Who's got the oldest 914?, bored... Options

[burton73]

My dad was leasing cars way before that. I remember a 63 Chevy and a 67 Cougar XR-7 that I paid off the leasing Company $500 to buy it at lease end for my graduation present. (My dad made me work a little for it) That was in 71 so I guess my dad was getting 4-year leases back then. Blue, blue leather with a blue top.

Bob

[davep]

Bob, I really need the chassis number and paint code from 0041. Carefully look at the paint code on the Karmann badge. 0033 has what appears to be 29 / 29. No idea why the code is doubled. Chassis # is in the rear trunk floor in front of the lock, should be 1300xx (#0033 was 130008) You might want to see if there is a similar # on the underside of the dash (it should have an extra '0' in it to designate the year).

As far as the chassis # vs VIN # sequencing, my hypothesis is that the bodies were welded up, and assigned a chassis/body # in sequence before they were painted. The Karmann badge would be installed after painting, then they were generally warehoused until a body of that color was required for the final assembly line. I suspect the VIN was assigned soon after beginning final assembly since the VIN tag on the windshield frame would be difficult to install after the glass is in place. We see photos of the assembly line, and the glass is in place rather early on. The chassis/body number can be well out of sequence with the VIN, or they may be sequential. I agree that there was little regard paid to keeping the chassis/body # in sequence with the VIN #. It does happen, but only rarely. More likely it was last in first out. It would be fascinating to get factual data from an assembly line worker.

[Eric_Shea]

The oldest production I know of is; Dec. 1 1969,
owner; Glenn Stazak
Website; http://www.stazak.com/914

One of my customers just bought #11 and is restoring it so that would be the first 914-6 off the line.

[Eric_Shea]

Bob, it seems you have a very early car. Any thoughts about bringing it back to the original color vs. the gemini blue?

[burton73]

Dave, I will get you all of this but you need to give me some time as it is on the lift next door. I have ordered the paperwork from Porsche 3 weeks ago so that will give us some ideas.

Eric, I know you had a nice yellow 914-6 car before.. I no not mind yellow but I love Metallic blue and Cork. When I put the wide body on it changes it anyway and with all the mods done to this car it is not even the same engine case it came with. My thought is for me why not have what I really want in color. I am not going to enter this car in shows for originality. You have seen the Metallic blue 916, they sent it back to the factory and had the car repainted that color.

Bob

[mrgreenjeans]

Bob, I really need the chassis number and paint code from 0041. Carefully look at the paint code on the Karmann badge. 0033 has what appears to be 29 / 29. No idea why the code is doubled. Chassis # is in the rear trunk floor in front of the lock, should be 1300xx (#0033 was 130008) You might want to see if there is a similar # on the underside of the dash (it should have an extra '0' in it to designate the year).

As far as the chassis # vs VIN # sequencing, my hypothesis is that the bodies were welded up, and assigned a chassis/body # in sequence before they were painted. The Karmann badge would be installed after painting, then they were generally warehoused until a body of that color was required for the final assembly line. I suspect the VIN was assigned soon after beginning final assembly since the VIN tag on the windshield frame would be difficult to install after the glass is in place. We see photos of the assembly line, and the glass is in place rather early on. The chassis/body number can be well out of sequence with the VIN, or they may be sequential. I agree that there was little regard paid to keeping the chassis/body # in sequence with the VIN #. It does happen, but only rarely. More likely it was last in first out. It would be fascinating to get factual data from an assembly line worker.

Veddddy interesting stuff here. Remarkable.

Little did Hans and Gunther know , when they traipsed out to retrieve another body on the trolley buck from a corner of the yard....that they could be conceivably creating so much discussion thirty five years later over some such silly thing as NUMBERS.

After all, they were only concerned with getting the stinkin' job done, and making another run out back to get another body in white to put on the assembly line.

That and maybe thinking about the nice little bier hall girl

down at the "Eagles Nest" getting ready to spread around a few more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) for her customers at the end of shift.

Hans and Gunther are probably somewhere going:

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)


and here we are:


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif)

What a world !!!!


this is GREAT

[davep]

Here is another tidbit concerning chassis numbers, there is at least one 1970 914/6 with a 1971 body number.

[proto31]

I've got #31. Dave, sorry I haven't gotten back to you with the paint codes, I am still trying to get the Karman badge from the PO (he claims that he stored them somewhere before he started restoring it.) The VIN is stamped in the usual place up front but also has the VIN stamped in the rear passanger side wheel well. The car came with a funky wiring harness that has some additional connectors for testing on it that looked to be factory. The front fender had no seam between them and the windshield panel. So far that all that I can tells that is different with this car.


Dan

[davep]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_bump.gif)
It is time to get more data from you fellows. I'd particularly like to learn more from each 1969 production car. Even more so from 9140430011. Eric?

[loux951]

I'll have to look at my VIN when I get home...it was built in '69 with a number around 1400.

I've actually had my hands on the very first 914 off the production line. Its sitting in the VW museum, AutoHauz, in Wolfsburg, Germany. I have a picture of it in a book I bought at the museum. I'll scan it and post it here. No one was around so I reached in and popped open the engine lid to check it out (my buddy with me thought we would get kicked out and ran off!) The outside restoration looks good but I was really disappointed with the engine bay resto. This was back in March 2002.

[davep]

Whoa, we need to learn more about that one!
We need to have someone go in to get more details, however we need the address for that.

At 1400 yours is definitely in 1969.

Dave

[SirAndy]

Whoa, we need to learn more about that one!
We need to have someone go in to get more details, however we need the address for that.

http://automuseum.volkswagen.de/sammlung.html

it helps if you spell "Autohaus" correctly ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) Andy

[davep]

So how can we get detailed info on this 914? Anyone in the area that we know?

[dflesburg]

Erik's Great Pumpkin

# 1121 built Dec 1969

oh yeah guys, it runs and he is only 14.... eat your hearts out.

[Slider]

Remember that with the factory assigning vins they could have been assigned right off during production to track the progress of the car or since they already had the chassis number they might have assigned the VIN towards the end after the motor and trans were in and using the VIN to heirarchy the chassis,engine and Transmission numbers together. I agree with what was stated earlier that they picked the chassis's at random they were not tryoing to keep things in numerical order. even at the factory they could have a higher number chassis with a low VIN.. its all part of manufacturing.. I did it with electronics for 7 years..

[morph]

1-70
47029002344 is in my garage
james

[davep]

Somewhere around 4702902000 was the change from 12/69 to 01/70.
Can everyone update their replies with the body # and paint code from the Karmann badge please. Those numbers are very important to my research.

[keske968]

not getting outta bed to check my Karmann number or the trunk but I can tell you mine is pretty old from what I've been reading here....

VIN # 4702902950

Body Number 0259562

Paint Code L80E (thinking about having it repainted to the origional color)

now converted to a six

[loux951]

Andy,

I'm cajun...not german. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

Any pictures of the 914 at the VW museum?