Well this has been an interesting day!
So...
The cars VIN sticker under the bonnet matches the car window and the v5. The sticker on the car is in pretty bad condition so you can make out the VIN and paint code but not the options. All the MOTs, receipts etc tally up mileage with year/age as well. Also it's HPI'd is clear for what it's worth.
On closer inspection, and I missed it earlier the VIN sticker in the service manual does not match - after the first 99 it should follow with a Z - but it's a number 7.
So this is where it gets interesting!
The car was originally bought by a British citizen living in Spain somewhere - they had the car delivered to Spain (Porsche Centro Alicante). They have stamped the delivery document. The car was then brought back to the UK and looked after by OPC Newcastle. They performed the first service and up to circa 40k.
The original service book was lost, a replacement ordered and officially stamped up by OPC Newcastle. The original was then found. This doesn't have a sticker in it (apparently it was down to the salesperson dealer to plonk this in) Clearly they forgot! There seems to be other examples of this on Rennlist/RennTech interestingly.
The helpful OPC told me to check the engine number/code which I did. It doesn't match the VIN print out...
It would appear that in its first 2 years of life the original engine was replaced - this is signified by the 'AT" digits in the engine number meaning 'austauch" or exchange. This is a factory replacement. The engine number also points to the fact it's 665, 6 being 6cyl, second 6 is naturally aspirated and 5 is 2005. The final digits are the 5 digit serial. Running these numbers it's above the all important 07475 code which means it's a late 05 motor with the revised larger IMS bearing... this ties in with a specialist stating on an invoice 'revised larger IMS fitted"
Without wanting to open a what IMS is best debate, my understanding is this is the revised larger bearing less prone to failure than the 2000-2005 vintage?
OPC need to send me some official documents to confirm the factory replacement as when the original owner (or one of the subsequent ones)lost the service manual, they also lost a chunk of receipts/invoices pertaining to the exchange under warranty engine!!
The wrong VIN sticker in the service book is a reproduction as dimension and font wise don't match what it should look like. Assuming someone had it made
to fill the gap?? OPC have advised me to remove it as it's only confusing things! They've sent me full VIN breakdown and will send the confirmation of the exchange engine as well.
Just need it in writing from the OPC now to back what they found up!
Amazing what you can learn in a day!
So...
The cars VIN sticker under the bonnet matches the car window and the v5. The sticker on the car is in pretty bad condition so you can make out the VIN and paint code but not the options. All the MOTs, receipts etc tally up mileage with year/age as well. Also it's HPI'd is clear for what it's worth.
On closer inspection, and I missed it earlier the VIN sticker in the service manual does not match - after the first 99 it should follow with a Z - but it's a number 7.
So this is where it gets interesting!
The car was originally bought by a British citizen living in Spain somewhere - they had the car delivered to Spain (Porsche Centro Alicante). They have stamped the delivery document. The car was then brought back to the UK and looked after by OPC Newcastle. They performed the first service and up to circa 40k.
The original service book was lost, a replacement ordered and officially stamped up by OPC Newcastle. The original was then found. This doesn't have a sticker in it (apparently it was down to the salesperson dealer to plonk this in) Clearly they forgot! There seems to be other examples of this on Rennlist/RennTech interestingly.
The helpful OPC told me to check the engine number/code which I did. It doesn't match the VIN print out...
It would appear that in its first 2 years of life the original engine was replaced - this is signified by the 'AT" digits in the engine number meaning 'austauch" or exchange. This is a factory replacement. The engine number also points to the fact it's 665, 6 being 6cyl, second 6 is naturally aspirated and 5 is 2005. The final digits are the 5 digit serial. Running these numbers it's above the all important 07475 code which means it's a late 05 motor with the revised larger IMS bearing... this ties in with a specialist stating on an invoice 'revised larger IMS fitted"
Without wanting to open a what IMS is best debate, my understanding is this is the revised larger bearing less prone to failure than the 2000-2005 vintage?
OPC need to send me some official documents to confirm the factory replacement as when the original owner (or one of the subsequent ones)lost the service manual, they also lost a chunk of receipts/invoices pertaining to the exchange under warranty engine!!
The wrong VIN sticker in the service book is a reproduction as dimension and font wise don't match what it should look like. Assuming someone had it made
to fill the gap?? OPC have advised me to remove it as it's only confusing things! They've sent me full VIN breakdown and will send the confirmation of the exchange engine as well.
Just need it in writing from the OPC now to back what they found up!
Amazing what you can learn in a day!
