How old is it really?

[Ben C3.o]

Hi all.

 

As some of you will know I am on the hunt for a car that was built the same year I was, 1976. Currently I have three cars on the table I am considering but with the absences of build dates how does one determine how old the car is and does it vary state to state?

 

I'm aware the model number (model year) is in the VIN and the compliance date is the date it was approved to be driven on Australian roads but a 76 model 911 with a compliance date of February 1976 has to have been built in 1975 and therefore should be sold as a 1975 car in my mind.

 

Speaking to a guy at the Porsche centre in Melbourne they have no idea how the appropriate road authorities determine the year of a car. They assume they go off the compliance date which I am 99% sure is not correct. It is the build date that determines the age of a car but these cars don't have build dates stamped on them do they?

 

Here are the examples I have

1. VIN 911660XXXX, 76 model - Compliance date 02/76 - could safely assume this car was built in 1975 (between august 75 and December 75) and then shipped over.
2. VIN 911660XXXX, 76 model - Compliance date 05/76 - could assume this car was built in 1976 but could have been built anywhere between august 75 and March 76 and then shipped over.
3. VIN 911760XXXX, 77 model - Compliance date 11/76 - this has to have been built in 1976 (between august 76 and September 76) and then shipped over.

In August of each year Porsche begins producing the next model car hence we now end up with 2013 model cars but with a 2012 build date. Nice and simple when there is a build date plate on the car.

 

Has anyone else has this issue before?

 

I appreciate your thoughts and feedback.

 

Cheers

Ben

 

[jnr356]

change over for year model is august 1st

 

ie .sept 76 car is a 77 model

[smule]

Historically its been year of first registration, so the date on your rego sticker will be the year its first registrered not necessarily the build year.... as for imports etc they look at equivalent registration documentsand see what year the car was registered as in that country..

[cyberpunky]

In the car industry, we go off model year(MY), and for most Jap cars that changes at EOFY and so a car built after june 30 is the next model year. This means the cars specs are different to those of the previous model year(if they changed). Registration is done from when car is sold. So my car is an 86(important when getting parts) but rego says 87. To me it's an 86, as MY87 had ABS and MY86 didn't, plus the MY87 was never sold here. Of the 110 cars sold here during 86/87(2 year period roughly) were all 86 build(MY86).

[Russ]

you're putting a lot of effort into this! why not buy either and call it a 76 or a 77?

 

my car is a 77 model built at the end of 76

[Uncle]

For me build date is all that matters. First rego is just a govenment tag. 

[LeeM]

Mine was built in October 1966 and is on the Vic rego records as a 1966

So it's a 1966 then! 

[Ben C3.o]

you're putting a lot of effort into this! why not buy either and call it a 76 or a 77?

 

It's the OCD.

 

I want a car built the same year I was so a 1975 built car or a 1977 build car just wont do it, even if I call it a 76 built car.

 

It just bugs me when people and car deals try and often do see a car by it's model year and not the year it was actually made. Anything built in August - December 1975 being a 1976 model should be sold as a 75 car not a 76.

[cyberpunky]

if all we could sell were cars built in that year with that MY, we would have 3 months a year to sell cars(imported cars anyway). Car built in January, then shipped here and arrives in March/April, then by July they start building next MY so we would have to wait 9 months before MY matched build date again. Bottom line is it is not practical and really doesn't matter and apart from what you are doing, I see no relevance on plating of cars to your average car buyer. It has negligible effect on resale(if any), and the average car isn't an investment and shouldn't be bought with an eye on resale. You should buy a car that you want and that meets your needs, and forget trying to play the resale value game, as no one can know what any car will be worth down the track and all normal cars depreciate massively so it is a futile game (IMO)

[Harvs11]

In the car industry, we go off model year(MY), and for most Jap cars that changes at EOFY and so a car built after june 30 is the next model year. This means the cars specs are different to those of the previous model year(if they changed). Registration is done from when car is sold. So my car is an 86(important when getting parts) but rego says 87. To me it's an 86, as MY87 had ABS and MY86 didn't, plus the MY87 was never sold here. Of the 110 cars sold here during 86/87(2 year period roughly) were all 86 build(MY86).

I'm also in the vehicle biz. and see this confusion regularly.  Here's an example; The new VF Commodore is being built now, 2013, but it's known internally at GM as a MY14.  Check the build plate of any car to really know it's age.

[maxy]

My 911 was built in '76 to be sold as a '77 model. Parts I have replaced like brake lines are date coded 1976. But vin number says 77 model as does Porsche correspondence. My Harley is the same. Built '06 on comp plate, but it is '07 model. If I'm chasing parts I have to specify '07 model. On Porsche and Harley there are year specific changes. If you want a '76 built car you probably need to buy a '77 model. I'm in Newy. If you want to check out an original '77 so you know what your looking at give me a yell.

[Ben C3.o]

Thanks Maxy, I will shoot you a PM.

[Coastr]

It's the OCD.

 

I want a car built the same year I was so a 1975 built car or a 1977 build car just wont do it, even if I call it a 76 built car.

 

It just bugs me when people and car deals try and often do see a car by it's model year and not the year it was actually made. Anything built in August - December 1975 being a 1976 model should be sold as a 75 car not a 76.

 

Ah yes - but is your 'build date' your conception date or delivery date?  Roughly 2/3rds of people were conceived in the year prior to their delivery, so if you're born before September, you could theoretically be a '75 model yourself!

[Ben C3.o]

Is it sad that I did think of that?

 

I'm a 76 model all the way, October baby.

 

Porsche have recorded the production date of the white one in QLD as 1.1.77 but also said that as they were manually entered dates back then it means little. Given it's compliance is 11/76 it is safe to assume it was built August/September 76.

[Coastr]

I looked at the white qld one myself when it was at a carshow. It presents well, but no idea on how it drives.