Researching 914 Ownership History & Condition Eval Pix, How to research original dealer & initial owner(s) of my `73 914-2 Options

[type47]

Even though built in 72, it would be a Model Year 73 car although I always had the impression that the factory took the month of August off for vacation and would guess the number is a "9" for when production started again after vacation.

[Tom_T]

Even though built in 72, it would be a Model Year 73 car although I always had the impression that the factory took the month of August off for vacation and would guess the number is a "9" for when production started again after vacation.

Jim - IIRC July is the European (& Brit?) month for summer "Holiday", & part is usually used to retool as needed for heavy industrial, & auto model year change overs. Gustl, Sir Andy & some of the other Euro types on here can probably confirm that.

Mine is definitely a 1973 MY, as denoted by the 473 of the VIN & I'm betting that it was 8/72, & there are many others built in 8/72, as discussed below, but with a twist!?.

I've posted the "8" or "9" build date question at the Originality & History forum & it will be interesting how folks weigh in there:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=103085

It seems more likely that there would be an incomplete or partially punched dot in the "8" - rather than some random "extra dot" punched in a "9" .....

.... This sounds like the Florida "Hanging Chad" dilemma! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

However, the mystery deepens, as you'll see in the above O&H topic on the build date, in that there appears to be out of order VINs on at least 3 - 1973 2Ls built in Aug. & Sept. 1972, including mine - which are documented at that link, but summarized as follows:

4732901102 - built 9/72 (lives in Anaheim Hills CA near me, formerly in OR &/or ID)

4732901650 - built 8/72 (lives outside of Atlanta with ME733 on here)

4732901954 - built 8/72 ?? (mine in Orange CA)

So - did VW-Porsche actually build 914's out of VIN order in early 1972 for the 1973 MY (&/or any other time)? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
... or is the 01102 VIN sticker's date wrong? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
... or something else? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I'd ask PCNA what their records & Kardex on my 914 says, but they're so F'ed-up that it would be totally unreliable, as discussed earlier in this thread & on another regarding my COA problems at the O&H Forum.

When I was initially checking with PCNA's Customer Care Dept. on whether or not my HO (battery/fuel lines) & BO (Fuchs 2L Alloy Wheels) Recalls were ever done on my 914, their gal there said that:

1. It was first sold in Sept. 1973 - over a year after it was built & highly unlikely with the 2.0s being such a hot seller in 73 & 74!

... BTW - she also said it looked like a 9/72 build date on the Kardex microfilm, but after looking at my sticker, it's easy to see how that could have been misread as a 9 rather than 8, when the Kardex was filled out by hand at the factory.

2. That the sale was in Connecticut - not California, as my registration indicated!

... BTW - my initial Calif Registration from 12/26/75 indicated 11/9/72 as the first sold date in CA, which PCNA supposedly did change after I emailed a pic of the reg. card.

3. In my ongoing COA battles with them, PCNA insists on 2 separate COA's & my 3rd request to have them correct it - that "for my 914 only" apparently - that the #31 interior is "Black" - not the actual Beige as on my car & despite the fact that several other COAs which I've found online correctly list #11 as Black & as both #11 & #31 are listed in the period documentation for Porsche+Audi dealers in the 1970-76 MYs.

This is also a side discussion with pix of those documents at the above noted Build Date Question link to the O&H Forum.

[Tom_T]

A few more rust assessment pix from mid-Feb. - last time I could have the 914 out to work on it without rain or the wife's honey-do list interfering .... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Pass Longs & minor rust issues at jack tube/support & rear sill support area:





More next post & then some others coming after this weekend.
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[Tom_T]

Rust damage dug out behind Driver Door below sail:




(IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) is that white rubbery plastic stuff I found between the body skind in the "hole" here???? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

... couple more of this spot at next post ....
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[Tom_T]

... and more ....




... next post with last 2 pix of this spot before ....
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[Tom_T]

.... pix of same spot with measurements before I took a screwdriver to it for reference .....




^ Good shot Tom!!?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

... Sunny weekend coming up - wifey leave me to my 914 pleeeeez!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

So - did VW-Porsche actually build 914's out of VIN order in early 1972 for the 1973 MY (&/or any other time)?

Yes, all the time. We've had several other posts about this phenomenon in recent months.


The white stuff you noticed may very well be factory seam sealer.

--DD

[EdwardBlume]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) Get 'er done!

[Tom_T]

So - did VW-Porsche actually build 914's out of VIN order in early 1972 for the 1973 MY (&/or any other time)?

Yes, all the time. We've had several other posts about this phenomenon in recent months.


The white stuff you noticed may very well be factory seam sealer.

--DD

Dave - that's what's left after I dug out it in there solid to see if rust was below, which it was as seen in the pix.

Could that be the filler stuff that they injected into some/all 914 body cavities? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
.......... I think their trade name for it began with a "P" IIRC
... or what dealers injected as rust proofing? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
....... mine has dealer undercoating applied to the pan, but seems odd to fill for an originally CA sold new 914!

... & how would one tell the difference between the factory injected vs. aftermarket stuff? ... if you can tell?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Whichever it was - obviously it did NOT work! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Tom_T]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) Get 'er done!

Thanx for the encouragement Rob - but with my limited skill set & tool bin, space, time, etc. - I'm not going to tackle this body work (rust & accident repairs).

So - since it's currently not running nor registered to take it around to shops - I'm trying to assess & get enough pix to see what needs done, & then take those around to get a body shop that knows 914s which does EXCL CW level work to do it for me - preferably in my local SoCal area & with a Cellette Bench to pull this sucker out!! ... All reccos, references & inquiries welcome! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Then I myself can do detail work, parts restoration/replacement, dis/re-assembly, etc. on it before/afterwords, & be the "project manager" to direct everything that needs outsourced! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

And before any more young buck yahoos here want to get on & diss me for not doing the work myself, or question my sanity - do NOT! You're not my wife, I'm cutting the checks - not you, & I know the limits of my skill set, tool bin, tiny garage, lack of major shop equipment, training/experience, time, etc. to do this type of work - all of which would cost me more than sending it out to be done right the FIRST time. But just because some folks separate the $5-10k for outside paint & bodywork as $5-10+k of shop equipment - doesn't mean that you're not upside down either! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Short & simple - I want it done right & purr-fect to an as-original/as-new state as I can get it, & yes - it will be several years before values catch-up to the costs to do so. At 57-58 I'm not looking to make a 2nd career/hobby of ongoing restorations to justify buying all that shit, & don't need the arguments from the wife on "you're getting what"!? My goal is to get to enjoy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) it again before I'm too old & decrepit to do so!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

However, CONSTRUCTIVE & HELPFUL comments are ALWAYS welcome! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Tom_T]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Well, I think I may have figured out how I got rust eating away at the underpan at the passenger side steering rack strut, after it went into storage "clean & rust free" in May 85, after a rustoration 3 years earlier!

In looking through my old service records from the late 70's & early 80's - I noticed that I had the window washer fluid tack replaced because it had cracked & was leaking, as well as a couple of other times the hoses were replaced for leaking. In addition, as I've been stripping the old gal down for the resto, I've found that under the shrunken cowl seals were rusted through at the joints.

So those 2 sources of water/washer fluid down into the bottom of the fuel tank compartment below the gas tank, eventually ate its way through over the 25 years sitting unchecked in storage in my garage! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

The other unexpected rust problem was on the engine firewall & ledge - where my early engine lid drip tray (without the longitudinal ribs adding rigidity) warped between the front 2 end & middle mount ppoints, allowing twin waterfalls down onto the heat/sound pad on the firewall, whose open backed sisal held the moisture neatly against the firewall & engine shelf to also eat away at those areas over time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

The past 25 years of neglect didn't help the situation either - letting things go unchecked & unremedied for so long! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

So I guess that adds two more suspect areas & causes to check when one is evaluating a 914 for purchase! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

RobW & others - I'm leaning more to the self-help solution, & expanding my skills & tool bin to accomplish this rustoration & body repair work - or at least more parts of it than I originally intended to do! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)
... I'd need to det a MIG/TIG Welder & learn welding though! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[Tom_T]

The following pix posts are some more condition evaluation pix added for the "Tremendous Trio" of Andy, Kent & Jim FYI, & we'll talk & get together here soon ....

(Other prior pix started at my post #62.)

Porsche Tech Svc Bulletin Fuel Pump Relocation & rust thru at Steering rack R strut beyond:




Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf Rusted at pix:










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[Tom_T]

Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf Rusted at pix - continued:










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[Tom_T]

Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf Rusted at pix - continued:

[Tom_T]

Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf Rusted at pix - continued:










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[Tom_T]

Battery Tray (removed), Support & Inner Wheelwell/Sidewall Area:








> looks like there may be right rear long rust issues below the above & following posts pix rust thru holes?


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[Tom_T]

Battery Tray (removed), Support & Inner Wheelwell/Sidewall Area pix - continued:










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[Tom_T]

More Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf at Right/Pass Side Rusted at pix - continued:










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[Tom_T]

More Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf at Right/Pass Side Rusted at pix - continued:










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[Tom_T]

More Lower Firewall & Engine Shelf at Right/Pass Side Rusted at pix - continued:








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