TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:17 pm

Here is the deal. The crest that came with my 58 has the stamp "R/C" on the back of the badge. The based also has the "R/C" stamp, along with the VW logo stamped at the bottom. I came across another crest I retained from another 58 I had about 8 years ago, and it too is the same, except it feels heavier, has the same "R/C" stamp on the badge, but the base has the words "KSCHWAGER PFORZHEIM stamped on the front, along with a small hole at the top? Any ideas on why they are different?

Fri Nov 21, 2008 11:17 am

The theory is that several manufacturers supplied the crests; if you compare lots of them you will find many very minor differences even in concurrently produced crests. The RoC or R/C crests and bases are generally regarded as the best quality (and from my experience the most common).

Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:37 pm

Are the the badges OEM, or re-issues?

Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:59 pm

Both crests sound original to me, but we could be more sure with pics. I recall the stamping looking more like RoC than R/C but I'm not 100% sure and can't find any pics. Anyone..??

All of the repops I have seen are very easy to spot; the "waves" in the blue at the bottom lack the proper depth and definition (or don't exist at all), the white lines at the bottom are too wide compared to the silver outline and are also less defined.

Real on the left, repop on the right:

Even poorer repop:

I'm not really familiar at all with the stampings on the bases, but all of the ones I've seen have the hole at the top (including known OG ones). I've heard that split era bases don't have the hole, so it would be especially interesting to see that one. I would guess the non-hole base has the best chance of being repop.

Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:38 pm

Apparently I need glasses :shock: The letters are not RC, they are PC? Both crests have PC, as well as the one base with the VW logo stamped at the bottom. The other base has the words "KSCHWAGER PFORZHEIM stamped in the middle, with a hole up above? Also both crests look like the original one on the left, with the thin lines for the waves, and the thicker frame work around the crest? I wish I could post pics but I am having issues with the computer?

Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:48 pm

I'm not familiar with any of the stampings but it sounds like the crests are certainly original. Hopefully someone else can chime in with more info. Would be especially interested in anyone else with a sans-hole base.

On the crest with the no hole base, the second row of blocks in the castle up from the bottom, are there 3 bricks or 4 bricks?

Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:07 pm

These are all originals.

Click on image to see them full size.

Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:09 pm

There was a thread in the Split forum about hood crests.

Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:09 pm

Thanks IN2VWS! Interesting, my base that is stamped PC, has no hole at top, and has the larger VW logo at the bottom? Do you know the years of each particular crest?

Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:02 am

As a general rule, the castles appear slightly smaller and the sky is a darker blue on the earlier crests. There are several variations among manufacturers; coupled with the fact that many og crests were stolen from pre-'60 cars over the years (my og Schwager was ripped off in 1994); this question may never be answered with any accuracy, unless the vendor documentation still exists.

Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:06 am

janerick3 wrote: As a general rule, the castles appear slightly smaller and the sky is a darker blue on the earlier crests. There are several variations among manufacturers

It would be interesting to know how many different manufactures were suppling crests during the 50's? My two crests have proven to be originals, but I swear one feels a little bit heavier then the other?

Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:53 pm

anybody have issues with the repops fitting right? when the crest sits in the base correctly the tabs don't line up with the hole in the hood....

if i line up the tabs with the holes in the hood, it's no longer sitting correctly in the base... think this is a bad repop, or a non OG hood? i thought it was an OG hood... but you know how that goes...