What is my car?

[DavidI]

I am constantly amazed with the amount of information you gents possess. Recently, while hanging out with a couple of Pelicanheads (Chili and V9ff) we were talking about our P-cars. Steve (V9ff) noticed that my 83SC cab had a rear window defogger while his 84 cab did not. So the next question is, was my car originally a cab or not?

I am hoping that one/some of you super-geniuses can tell me what my car is.

The VIN is WP0EA0918DS160409.

Thanks, David

[North Coast Cab]

Interesting. VE Snyder has an '83 SC Cab and I have an '84 Carrera Cab and we're always noticing slight differences. My '84 has a switch for a defroster and it does nothing. In fact, I wired it to run my oil cooler fan. Anyway, through research I found out it was actually used for the front windshield and when it was replaced the new one didn't have the defroster wiring. Yours could be similar.

John

[epbrown]

I'm betting that as well. I replaced my front windshield last summer and the shop almost ordered that glass by mistake, assuming that targa and convertible were the same thing. It was the first I'd heard of a front defrost.

Emanuel

[David]

Your VIN is probably: WP0EA091CDS160409 which was a US Targa. There were 1430 produced.

If it was a Cab the VIN would be something like: WP0EA091CDS170409.

This is according to the Porsche 911 Red Book.

[Eric Coffey]

The Red Book is full of errors, so the VIN could very well be *8DS*, but it was definitely a Targa when it originally rolled off the lot!

[DavidI]

Wow! You guys are top notch. Any other info from the VIN?

[emcon5]

It started life as a Targa.

WP0=Porsche
EA0=VDS Code
91=911
8=test digint
D=year, 1983
S=Stuttgart
1=911
6=Targa, USA/Canada (2 coupe, 7 Cabriolet)
0409= sequential S/N

Tom

[epbrown]

There's an '83 cab with the VIN WP0EA0918DS170129 on ebay right now. Just another data point...

Emanuel

[yelcab1]

That is right, a factory cabriolet has a defrost for the front window. If you still have the original glass, look carefully and you can tell that the bottom half of the front glass is covered with wavy resitance material. Thin and hard to see, but it's there. Factory replacement is north of $500 and therefore when it breaks, few got replaced correctly.

[DavidI]

Thanks for your help John, Emanuel, David, Eric, and Tom! I appreciate it. My car is a mystery car with secrets being unlocked through the aid of this board.

David

[DavidI]

Now to update my profile with a more accurate description. Thanks yelcab1 as well, David

[epbrown]

If it's any consoloation, 1983 is the best year of the SC for a targa to cab conversion. The chassis of the targa was reinforced to the same specs as the cab to save doing 3 different chassis at the factory. The pre-83 targas lack such reinforcement, since there were no cabriolets back then.

Emanuel

[FenderGuy]

Even if you turn a targa into a cab ..."purists" will call it a hack job

[DavidI]

Hack or not, it is my beloved Frankenstein. In fact, I am naming it just that - "Frankenstein"

I love it, David