What is my car?? (PICS)

[nemesis1637]

I recently bought a car that I thought was a 1966 912. It had a 912 engine in it and a 901 5spd, short geared tranny. The owner only bought it for the engine which he took out to put in his 356. So, I got the car and the tranny (no engine). The title says 1966 but it uses the Karmann body code (456458) as the VIN. I think the car is actually a 1969 911. I understand that the VIN in the 69's was on the driver-side windshield post, it's not there (looks like it once was though). I also heard that the VIN is sometimes under the lower dash pad under the stereo, not there either. Does anyone know of any other locations that I can check???

What do you guys think??


Location of motor mounts makes me think it's a 911

[curlesw]

There was a thread a while back which discussed the visual differences in the SWB and LWB early cars. The hole for the torsion bars was the "tell-tell" sign (if I remember correctly)...based on the pics, seems like 66 vice 69 to me. The hole on the 69 had about 2-3" of body behind it where the the hole on 66 was next to the wheel.

v/r
Wayne C.
83 SC

[jkarolyi]

It's definitely a '67 or '68 model because of the torsion bar hole, and they didn't make Targas for 1966.

Euro models didn't have the VIN number on the windsheild post. The VIN is also on a raised piece of the body next to the "smuggler's box" in the front trunk. The smugglers box is a compartment with a big door in the very back of the trunk, near the firewall. Tell us that VIN and we can tell you exactly the year and model. My guess, '68 euro model 911 Targa, due to the hard rear window which was an option that year. Before that only soft fold-down windows.

Funny, I thought Karmann only made coupes, not Targas.

What are your plans for this car?

[RANDY P]

It's definitely a 68 or older model. SWB car.

do you have pics of the Dash / Interior?

[MichiganMat]

aren't those 911 motor mounts?
I thought the 912s had different mounts...

[Todd Simpson]

Yep, those are 911 mounts.

[nemesis1637]

I am assuming that this is the spot next to the smuggler's box that you are reffering to?? It only has the body code




Here is a pic of the dash. The rest of the interior is out of the car as I am preping it to coat with Por-15.





I thought that the "flared" fenders didn't come until 1969???

[JeremyD]

def SWB and definitely 911 motor mounts. Looks like it could be fun...

[Allenk]

Looks just like my 71'. Just thought I'd stir the pot.

[nemesis1637]

P.S.-plan to restore it. Don,t have a plan for the engine yet, any of you guys want to get rid of one cheap??

[Spud]

Is that a "fasten seat belts" warning light to the left of the rear defroster knob? When did those show up, my 71 does not have one, but I think a previous 73S I had did.. Those sure look like 911 gauges too, but theyre easy enough to swap out.

[nemesis1637]

yes, it's a fasten seat belt sign

[masraum]

Looks to me like the torsion bar holes are a couple of inches from the corner, not really close like a SWB car.

Could you take a closer pic of the torsion bar hole covers?

[nemesis1637]

[jkarolyi]

456458 is your VIN since its located there. According to this VIN table, your car is a 1966 912 Karmann coupe, just like your title says!

http://www.912registry.org/restore/vin.htm

Those rear flares are odd too, good eye. This car looks like a frankenstien of different cars pieced together. I would say it was simply a '66 912 coupe front half spliced to a '69-up 911 Targa rear half, but the car still has the '68-older short wheelbase! Truly strange.

I love mystery cars like this.

[evill]

Red line on the tach looks like a 911 , the 912 redline was 5600 rpm right?

Ed

[boomvang]

It has 911 instruments for sure.

[jkarolyi]

OK, that looks like a LWB '69-up torsion bar cover. The car is mostly a '69-73 911 with a '66 912 coupe front grafted on. Am I right?

Look around the firewall and under the car for signs of accident repair.

[nemesis1637]

hmmm.....as far as I can tell, there's no signs of accident repair, no seams, nothing

[nemesis1637]

that would explain why the 1966 tailight assemblies I got with the car don't work!!