69 Z/28 Cowl tags.. Real??

[dannystarr]

Does anybody know of either of these tags? Think they are the real deal? Looks like the bottom one was over sanded some and spread the numbering out a little. And the top one has sand/grind marks inline with the rivets..... Danny

[Mark]

They are both real.  theres a few of those O5A tags with the space between the 0 and the 5 out there floating around.

[dannystarr]

Ok, how about this stamp? Look correct? ... Danny

[Mike S]

In regards to the engine stamp...
I'm no expert on Z 28 pad stampings (or any for that matter   ) but looking at the number 3 caught my attention. So I imported this image into photoshop and measured each number and letter at their widest points and they all fall very close in width as expected. The number 3 and the second zero (0) are wider and can be seen visually as well. The two number 0's are not the same font. In other words, the number 30 doesn't look right. But then I may be way off base.

Mike

[dannystarr]

Hey Mike, thanx... Maybe one is a NUMBER  "0"  and the other is a  "O"   LETTER. Then the fonting would make sense. But yea I don't like that big giant 3 either. Maybe someone will chim in....... Danny

[Mark]

They made up new stamps for each engine suffix code everyday at the engine plant, they just reached into the box of indiviual characters and pulled one out and placed it into the stamp handle.  The 1's and I's were mixed together, as was the 0 and O's.  You can't really tell a restamp from an original unless you have a known example from the same day, unless the restamp is really horrible, or not gang stamped, of course.

[JohnZ]

In regards to the engine stamp...
I'm no expert on Z 28 pad stampings (or any for that matter  ) but looking at the number 3 caught my attention. So I imported this image into photoshop and measured each number and letter at their widest points and they all fall very close in width as expected. The number 3 and the second zero (0) are wider and can be seen visually as well. The two number 0's are not the same font. In other words, the number 30 doesn't look right. But then I may be way off base.

Mike

There were several different fonts, as the individual character dies were purchased from several different suppliers and mixed together in the bins. What matters more is the spacing from the centerline of each character to the centerline of the adjacent characters; the rectangular shanks of each die were the same size, regardless of which supplier made the dies, so the centerline spacing will be essentially the same with the dies installed in the gang holder. That's just one of many pad stamp characteristics to evaluate.

[Mike S]

There were several different fonts, as the individual character dies were purchased from several different suppliers and mixed together in the bins. What matters more is the spacing from the centerline of each character to the centerline of the adjacent characters; the rectangular shanks of each die were the same size, regardless of which supplier made the dies, so the centerline spacing will be essentially the same with the dies installed in the gang holder. That's just one of many pad stamp characteristics to evaluate.

That's my point, John, and I agree letters and like numbers get mixed up. I've seen that with BB stamps. In this case the number 3 is larger than the rest by the thickness of the that numbers outline. Each font would be very close in width at their widest point (except the number 1 of course) because, as you said, each characters base is the same size and the centerlines in respect to the individual characters are spaced evenly. The number 3 stands out more and the letter O slightly wider than the rest compared to the V04_ _ D Z so that makes me think the base size of that 3 stamp is larger. Again, I'm no expert but if I were looking at this car and knowing what I've learned from this group the short time I have been here, I would question that number 3.

Mike

Mike

[Mark]

Then I guess this one is bad as well.  



You have to have libraries of these things to make definative calls on these.  Remember you can adversely effect the price of someones car, or components by making the wrong call, of course you can also help someones values by making the wrong call as well.

[Mike S]

Thanks Mark,

   Like I said, I'm no expert but I sure was perplexed. I was hoping someone would post a similar example to compare. This second example is interesting indeed. That number 3 sure stands out compared to the others, but if that is the way it can look then so it is.
I learned something new today at CRG for the DZ engine. This reminded me of the letter M on big block engines used for the engine code. I have seen 3 different font styles and sizes.

Mike