FS: @eBay - Viper Green RS

[Jens]

If you put 2 apparently identicle cars side by side and invited a roomfull of buyers, the original car would sell for more than the non-original car every time. That's a fact (jack). But by how much is the question. And there is the opportunity for fraud.

Even the most experienced and esteemed experts on early 911 values get regularly surprised by dollar numbers because value changes constantly. There is no such thing as fixed value on collectibles, but, the people that can assess trends and movements and can best-guess the market are the most effective predictors. But even then, someone with way too much money comes along and pays wa-a-ay too much for the car he always wanted and wads up everyone's panties. Hah! "Shoulda been more." "Shoulda been less." "Holy crap, he's asking HOW much??! (bastard)." Whatever it is, it's worth comment.

Engine cases are born unstamped, then assigned numbers to go into a particular chassis. Newborn cases were made available to the public to replace a broken original. The factory did it all the time in-house for customers and then stamped in the original case number. That was the intent. Hell, they even replaced entire bodies on balled up customer cars and stamped those with original numbers. There is, in fact, a factory part number for the bare replacement body or body-in-white for every model of the 911.

As Rick said, you thinking it's pure, there is likely a non-original, un-whole, bastardized, devalued, spoiled and defiled otherwise collectible 911 sitting in your garage. The horror. Sell it to me... cheap.

[fryardds]

#197 was like my prim & proper gorgeous Catholic virgin from a nice family. #1334 was more like my naughty little pole dancer who could teach me a few tricks!!

Amen to this my old friend.

Although 197 was 'fondled' just a bit in the past, but you corrected that when the roll bar came out.

[Jens]

Hey Rob, good to hear from you. I really enjoyed blasting around with you in this sweet car for hours through the California canyons. Great time.

[sithot]

One of the most wily characters I've ever come across...

Tom

[70SATMan]

Newborn cases were made available to the public to replace a broken original. The factory did it all the time in-house for customers and then stamped in the original case number.

I have a recollection of reading (probably on this board) that when the factory replaced a case the serial number was reproduced but, another character was added to denote a replaced case. I want to say a letter "P"???

Am I correct?

If that were done during private replacements that would take all of the guess work out of the equation later in the vehicle history. However, there would always be some who wouldn't want to make it quite so apparant, RW not included.

[Jens]

I betcha the factory did that sometimes and other times not so much. Kind of reminds me of the story of the factory resto of the so-called first 911... yikes.

[smclaughlin]

I have a recollection of reading (probably on this board) that when the factory replaced a case the serial number was reproduced but, another character was added to denote a replaced case. I want to say a letter "P"???

Am I correct?

<snip>

I've seen factory replacement cases like the one in the picture below (I obscured the numbers to avoid offending the owner of this case/engine/car). AT = Austausch = exchange or replacement. If you cruise mobile.de you will often find car ads (not just Porsche) listing "Austausch Motor".

-Scott

[Jens]

Great Scott! AT, that's the one. Thanks for the graphic image.

[70SATMan]

That's jogging the old gray matter. Where did I get "P" from anyway

Must have been the tea.


Thanks Scott!

[fourteenten]

Good to see you here on the board Rob! I am catching in on you....daughter number 2 was born 6 weeks ago...Sorry for posting this in a car oriented thread...

Rgds, Cees