Correct dash paint color for 66 912?

[912rustbucket]

Is the correct color of the dash supposed to be the outside car color or black?

[Jaems]

It would depend if it was a early 66 or later 66. The 66 production year started in July of 65. until the Karmann production started in about October or November of that year. The 66 factory production had the painted dash the same color as the car. This was only true for the factory cars. The later factory 66's and Karmann production cars were the matt black dashes.

[912rustbucket]

Thanks, I've got a Karmann bodied car. What through me off was the layer of red that I found under the black.

[Jaems]

Karmann was just a coach builder. Once they finished with the body. It was sprayed the color that the factory had ordered. Then the dash was sprayed the matt black. It was then sent to the factory for final assembly.

I have a Karmann bodied car that was one of the last made for the 66 model year. It also had the body color under the matt black, only mine was silver.

[fbarrett]

Friends:

My Karmann-bodied 912, 451326, was delivered in August 1965 with a body-color painted dash.

Frank

[912rustbucket]

OK...so I'm confused now...my chassis number is Karmann 452826. Anyway of firming this answer up? Was it factory or customer order that determined the color or was the car just "improved" over the years by some previous owner?

[rolls 912]

Hi
So for a '68 I assume its flat black?

TIA
R

[Jaems]

Fbarrett,

You car is a one of the earlier 65's model year. Karmann did produce ser # 450xxx-454xxx for the 65 model year. The ser# 454xxx-458xxx were for the 66 model years.

The factory decided when the dash became the flat black in early 66 model year. Your car would have the same color as the body for the dash color.

When a car is built and delivered does not necessary mean that it was shipped out right a way. Sometime things happen to have it pulled out of line.

However, it looks like from Jul to Dec 66 they were still producing Karmann bodies for the 65 model year. They were not really for the US delivery only for the Euro market. The factory was still pushing the 65 356C/SC in the US and trying to get the 911 sales estabished.

A 65 912 could be purchased, by a US Citizen, at the factory for Euro delivery, then shipped over. However, they had to conform to US regulations when they arrived, that meant US seal-beams, miles speedo, and etc. A few owners kept the Euro parts and reinstalled them after they were approved. There were some cars brought in by foreign nationals that were later sold. They too slipped by DOT.