Mystery number written under left footwell insulation?

KARMANN NUMBER:

With the introduction of the 3 liter CS, the Karmann number started with 1 again and this until the end of production in 1975. I have number 7, a Werks car, first week of production.
 
Hi Gerrit
Okay
So in theory I have the 24th 3 litre car built on the production line
Mine was built September 4th 1973 according to Bmw archives.
Do you know
What date your one was built ??
 
This 24 is not your shell number. You will find your shell number under the Karmann plate, A-pillar.
 
Okay I am a little confused ( apologies)
When you say you have number 7
How do you know that ?
Is mine not the 24th one ?
Or are you basing your information on the Vin number.
I am just wondering when or where mine comes in , as it pre dates what was originally thought of as the first factory Rhd vin number.
Mine is a factory Rhd built on 4th of September 1973 so according to some info it is one of 66 built
Or it could be 1 of 2741
Or in my head it could be 1 of 1 or 1 of just a small few as it was factory built with a different Vin than what was previously considered to be the first recorded factory Rhd Vin.
 
37 on the Karmann plate is Fjord
I can corroborate that the paint code might have been written commonly on the underside of the sunroof panel. HEre you can see "60", which is Polaris from my original color Polaris car.
20200619-paint code on sunroof.jpg


I also had this writing on the underside of the roof - don't know what it means.
20200620-writing on roof 1.jpg
 
Okay I am a little confused ( apologies)
When you say you have number 7
How do you know that ?
Is mine not the 24th one ?
Or are you basing your information on the Vin number.
I am just wondering when or where mine comes in , as it pre dates what was originally thought of as the first factory Rhd vin number.
Mine is a factory Rhd built on 4th of September 1973 so according to some info it is one of 66 built
Or it could be 1 of 2741
Or in my head it could be 1 of 1 or 1 of just a small few as it was factory built with a different Vin than what was previously considered to be the first recorded factory Rhd Vin.
Barry, Gerrit’s number stamped under the Karmann plate is a 7 as the stamped numbers started over with the 3.0CS series. The pencil numbers don’t relate to build sequence as far as I know. Since BMW has no records you will likely never know how many RHD CSis were built on LHD VIN numbers or where yours is in the sequence. We have quite a few like yours in the Registry when I last looked (27 I think) but our Registry is not complete or conclusive.

Chris
 
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These are the RHD CSi pre-facelift coupes in our Registry, if there are others please let me know:

2262120, 2262137, 2262138, 2262151, 2262705
2263325
2264323, 2264328, 2264554, 2264566 (automatic), 2264670
2265057, 2265115, 2265359, 2265465, 2265479, 2265480, 2265566, 2265590, 2265605, 2265740, 2265788, 2265832, 2265835, 2265937, 2265967, 2265998

I added a note to our FAQ for when this discussion comes up in the future.

 
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Barry, Gerrit’s number stamped under the Karmann plate is a 7 as the stamped numbers started over with the 3.0CS series. The pencil numbers don’t relate to build sequence as far as I know. Since BMW has no records you will likely never know how many RHD CSis were built on LHD VIN numbers or where yours is in the sequence. We have quite a few like yours in the Registry when I last looked (27 I think) but our Registry is not complete or conclusive.

Chris
Okay
Good to know , there seems to have been quite a few built like mine so .
I wonder should I pull the Karmann plate off of the car just to see what is behind it
At the very least it might stop me from bugging ye with my Vin related questions :)thanks again for the info !!!
 
Okay
Good to know , there seems to have been quite a few built like mine so .
I wonder should I pull the Karmann plate off of the car just to see what is behind it
At the very least it might stop me from bugging ye with my Vin related questions :)thanks again for the info !!!
Hi Chris
I just read the note you added
Thank you for adding it.
Hopefully it will help others figure out what they have and of course ... me also !
Thanks !!!
 
Hi Chris
I just read the note you added
Thank you for adding it.
Hopefully it will help others figure out what they have and of course ... me also !
Thanks !!!
Okay
So I finally got out to the garage and removed the karmann plate, to find out what was stamped behind it.
It is 15342.
So if I am taking it all in correctly
That means that my one was the fifteen thousandth three hundred and forty second 3.0 coupe built .

( And that was after all of the 2.8’s that were built . )
 

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Maybe. Since VINs aren’t entirely consecutive (close though) the Karmann number may not be entirely sequential but most likely it at least indicates when it started life as a shell.
 
You can access that area from the kick panel. I wonder if you can get a rubbing if the backside (no jokes please) with tracing paper. I’ll give it a go in the next couple of weeks since my panels are off.
 
Maybe. Since VINs aren’t entirely consecutive (close though) the Karmann number may not be entirely sequential but most likely it at least indicates when it started life as a shell.
Maybe. Since VINs aren’t entirely consecutive (close though) the Karmann number may not be entirely sequential but most likely it at least indicates when it started life as a shell.
Yes I think that’s good enough for me now to know . It’s time for me to stop digging :)

I have seen about 3 photos taken at karmann of e9’s in production.
I wonder is there any footage out there somewhere showing the production lines in Karmann while the e9’s were being built.
I just attached an interesting photo from another nice brand below ( not built at Karmann either)
If I had deeper pockets I would like to have one of those to keep my e9 company..... did someone mention lottery numbers earlier :) :)
I can dream right !
 

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I haven’t seen any but this is entertaining:
Brilliant !
Was that a bmw production line or was it a karmann production line ?
I am assuming that karmann did not have the anti corrosion paint bath !!! :)
Thanks for sharing the link !
 
Karmann started making bodies for BMW with the 2000C/CS and BMW did the assembly. As BMW had capacity issues they contracted Karmann to build and assemble all e9s in Rheine near Osnabruk. They did not have anything to do with Neue Klasse sedans.
 
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Again not karmann below but here is an interesting view into another 1970’s German car plant.

 
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