1955 Engine Number Trivia

[Alan Hall]

Apparently sometime during 1955 the format that Porsche used for stamping the engine numbers changed from P dash xxxxx to P star xxxxx star. Does anyone know when the change occurred? The closest I have seen for 1500 Normals is sometime between 34525 and 35091. I have no data for 1300's or for 1500 Supers. Any input from you '55 owners?

[Steve Harrison]

Hello Alan,

35179 (Normal) has it like the later ones
P * 35179 *
Kardex, June of 55.

[Tom Coughlin]

Checking P-34805* shows that it has the early format.

Great, learned something new today! Tom

[Steve Harrison]

Ned?
What say you?

[Ned Gorski]

my motor is stamped p*34359*.... I never noticed the missing star on the earlier casesi have other early cases
i will look when i get home..

[James Davies]

From here

http://porsche356registry.org/component/p8pbb/1/26716.html

It looks like the change was gradual from

P-xxxxx

to

P-xxxxx*

to

P*xxxxx*

And it looks like P-34869* had a dash after the P and a star at the end.

[Ned Gorski]

I have a spare cover in my garage p_34364*

[Tom Coughlin]

So do you think that now maybe we have to figure out who was working what day or what shift?
Maybe Hans liked to use dashes but Piet liked stars??

[DaveCooper]

Hi, newly dug out Car #53333 with engine number P-34638*, I understand it to be an early '55 car, wheels are marked 1/55.
Cheers,
Dave

[Eric Cherneff]

Here's the info I have. Other examples fall within the ranges shown, i.e. I have no outliers. Ned's P*34359* falls out of step - Ned, can you confirm yours has two stars?

P-22052*
P*22149*

P-34194
P-34281* to P-34869*
P*35091*

P-41058
P-41138* to P-41241*
P*41308*

P-50108*

[Alan Hall]

Thanks Eric, that narrows it down pretty well. I am going to get a couple of other '55 motor numbers soon, if they add anything to help narrow it down further, I will post them. Hoping Ned can re-verify 34359.
Alan

[Tom Coughlin]

35434 has Star before and after the number

[Daryl Bertram]

This '55 Normal is in my '54. Original engine MIA. The previous owner whom I trust said the '55 motor came crated from the factory as a rebuild. P-35064 * All these years I've thought the star following the numbers signified "factory rebuild" but looks like I'm wrong after seeing other posts here.

[Phil Planck]

Ned - Mine is really close to your 2: P-34366*

[karl schuenemann]

If you want one more, P - 34329 * fits right in.