What Porsche Part Numbers mean....
 

Here is an interesting piece of trivia (for me at least) that I stumbled across on another board: whenever the 9th digit in a Porsche part number is even number part - the part is meant for right side of car. When the same 9th number is an odd number - the part is for the left side or the same part is used on both sides of car.

Gotta love those "talking" part numbers. Best example is the vw/audi (and 924/944/ series) numbers where the ninth digit will tell left or right.

Example from our host's parts list:
477-853-657-A-OEM Door Sill Panel, Left, 924/924S (1979-88), 944 (1983-85)

477-853-658-A-OEM Door Sill Panel, Right, 924/924S (1979-88), 944 (1983-85)

I could go on and bore you with the rest of the break down, as I used to have to know all of this in a former life. :rolleyes:

Go on. I've got time to listen.

Me too, since I currently sell parts. The trick is to know when there's a left AND right!! ;)

Porsche uses the same numbering system as VW/Audi its a throw back from years past. If I remember the way it goes is something like this.


the first group like 901 for example is the model the part came from or was designed for.

the second group is the part group like body, engine etc.

the third group is the actual part number

and the last two digits are super cessions or the part has been revised.

I might have the order mixed up. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Boy, trying to respond from the job is tough. I had a long response ready to go and lost it trying to log back on. :mad:

I'll try again from the home base.

For you new car guys, the 996 and 997 GT3 Cup cars use the odd and even system and the next to last digit is a 9 for race parts and 0 for street parts, with some exceptions, of course.

Just to add some more info on this thread. The last group of three digits in the sequence can denote the OEM manufacturer ( supplier) for instance Sebro or Brembo for brakes. Generally this makes little difference as the part is designed to the same specification , so is interchangeable, but in the event of a recall for a manufacturer defect its easier to trace. Often a part will be carried over from the previous model, typically where it remains unchanged, this is why you often find earlier models using the part prefix from an earlier generation eg 996 parts on a 997 or 986 parts on a 987. Another example of this is the suspension arms and rear brake disks on the 987 being identical albeit from the part number from the earlier 986,
The last three digits can however also relate to prototype or specials used in development cars or specialist motorsport applications. These cannot be found in the general parts catalogue, supposedly there is a special database the dealer can access for these . An example from my own car ( pre production model ) is the motorsport AOS, part number 987 107 926 01 , the standard part being 996 107 026 00 or succeeded by 02. The high digit value 9XX in this part probably denoting motorsport or development.