Need help with early 911 VIN

[dennisO]

Hi,

I purchased what I think was a 1971 911T Targa Roller to embark on a restoration process. The car is complete except the engine and trans, and almost rust free. There is also no indication of any previous accident damage. The car has been sitting in the Calif desert for many years, so it looked like a good candidate for a restoration.

I purchased the car with a Bill of Sale only as the original title had long been lost. The alum VIN ID plate under the hood is missing, but the VIN next to the fuel tank is readable and is stamped 9111113544. It does not look like it has ever been altered in any way.

Based on the production VIN ranges I can find on the web, this does not appear to a valid VIN for 1971, since it’s outside the range of Targa’s produced in 1971. I cannot find any other VIN on the car.

My questions are:
Are the production tables correct and 9111113544 is not a valid VIN?
Are there other VIN locations on an early 911 that I can check?

Thanks for your help.

[47silver]

3476 seems to be the highest number in 71. I think that there us a number some where under the dash pad

[Etarga]

is there still a tag on the A pillar between the hinges? There seem to be too many numbers in the VIN you list? Maybe a 1 too many?

There is indeed a hidden VIN number behind the knee pad. You have to remove the knee pad to see the number.

[ossiblue]

There should be a metal tag riveted to the driver's side A-pillar with the VIN but it too may have been removed. It does appear to be beyond the production numbers for 71 from what I can source as well. The number under the dash, if it is still there, will be in grease pencil but it entails removing the windshield.

Posting a good, clear photo of the stamped VIN may help us determine if it has been altered as well.

[S2GART]

The VIN#s for '71 Targas, were as follow, 911E Targas 911121001-9111210935. 911S Targas 9111310001-9111310788. The vin # you gave would be for a 911T (U.S) Coupe except that they didn't make 3544 of them. They only made 3476 of them.

[dennisO]

Thanks for all the responses.

Here is an image of the VIN stamped next to the fuel tank. It does not look altered to me, but hopefully the experts on the site can help me determine if it has. I could not find any tag riveted on the A pillar except the one that has the paint code (1110-G).

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.


It reads 9111113544 (10 digits)

[jrbennett]

Are you sure that it's 3544 and not 0544?
The 3 or 0 is not clear enough for me, maybe in real life it's more clear

[timmy2]

The guy stamping it held the 2 upside down after a beer lunch...

[ossiblue]

The VIN tag on the A-pillar would be by the windshield, if it's still there. I'm with jrbennett in that the 3 looks like it may be a 0 but your picture is not clear enough. It even makes the last digit look like a 7. Can you get a better shot of the last four digits?

[47silver]

type Motor id range Motor numbers Produced
911 T Targa 911/06 9111110001-9111113476 6110001-6113475 3476

this is from:

Fahrzeugidentifikation 911 1970-71

there were 3476 targas produced
your number looks to me like 9111110544
so it looks like it fits the id range,, there are 10 digits in the above numbers.

[dennisO]

Here are additional pictures of the VIN stamping. The glare from the camera makes it difficult to get a good shot.

I checked, and there is no Tag on the windshield pillar. The holes for the rivet are there.

These two pictures shows the last 4 digits which look like 3544 to me.





This picture shows the first 7 digits, and the 7th digit looks like a '3' to me.


Thanks for all the help.

[47silver]

It sure looks like a 5 but my info says that they only made 3476. maybe my information is wrong.
what is the motor number?

[jeffs9146]

Try covering the flash half way with your finger to cut down on the glare in your photos!

[dennisO]

I'll try and cover the flash and see if I can get a better shot. Thanks for the tip.


I was a roller, so there was no motor or trans serial number to check. I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, so I'll remove the dash when I return and get a shot of the production number that others asked me to check.

Did Porsche stamp the doors, hood, and bumpers with the last 3 of the VIN like the 356s?

I looked at the stamping with a magnifying glass, and I can't see any indication of any digit being restamped. I'm not an expert, so I easily could be wrong.

I also compared the individual digits in the VIN stamping to other VIN stampings posted on the website. At least to me, the font of each individual digit looks the same as the other pictures I've seen. The only digit that looks odd to me is the 6th digit which is a "1". It looks a little different from the other ones at least to me.

I was going to order a CoA from Porsche with this VIN and see if I can get any additional info.

Thanks for great info and advice.

[Joe Bob]

Better yet, turn the flash off. You could also try tracing paper. Old Indian trick.

[E Sully]

No title, removed VIN plates, I have a strong feeling the 2 missing VIN tags are in another car somewhere, or this one was stolen at some point. Perhaps stripped of the original engine and transmission. Remove the trim under the ash tray and check the Production number stamped there.
Given the circumstances, what do you want to accomplish with the car? It won't be matching numbers, what do you plan for the drive train?
How complete is the interior?

[dennisO]

The interior is all there and complete, so it's just missing the engine and trans. I have a good lead on an engine and trans for it at a reasonable price.

My plan was to restore it and just drive it. I have no illusions that it would ever fetch a lot of money if ever sold. I just want a fun car to drive.

My next step is to start the DMV process and obtain a new title. I'm sure this will be fun.

[Joe Bob]

Longhoods still demand good coin even w/o the original drivetrain.

[Etarga]

I almost bought one of these before. The car had been crashed (there was some seriouse warpage behind the fuel tank) and quite possibly stolen at one point - then re-vinned with a non existing number that was way to high for an original VIN.

I think this may have been done 'semi-officially' it to make absolutely sure there was not another car with this VIN, I am not sure what the criteria were back then. It did have a new VIN plate on the A pillar behind the windshield and the VIN stamped on the body just like this one, but no other locations had any VIN info.

It was also a 70 or 71 T targa (yellow) here in town.

It, however, had a clear title showing the strange VIN (and a 2.7 in it with a pretty bad knock). I did not like the whole story so did not buy it. It sold to someone else and the car is still running out here with a rebuilt 2.7 now!

Good luck with the project! It is worth saving!

[Outbackgeorgia]

Does it have an external oil fill on the RR fender? This was a 1972 one year only innovation.
Dave