Model Year question

[ozspearo]

Hi all,

My car was first registered in 2001. The dealership advertised it as a 2002 (when I bought it in April this year), the plate on the underside of the trunk lid says it's a 2002 model, the DMV has it as a 2002 model. When I enter it's details into a spare parts supplier's website as a 2002 model then put in the VIN and click save, it comes up as a 2001 model.

I realise here in the US they start calling a car "2008" fairly early in 2007, but how do I know what year to use when ordering parts?

Also how do I find out the month of manufacture? I'm pretty sure it's in the front of my service book but I can't find that at the moment.

Thanks.

[DaveE]

Originally Posted by ozspearo

Hi all,

My car was first registered in 2001. The dealership advertised it as a 2002 (when I bought it in April this year), the plate on the underside of the trunk lid says it's a 2002 model, the DMV has it as a 2002 model. When I enter it's details into a spare parts supplier's website as a 2002 model then put in the VIN and click save, it comes up as a 2001 model.

I realise here in the US they start calling a car "2008" fairly early in 2007, but how do I know what year to use when ordering parts?

Also how do I find out the month of manufacture? I'm pretty sure it's in the front of my service book but I can't find that at the moment.

Thanks.

Look on the upper right of the emissions certification sticker on the driver's side door jamb and it will have the month and year of manufacture. If you post your VIN number on here or find the VIN number decoder site (I don't have the url but Mike Focke's Boxster pages has a link to it) it will give you the year.

[Jeph]

Look at the VIN number... what is the tenth digit?

If it's a "1" it's an 2001.
If it's a "2" it's an 2002.

Maybe the parts system considers the 01 & 02 to be identical?

[Tool Pants]

Look at the sticker on your door.

In this case 11/96 was made in November 1996, but built and sold and registered as a 1997.

[ozspearo]

Thanks for the replies. The plate on the door says it's a 07/01, but the tenth digit in the VIN is a 2???????????????

When ordering parts do I need to order for an '01 or '02? I don't think there are too many differences but there are some, eg. fuel filter.

Oh, and does July make it late enough in the year to call it an '02 for marketing purposes if I ever sell it?

Cheers,

-Scott

[Paul]

If the VIN says it's a 2002, then it IS a 2002. End of story.

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by Paul

If the VIN says it's a 2002, then it IS a 2002. End of story.

Yep, Paul is spot on.

Just because it was assembled in 01 doesn't make it an 01. Pretty much the ONLY thing that means is that it was assembled in 01. The manufacture date is rarely that pertinent.

You'll be looking for parts for an 02. For all purposes, it's an 02. Marketing, parts, resale -anything, it's an 02.

[ozspearo]

Cool, thanks guys.

Just on another note, does this mean Tool Pants' car is a 199V model?

How much simpler would it be if a car that was made between Jan 0X and Dec 0X was a 200X model?!!!

[Tool Pants]

The sticker is from a local 1997, not my car. I also have a V in my VIN as the 10th digit because I also have a 1997, but mine was made in January 1997.

V is 1997. W is 1998. And so on. When the letters were about to run out Porsche began using numbers in 2001.

The story is that the factory shuts down for 3 weeks in August to retoll for the next year model. So a car made in September 2007 is built as a 2008 with 2008 specs. But Porsche does make a few cars in July so the dealers will have something to put on the floor.

So your car was made in July 2001 but it was built to 2002 specs. You have the matte finish switches that started in 2002. You also do not have a fuel filter that needs to be replaced. When it was registered it was registered as a 2002 because it is a 2002 model even though it was bult in July 2001.

In the UK it is different. Never understood their system. If you were in the UK you would be calling it a 2001. If you go on a UK board you will see people with a 2004 987, because their model year 2005 987 was built and registered in 2004. There is no such thing as a model year 2004 987. That is why on the UK boards I sometimes have to ask for their model year, not the year the car was registered.

[ozspearo]

Thanks Tool Pants. That makes it so much clearer now.

Cheers,

-Scott