. The chassis dates from the 914 LE cars on the current 914 LE Registry, from the earliest to the latest known dates, indicate that the 914 Porsche LE cars began production between the 7th and 14th weeks of 1974, a mere seven week period, between mid-February and early April of 1974.

There is no direct correlation between the 914 chassis date and its VIN number. Certain chassis with higher VINs, began production before other chassis with lower VINs. Chassis and drivetrain components were not always combined in the numerical order in which they were originally produced. Earlier numbered engines and transaxles were installed into later numbered chassis and vice-versa."

[EdwardBlume]

Cool info Bowlsby. This kind of detail is precisely why I want you to watch over my restoration on my Dad's car.

THANKS!

[rhodyguy]

geoff, you going to paint the engine compartment orange or primer gray to match the rear fenders? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) as busy as you are right now and back burnering the car might as well take the header to performance coatings.

kevin

[Curvie Roadlover]

Jeff, What about this# from my '76: Chassi # 5019049 built 12/75. VIN 4762903604. Would it have been built the 50th week of '75? If so, and if they shut down for Christmas, then my car must have been VERY near the end of production. Do you know the last date of production?

[FlatSix]

Although it is well documented that 4075 was the 'last' 914 built, I have seen 4085!

I believe the guy who had it is a member here.

Do you want to play (no prizes) or shall I tell you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Bleyseng]

The chassis were probably all made before the factory closed for Christmas.

Geoff

OK, Kevin how much does it cost as I am painting the engine compartment this weekend. The engine is done, now to tackle the tranny switching back 5th gear to the ZD gear set as its a flipped 3rd gear which is too funky for me on the freeway-60mph @ 4000rpm.

[JeffBowlsby]

Hey Jack...

Chassis 5019049 began production Monday of the 50th week of 1975.

It was the 49th chassis begun that day.

BTW...The COA for my Bumblebee indicates the date that the chassis was completed, which for that car was 3 days after it began production. The car also has a rear door jamb sticker with a month/year date for the month FOLLOWING the production date on the chassis plate. I can only speculate that the chassis was produced and the chassis number stamped into the trunk and on chassis plate. Then the car sat around for a few days before they assigned and attached the VIN IDs. That period of time between completion of a chassis and assignment of the chassis number is the variable that assures there is no sequential relationship between the two numbers.

Get a COA for your car if you are curious what those dates are and for the other information the factory had about it. I have several COAs on my collectibles website at the link below if you want to peruse them. I would like to include more COAs if anyone will post theirs. Compare them to each other, its very enlightening.

[914werke]

So Jeff is the COA the only way to get the detail on how a particular car was ACTUALLY equipped when it rolled out the doors? POA wants $150 (+/-) for that info (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[JeffBowlsby]

Yes. The COA reflects data on the Cardex, the factory build sheet. They are a little over $100 the last I checked.

Go here:

http://www.pca.org/members/library/Cert_of...Authen_Form.pdf

[Neal]

My VIN # is 4762901526 10/75
Car was purchased at Bellevue Porsche-Audi for $7200.00
I will bring the invoice to the breakfast tommrrow
Neal

[JeffBowlsby]

Cool. Can you post a photo of the invoice here too?