Help identify VIN (WPOEBO914KS170XXXX)......

[boyt911sc]

Can't find the VIN category in the Porsche 911 Red Book (by Patrick C. Paternie) for the said VIN. Could someone decipher this VIN for me? BTW, this is an '89 Carrera as per registration record. It is the 9th character (4) that I can't find in the book. Thanks.

Tony

[Peter Zimmermann]

WPO = World Producer Code
EBO = Targa/Cabrio; USA; "0" - seatbelts
91 = 1st two digits type "911"
4 = Test site digit
K = 1989
S = Stuttgart
1 = Last digit type "911"
7 = Carrera USA Cabrio
0 = Typo - delete
xxxx = Consecutive chassis numbers

[boyt911sc]

Originally Posted by Peter Zimmermann

WPO = World Producer Code
EBO = Targa/Cabrio; USA; "0" - seatbelts
91 = 1st two digits type "911"
4 = Test site digit
K = 1989
S = Stuttgart
1 = Last digit type "911"
7 = Carrera USA Cabrio
0 = Typo - delete
xxxx = Consecutive chassis numbers

Peter,

I entered too many X's. It should be only three (3) X's or four (4) X's less zero (0). The 9th character, test site digit, could you elaborate what this meant? Many thanks.

Tony

[Peter Zimmermann]

Test, or "Check" digit #9. I tried many times to get a satisfactory explanation from Porsche, and the answer that I got was that cars sold in No. America had to be tested (emissions/safety?) prior to sale, and the test digit defines the location of the test. That is as far as I ever got by questioning many people inside the Porsche system. I have never seen a list of locations that the "test" digit number translates to.

That said, the following link tells a much different story; and a far more complicated one. It is generic, so Porsche's "test" digit might differ from the discussed "check" digit. In any case, Porsche uses the letter "Z" as a filler digit for RoW models.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FVehicle _Identification_Number&ei=VnftUfusDeryyAHyx4DQCA&usg=AFQjCNGjHYf4PJRzR5BoeNpuzbRkaK_R-A&sig2=snheN7k2OBseLtMKpAkhNg&bvm=bv.49478099,d.aWc