Year: 1974 
Model:1303L
Drilling mm: 77 
Stroke mm: 69 
Capacity ccm: 1285  
Compression: 7.5 
Achievement KW/PS: 32/44 with U/min: 4100
Torque Nm: 88 with U/min: 3000
Octane number of RON: 91 
Engine weight kg: 120
Consumption l: 8.8 
0-100 km/h s: 25.5 
Level of fuel in the tank l: 42
Quantity of oil l: 2.5 
Vehicle max speed km/h: 125 
Trunk l v: 210 
Trunk l h: 106 
Wheel base mm: 2420 
Track width mm v: 1375 
Track width mm h: 1349 
Length mm: 4110
Width mm: 1585
Height of mm: 1500
Unloaded weight kg: 890

So it looks like your engine is a 1285cc which would be called a 1300cc. From what I can translate it looks as though the “L” designation tell which engine is in the car.

1303A=1192cc or 1200cc
1303L=1285CC or 1300cc
1303S/1303LS=1584cc or 1600cc

Hope that this helps,

__________________
Wayne Dean

wayne@superbeetles.com

http://www.allaircooled.com
http://www.superbeetles.com

VW used calendar years through 1954. In 1955 the model year was cut off at July 31, making it the shortest production year. Many manufacturers start their model year well before the end of the calendar year, including those who don’t have to ship their product by sea to their largest market, so it shouldn’t be that big a deal. Starting with the 1965 model year the third digit of the VIN corresponds to the last digit of the model year, so there’s really no explanation besides incompetence for a car to get mistitled, but it still happened from time to time.

Engine AB 0,000,001 – AB 0,141,591 44bhp(DIN)1300  1971
Engine AB 0,350,001 – AB 0,699,001 44bhp(DIN)1300  1972
Engine AB 0,699,002 – AB 0,990,000                         1973
Engine AR 000,001 – AR 121,271 44bhp(DIN)1300        1974
Engine AR 121,272 – AR 150,000 44bhp(DIN)1300        1975
These are all 1285cc dualport engines which look very similar to a carbureted “1600” (1585cc) DP, sold in some markets where taxes are based on displacement and/or gasoline is exhorbitantly priced (the 1192cc “1200” engine was also offered through the end of production). I have dismantled core engines shipped over from Germany which had small domes in their pistons as well as some with flat-tops…can’t recall which ones had which pistons.
They use a smaller carburetor (31PICT-3) which resembles a 34PICT-3 but has the smaller “singleport” flange pattern. The intake manifold is also unique, having a smaller cross-section as well as the smaller flange, and the ID of the aluminum end castings was also slightly smaller to match. 113 129 729B intake air seals do not fit them, I wish I knew where to get some that would.

All told, Euro-market Supers came in 1302, 1302S, 1302L, 1302LS, 1303, 1303S, 1303L, and 1303LS variants. “S” denoted disc brakes and a 1600cc engine, and “L” was the luxury package (mirror on the sunvisor, door pocket, padded dash). The numbers refer to the body style (1300 was a 1965 or newer Standard Beetle) not the engine displacement. 1301 was skipped over because Simca already had a car with that model number.