Superceded old parts that never worked so well...date stamping on parts

[luke-44]

Hershey was a great weekend but after talking to so many knowledgeable experts, it probably left me more confused than anything. I've seen many Pcars advertised where a seller will say he still has the "original parts" - either on the car or not.

For example - a nice 65/66 running well, equipped with webers, but the original Solex's are tucked away in a box. Why do these old carbs, that were clearly troublesome, and superceded at Porsches direction as they quickly improved the design, (and will likely never go back on the car) have any value or increase the value of the car? How much do you add to a cars value if the parts are there (on the car or not), or said another way, how much do you discount if they are not there? Or are there just some parts that are the holy grail of a swap meet? Are older cars different than say a '78-83 era SC, with swapped out wheels, or is the principle still the same? I mean, I get it for a matching numbers engine (the heart matches the soul of the car so to speak), but... where do you draw the line? Or is it all just part of the fun of the hobby?

Same question but regarding date stamping - old steel wheels for example. Weren't all the wheels basically the same except for the date stamp? Is this stuff, practically speaking, really such a big deal? I guess I can maybe understand it for a door for example, as I assume a later date code likely indicates an accident replacement, but beyond that... Finally, is there a heirechy in the "date stamped matching parts" for swb's? Did they date stamp everything?

Thanks in advance for the comments and insight,

[hoffman912]

I cannot speak for 911s, but with 912s, solexes just got a bad rap due to them wearing out. when ever a carb wears out it'll run like crap, no matter who makes it. so people would buy webbers (or dellortos) off the shelf and put them on. i had solexes remanufactured, and the consensus among many is that properly remanufactured solexes will be just as good or better than webbers (and tuning is usually easier due to jets already widely available for 912/356s.. most webbers you buy are actually set up for vws. anyone who knows 356s/912s knows its a night and day difference in set up). they work fine, but transitions arent as smooth unless you really dive in and figure out jetting. at the end of the day though, tuning really is everything.

now when it comes to value/market, hands down originality always wins. no contest.


other parts i can think of are:

swb camber plates (later ones def better than swb ones).
nadella half shafts (cv joints far superior, but nadellas are desirable for originality)
swb front end (upgrade to SC front end very easy and gives more affordable options and better performance.... but original is original).

[Harvey Weidman]

Did they date stamp everything?

Just about everthing was dated with codes or stamps for warranty purposes.
H

[luke-44]

Just about everthing was dated with codes or stamps for warranty purposes.
H

Wow. I knew about doors but had no idea it was that extensive. Has anyone ever put together any photos of the major components as to where the date stamps are located?

[davep]

Sure, there are many posts concerning the VIN locations.
The 911 Solex cabs may have had a bad reputation when new, but due to vintage racing requirements there are people that can turn an old set into very good racing carbs. The original problems were not corrected at the time, but now there is no reason why an update cannot turn them into very usable and original parts.

[docrodg]

I agree that there seems to be a heirarchy when it comes to some parts. While I want to return my car to stock, there are things I am willing to compromise on (such as a pertronix). The date coding is for the uber restoration, and if that is what you want go for it. Me, I am happy finding a good replacement even if it is a reproduction.

Anyone looking for an original Marelli distributor? I have a nicely rebuilt one but will keep my Bosch unit for reliability/parts.