New member searching for car history

[Arderra]

Hi guys,
I'm a new member to this forum and porsche ownership.
I have just received a 1989 porsche 944 turbo with 74k on the clock. I got the car from a client who's husband intended to restore and use as a track car here in Ireland. The car as originally a UK car. Unfortunately he died several years ago and I got the car as his wife was going to scrap it!!!

My problem is (amongst others) the vin plate has been cut out along with all ID stickers. The PO carried out a hpi check and the car was listed as written off. The cert states- "VRM and VIN not recorded as a total loss by insurers". From the sticker on the front window, I see that at one point in its life, the car/owner was a member of this club.

Would anyone here know anything about the car and possibly what damage was done to have it written off? UK reg number - F312 RKX. My plan is to find the hidden chassis number (if there is one, anyone know where it might be located) and endeavour to get her registered in Ireland. I'll possibly need a vehicle engineers report to state that she is road worthy etc. otherwise, she may end up on eBay !!

Hopefully someone here may remember the car

Thanks

Regards,
Eoin

 

[zcacogp]

Eoin,

Do you have any other registration numbers or any idea what the chassis number was? Have a look in logbooks and on MOT certificates and in the front of the service book (if any of these are present). 944's seem to change numberplates fairly often so that registration number may not have been on the car all it's life.


Oli.

 

[Arderra]

Hi Oli,

Thank for your quick reply. I have a GB cert of permanent export and the hpi cert. no other info then that. Chassis number is WP0ZZZ952KN100641. (Taken off cert of export) I'm hoping to find the chassis no on the car to tie it to the documents I have. That will give me a starting point at least

Regards,
E

 

[GlennS]

WP0ZZZ952KN100641

That should be WPOZZZ95ZKN100641

The third letter is an uppercase "O" and what you have as a "2" is always a "Z" in a 944 chassis number. Not being picky, just thought it might help

The decode goes like this

WPOZZZ (all cars)
95 (first two digits of the vehicle type)
Z (all cars)
K (model year, K=MY89)
N (manufacturing location, N=Neckarsulm)
1 (third digit of the vehicle type) so your car is a "951" aka 944 Turbo
00641 = serial number.

 

[Arderra]

Hi Glen,

Thanks for your reply and corrections.


Regards,
E

 

[zcacogp]

Eoin,

OK, chassis number is helpful. I'm not sure where they actually are on the car for you to try and match the paperwork to the metal (so to speak) - the should be a plate under the bonnet just in front of the windscreen, and I think it is also written on the sticker in the boot just behind the rear bumper, but that rear sticker won't be there if the car has had rear-end damage and I suspect the one at the front is the one you talk about as being chiselled off.

If you are really keen to trace the car then would it be worth contacting PCGB and the DVLA? McNulters (he of infinite wisdom and helpfulness) will be along soon to help with the former, I'm sure. The latter .... dunno. I expect it will cost a couple of quid and a nicely-written letter. Either way, you should be able to get any other registrations it has keen known as, and PCGB may be able to tell you something of the history of the car.

(In fact, and this may be a daft suggestion, you could possibly do worse than dropping into your local OPC and asking nicely. They may have a history on the chassis number which they could show you.)


Oli.

 

[Veerzigzag]

The internet lists that registration plate as being first registered in Luton between August 1988 and July 1989.
First registration was 25 January 1989.
No car tax paid since Feb 1995.
Maybe check with OPC covering Luton (is that OPC Hatfield?).

 

[Arderra]

Hi veerzigzag,

Thanks for your reply and found info. That matches the info I have here. The car was exported to Ireland in 95.
It seems that it must have been crashed sometime in 94!! I have a key ring from HR Owen. Next stage is to email them and see what info they may have.

It seems strange that a car which was written off is still in such good condition (everything works on it, all electrics etc) it's only suffering from the usual issues relating to a parked up car!! If it was crashed in 94 and not used as a track car, what was it doing for the last 20 years??

I'm still hoping that there is a hidden vin number somewhere that I can use to re-register her!!
Regards,
E

 

[Arderra]

Hi guys,
Quick update:

A friend in insurance found out that the car was a cat c write off in October 94 and permanently exported to Ireland in 95. Is it usual practice for the DVLA (?) to remove the vin numbers for cat c write offs? To me, personally, it makes sense as a cat c car has to be certified roadworthy before going back on the road (I think they get a "Q" plate then and the vin is put back on the car! Is this correct??)
Unfortunately, I can't go down that route as the car is listed "permanently exported" on the dvla register and I cannot re-import it into the UK without it being registered somewhere else first!! So my only hope is the hidden vin number to prove its identity!!

I'll end up writing a book on this eventually lol.

Regards,
E

 

[944 man]

DVLA never remove anything and theres no good reason for removing the numbers, but also nothing to actually stop someone from doing it.

There's a chance that there'll be a sticker between the rear lights with the VIN on it. Not cast iron and the DVLA wouldn't ever accept it, but your local people may do if everything else matches up.

 

[ChasR]

I have owned a number of cars which have been on a CAT C and D marker. None of them had the VIN numbers removed.

 

[Arderra]

Hi guys

Thanks for your replies.

I have received information from two separate sources that the car was cat "C" so this leads me to believe that the plates were removed by the Irish revenue (customs). The importer must have told them that the car was for parts so they cut the plates out!!

My next step then is to get in contact with Revenue. Hopefully they will be in a generous mood!!!
E

 

[ChasR]

It is not my place to say but I hope that your story with the car does not take too sinister a turn (a friend of mine had a 944 with no VIN plates). Whilst the car was what it was in the logbook with paperwork to back it up the car itself did have a chequered history.

 

[Arderra]

Hi chazr

Thanks for your reply.

That's sitting in the back if my mind also!! Don't want to invest € x,000.00 into someone else's car!
Hopefully it will turn out to be a dream car and not a nightmare!!
A

 

[944 man]

Remove the rear seat squab and locate the body number. Contact Marc Noack and see what the VIN number is for the body number quoted. You can add the engine number too, but its less important (but nice if they all tie up).

When its registered itll be checked through Interpol, but a quicker way is to get someone to HPI it here on the VIN.

 

[Arderra]

Hi 944 man,
Don't know mark noack? Is he a guy on here or a company?
Thanks for the location to look. Didn't get a chance today but did find the number 45 1 8057 K. Don't know what it means. It was located just behind the rear seats ( when you drop the seats and remove the upholstery clip, its stamped into the pan)

Regards
A

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Mark works for Porsche AG in Germany I think, cant find his email, was sure I had it somewhere!
The number you found is the body number - really for the factory use and they will probably have records.

 

[Arderra]

Hi mike,

Thanks for the info.

Found Marc's details and emailed him.
Hopefully he will come back with good news.

Regards
Ardera

 

[Arderra]

Hi 944,

Is that the same hpi as the internet ones?
I have three of them (just to be sure!! Lol)
From 1999, 2003 and 2014. All report the same results- not reported stolen, financial write off.

Regards,
A

 

[GlennS]

This is becoming an interesting detective story. If the car truly was written off in 1994 the damage must have been substantial. It was a still a valuable car at that point.