Did some 911 3.2's ship without VIN plates

[b930]

Hi
I am looking at an 86 3.2 from Japan, previously imported to Australia and converted to RHD. The conversion has been done very well and its all been properly engineered and registered (process needed in Australia for modified cars).

The one thing it does not have is the aluminium ID plate attached to the left wall of the trunk. Did cars sent to some markets (i.e. Japan) not have these plates attached from the factory?

The car's 17 digit VIN is stamped on floor near the smugglers box which checks out (86 RoW 3.2 Japan car) and it has some good history so I don't think anything untoward is going on with it, but be good to know if Porsche excluded the VIN plate for this age / vehicle market or not

Cheers

[Bill Douglas]

If Porsche sent cars to Japan they would have been RHD not LHD. And not having a VIN plate... I'd stay well clear of it. It sounds decidedly dodgy.

Stolen cars have to end up somewhere.

[Raceboy]

Most Porsches in Japan are LHD not RHD for some reason.
And RoW cars do not have VIN plates near the windshield for example, only US ones do.

[jrbennett]

I don't think any ROW cars had the vin sticker in the door jamb or a tag on the a-pillar.

My '81 ROW has the aluminum plate/id in the trunk on the right side (opposite the battery)

I've worked on many Porsches from Japan all of them were LHD, not sure if they had the aluminum plate or not, however I think sometime in the mid 80s Porsche started using a sticker on the underside of the hood instead.

[b930]

Thanks guys. Japan cars were predominantly LHD. We do a lot of convertions to RHD in Australia as mentioned by JR. Bill’s wrong. I don’t have any issues with the RHD conversion, Just want to know if it’s supposed to have the ID plate or not as a Japanese car. Also, as mentioned US cars have a completely different ID plate set up, having lived in the US for some years I am well aware of that. Anyone know about Japanese mid 80’s 911’s?

[Cook&Dunning]

I looked at a Japanese spec 88 911 here in Canada - It did not have a VIN plate on A pillar, did have VIN stamped near smugglers box. Also had different - and interesting rear seat cushions - not sure why.

[T77911S]

it should at least have a VIN stamped somewhere. I thought near smugglers box as said.
don't know what the registration or title would look like but I would ask to see that and ask the owner where that number is on the car,

if it is not stamped into the body it is stolen.

[ossiblue]

Can't speak to a 3.2, but there were G body cars without the aluminum plate in the trunk during the mid-years. I remember reading threads about some cars with only a black painted rectangle in the area where other cars had the aluminum plate. All cars in question had correct VINs stamped by the smuggler's box as well as plates riveted on the A-pillar (US cars.) In the case of the OP, IMO a missing aluminum plate is not likely a concern, especially if there are no holes to indicate a previously riveted plate in that location, and the stamped VIN is accurate.

[bickyd]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

If Porsche sent cars to Japan they would have been RHD not LHD. And not having a VIN plate... I'd stay well clear of it. It sounds decidedly dodgy.

Stolen cars have to end up somewhere.

i own a Japanese car and it is left hand drive. I also have the plate in the frunk and all the others but not on the door.

[bickyd]

Originally Posted by Cook&Dunning

I looked at a Japanese spec 88 911 here in Canada - It did not have a VIN plate on A pillar, did have VIN stamped near smugglers box. Also had different - and interesting rear seat cushions - not sure why.

[bickyd]

Originally Posted by T77911S

it should at least have a VIN stamped somewhere. I thought near smugglers box as said.
don't know what the registration or title would look like but I would ask to see that and ask the owner where that number is on the car,

if it is not stamped into the body it is stolen.

for reference purposes. hope it helps.

[Trakrat]

Originally Posted by b930

Hi


The one thing it does not have is the aluminium ID plate attached to the left wall of the trunk. Did cars sent to some markets (i.e. Japan) not have these plates attached from the factory?

Cheers

I don't know of ANY models of that year that had an aluminum ID plate.
The VIN should be stamped on the inside of the vertical support of the windshield.
And then another matching VIN stamp next to the gas tank in the front trunk (as seen in a previous post).

If you're lucky, you may even have some VIN stickers attached on the inside doors, bonnet, and deck lid.

[T77911S]

Originally Posted by bickyd

for reference purposes. hope it helps.

yea I looked to make sure
I think we might have the same color.

[bickyd]

paint code 347 Dark Blue. most think the car is black. i really like the color. 308 japanese market Carreras were manufactured in 1988. Also my car is a factory sunroof delete.

[b930]

Thanks guys, the car presents exactly like bickyd’s:
17 digit vin stamped on floor.
No id tag on left trunk wall.
No vin on A pillar (USA cars).
There are 3 small holes on left trunk wall like in bickyd’s pic.

The blue plate is an Australian mod plate they use in Queensland.

I think it checks out.

[Bill Douglas]

Has it got the funky back seats like Bickyd's car?

[Canada Kev]

All of the Japanese market 911s I've seen have the odd rear seat treatment. I have never seen 911s from other countries that have the upholstered transmission hump.

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by Trakrat

I don't know of ANY models of that year that had an aluminum ID plate.
The VIN should be stamped on the inside of the vertical support of the windshield.
And then another matching VIN stamp next to the gas tank in the front trunk (as seen in a previous post).

If you're lucky, you may even have some VIN stickers attached on the inside doors, bonnet, and deck lid.

Admittedly mine is a 1987 RoW car, but it does have the aluminum data plate in the trunk. There's even a nicely trimmed cut out in the factory trunk carpeting so it is viewable without removing the carpet. It does NOT have an A-pillar tag, just like most (all?) other markets other than the US and Canada. It also has the VIN stamped on the floor of the trunk between the fuel tank and smuggler's box and a sticker with all the same info and option codes under the trunk lid.

[b930]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Has it got the funky back seats like Bickyd's car?

Its been redone as a backdate with a new interior so I from memory I think it had normal set of rear seats. Picture does not really show but I am sure I would have noticed the funky rear seats if it had them. I think the Japanese rear seats look cool!.

[Bill Douglas]

Umm, I thought so. Not a Japanese 911 as such but a European or US 911 imported into Japan by an individual and not by the Porsche dealership in Japan.

Japanese people love LHD cars as they look more imported, more European.