Strange COA for 1965 built 911 regarding engine number

[srogebry]

Hello, I just received the COA for my 1965 built 911. It contains some very interesting information regarding an engine replacement.
I knew the engine in the car was a 1968 911S engine so I had assumed it was replaced years ago by the previous owners.

The COA shows that the factory had replaced the engine with a 1968 911S engine (23,00 km, maybe typo for 23,000)!?!
Another strange point is the engine number in the car is 4081054 and the number listed on the COA is 92 engines before this at 4080962.
They had also changed out the transmission at a different time from the engine work at 56,557.

The car was probably Euro delivery since it has the KM gauges. I am told the tachometer is correct for a 68S engine also.

Any insight to how this would have happened? Didn't the factory use unstamped cases for engine replacement?

[srogebry]

Thinking about it further, it must have been a Euro delivery car being that Porsche replaced the engine with a 68S since Porsche did not import any 68S's to the USA.

[Bill Simmeth]

Interesting CoA. I think I'd try to contact the archives to see if there's more to this car. Also, besides the detail on the drivetrain, I'm amazed to see them actually call it a '66. Previously, they seemed to always label the 65-built 66s as 65s.

[davep]

Yes, that is interesting. I suspect that factory replacements were generally from what the factory had available at the time.
I'm glad to see that PCNA is getting the model year correct more often. Mind you, the transition from 1965 to 1966 is often not clear, however this car seems to have all indications of 1966 model year. Bryan, can you find the build # on the engine for me please.

[srogebry]

I'm going to call Porsche North America today and ask if they have more info regarding the engine numbers and replacement.

Also, would the Kardex have any additional information aside from the original owner? How can one acquire a kardex?

[steve shea]

The factory often replaced engines with numbered engines and upgraded from normal to super. I have seen this documented on original Kardexes. I once had a car with KD stamped, numbered replacement engine and transmission. Both upgrades. A lot of unnumbered case ended up as dealer stock for warrantee or replacement. Some probably went out of the factory as well.

[srogebry]

Davep, the build number on the engine is 13718, 901/02.

[srogebry]

I found the previous owner who bought the car in 1974 and he gave me some additional history on this 911. This owner was stationed in Germany from 1971-1974 as an Army tank platoon leader. He bought this 911 in 1974 from a Porsche restoration shop in Schweinfurt, Germany (probably Freisinger Motorsport http://www.freisinger-motorsport.de).
It was painted orange at this time and had horn grill mounted lights and fender flairs installed along with the engine and transmission factory replacements as mentioned. Apparently it was an extremely fast car, the owner let his brother get it up to 142 MPH according to the speedometer. In 1974 the owner had finished with his military duty in Germany and had the Porsche delivered to Bremerhaven and shipped back to the US while he spent a year in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Once he returned home and was reunited with his Porsche, he decided to paint the car Silver and removed the fender mounted mirror. He drove the car like this from 1976-1981 while he got his MBA, PhD and became a college Professor. In 1981 the car was parked in a garage in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and that is the last time it was driven.

[srogebry]

I was able to get a copy of the Kardex. Please let me know if you see anything interesting.

[Hellraiser]

Looks like the body was replaced too? "Ersatzkarosse nr 13 4 71"