Ways to tell original color of 911

[88'3xBlk911Cab]

Is there a way via the VIN or option codes to tell what the factory color of a 911 is? I have a triple black 1988 cab and I want to confirm that black is the original color. Anyway to do so?

thanks,
Mary

[rrpjr]

Open the front and look along the left side under the snap-on fabric and you'll see a decal with the code and name of the factory color.

[88'3xBlk911Cab]

Thanks! I will take a look in the morning.

[Matt Smith]

Take a small swiss army knife or similar. Make 2x deepish scrapes across the top of the fender. If it is black down to the primer then you have the answer. If uncertain, repeat procedure on hood.



>edit< on reflection that was a little misleading. For and old car that you are about to repaint it's a perfect technique though! Best advice- folow rrpjr's advice...

[austin552]

The engine area on mine was left silver everything else is primer.

[svandamme]

run the vin through the porsche archives...

mine had 2-3 colours on it , but the archives revealed that the original colours was not in the list of colours i had found on the car...

heck , even the interior was changed ...

[Rufblackbird]

My '76, '74, and '72 has the paint code on a plate on the driver side door post close to the hinges. Later cars don't have this?

edited to say door post, not jamb

[real550A]

The VIN has nothing to indicate vehicle color.
You need to find the options list on the underside of the trunklid, or, as Rufblackbird stated, on older cars it's on the driver's door post.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by real550A
The VIN has nothing to indicate vehicle color.
You need to find the options list on the underside of the trunklid, or, as Rufblackbird stated, on older cars it's on the driver's door post.

that's true, what i suggested was give the number to Porsche, then they tell you what they have on record for that car from when it left the factory... colour, interior, options , engine and tranny number ...

[Wil Ferch]

It's even simpler than this !!!

Look at the VIN sticker on the driver's door jamb....it has the VIN ( and possibly other) numbers shown as "perforations" on the sticker.

So....

Look at the color that shows through the perforations.....very likely that which shows through the perforations will be the "original" color .......since it's unlikely the VIN plate was disrurbed in any repaint process.

Wil

EDITED FOR BETTER CLARITY

[88'3xBlk911Cab]

I found the options sticker this morning exactly where "rrpjr" said it would be. Only issue is it is so faded I can't read it I did pull up all the trunk carpet and looked everywhere on the car and it appears the car is a factory black car. No other colors found lurking in hidden areas. The issue that got me searching in the first place is when I was waxing the car and detailing I noticed that on the inside of one of the fenders had some red showing through the rough painted area where rocks would hit from being kicked up from the tires. Maybe this fender has been replaced over my p-cars 17 years of life....but the repaint on that fender must have been of amazing quality cause you can't see any blending, overspray or masking evidence.

I am essentially trying to learn more history about my car, which I absolutely love btw

thanks everyone for your input!

Mary