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Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:30 pm

Hi everyone. Just trying to determine if the engine in my 1974 standard beetle is the original.

1974 Standard Beetle #1142644947
Engine # AH426906

This beetle was supposed to have been sold in California originally, but how does one know or tell.

Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:41 pm

look in the technical board. there is a link that has the engine IDs, as far as knowing if it came from CA originally I cant help ya...

calling all gurus!

Mon Apr 11, 2005 8:05 pm

urbandweller wrote: Hi everyone. Just trying to determine if the engine in my 1974 standard beetle is the original.

1974 Standard Beetle #1142644947
Engine # AH426906

This beetle was supposed to have been sold in California originally, but how does one know or tell.

The ol' Tom Wilson Book says...
In '74 they start @ 114 2000 001
An "AH" is a '73 to '74 engine code,8mm case studs w/case savers

should be right

Hope this helps
p.s. if i were you i would get one of these books,good stuff in here

Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:40 am

Thanks alot for the posts. I have seen a few different lists for engine numbers. On 1 list it said AH motors started in 1971, on another it said 73 and 74 used AH motors, and the last didn't list AH motors in 1974 at all. I tend to believe it is probaly the original. Thanks agaiin!

Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:58 am

urbandweller wrote: Thanks alot for the posts. I have seen a few different lists for engine numbers. On 1 list it said AH motors started in 1971, on another it said 73 and 74 used AH motors, and the last didn't list AH motors in 1974 at all. I tend to believe it is probaly the original. Thanks agaiin!

did it say what type...

this is a long shot but I AM GUESSING that different body/chassis types could have used the AH #s at different years i do believe the case numbers were type specific, have only had experience w/ type 1 motors as of yet though

Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:17 am

All Type 1's of that year ,Super,Standard and Ghia will use the same engine code.
Type 2's whent to a big block type4 in '72 and type 3's were a diff critter so the num's are different.
Not sure what Type 181's (Thing) used. :?
Hope this helps.

Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:33 pm

Also if it was sold in CA in 1974 it should have the dual heat risers instead of the the normal single set up. As far as I know CA cars in 1974 were the only ones that had this set up. Someone else can chime in if this is a wikapedia entry.. :lol:

Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:21 pm

I've had two brand new 1974 Beetles, both purchased directly from the dealer (mine purchased in high school, plus a relative who bought at the same time, and I later acquired). Both of these had AH engine codes:

AH136XXX and AH139XXX, since yours is a higher number AH426906, then it's likely to be a '74 engine (rather than a '73), IMO...probably the original.

You could order the birth certificate on-line to be certain.