Wrong Dash Number

[SportoEvans]

Hello again. 3rd question in 3 days - sorry about that.

Anyway, this afternoon I had to remove the knee pad.

In doing so I discovered the VIN stamp on the underneath metal dash - directly below the radio cutout.

I am really confused (and little worried) because this dash number does NOT correspond to my VIN.

My VIN and the number stamped on my dash is not the same.

Is this dash part from another car or is this number not related to my VIN.

If so, does anyone know what this dash number means - is it an assembly number ?

cheers

[HughH]

Mark

that number on the dash is the production number or the so called "secret number". For SWB cars it is the same as the chassis number but for LWB cars it is very different. It is the number allocated to the "order to build the car" and translates as 1 for 911; 0 for Porsche factory built coupe; 9 for 1969 model year; 1xxx for the 1xxxth car Porsche factory coupe of any engine and gearbox configuration ordered to be built in that year. Porsche can use this as the only way you can confirm if the vin number is original to the car or not. they are the only place where the matching of these two numbers is recorded for each car produced. the actual VIN, which also describes the engine type (a distinction that is not in a production number) is stamped onto the car late in the production process.

the production # can be decoded as follows:
format XYZabcd
X=0 replacement body
X=1 production body
Y=0 coupe
Y=1 targa
Y=2 Karmann coupe
Y=3 Karmann 914/6 targa
Z= last digit of model year beginning 1969
Z=9 1969
Z=0 1970
Z=1 1971 and so forth
abcd is the sequence #

[Tailhappy]

Has anyone suggested that Hugh's forum handle should be "The Oracle"

[Fishcop]

Guru Schwarmy Orakel...

[Classic]

Ommmmm

[Terminator]

Has anyone suggested that Hugh's forum handle should be "The Oracle"

Often

[Terminator]

The other place where the production number is written is in yellow crayon on the metal area under the dash pad

I hope you preserve that during any respray

[SportoEvans]

Thanks Hugh for this great explaination - much appreciated.