TheSamba.com :: View topic - Factory M Code Ink Stamp Reproduction Ideas

Thu Aug 21, 2025 12:16 am

After 68 years the factory floor ink stamps are finally fading from view on the fan shroud of my 1957 Kombi. Any ideas on how I might reproduce this image? It was found on five places on the fan shroud originally and was probably not meant to last past the assembly floor, but here we are.

I’m guessing the stamp was probably also found somewhere like the gas tank so that workers knew to pair body with engine.

Thu Aug 21, 2025 2:00 am

if there's enough there to give an outline I would retouch it using a small paint brush and modeller's acrylic paint in an 'off white' shade. other option is to make a stamp made by cutting the letter/number out of craft foam sheet or thick card stuck onto a scrap of plywood. again I'd use model paint for this. thankfully the finish of the original isn't perfect, unlike signwriting, so it's easier to achieve a reasonably authentic effect.

Thu Aug 21, 2025 2:15 am

A listee made some templates a while back, but the ad is gone; they had done some research and the most common stamps tell factory workers what variations the motor had- voltage, smog stuff, exchange motor, etc.Most were on the back of fan shroud but some were on front.

His decals were sort of reverse die cuts - you applied the decal, painted over it, and when decal was peeled off the stamp was recreated. I found out the hard way it's hard to do with motor installed!

I'll dig up his emails about research and how to apply his decals. Maybe he'll be tempted to make more, or you can figure out how he did it...

EDIT - found his old ad with a better pic than mine.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2614021

Thu Aug 21, 2025 6:04 am

I've done it before with thin craft foam sheet from the $ store, cut out the letters and glue them to a wood block just like a rubber stamp.

Thu Aug 21, 2025 7:45 am

With all this 3d printing technology, I'm surprised someone hasn't made some rubber stamps.

Thu Aug 21, 2025 10:12 am

This is interesting to me. Do we know when VW added these codes and for what reasons? I have seen them from time to time but never stopped to wonder the when & where these were applied.

When more specifically the production era.

Thu Aug 21, 2025 10:18 am

If you look at pics from the production lines they are sometimes visible. M610 (pre-67 Beetle 12v option) seems most common, but others as well. I have a 70s FI fan shroud with Mcode for smog options stamp on the back. Buried, but I'll try to get a pic this weekend. I'm assuming an X means 'exchange' and gets that info stamped on the case, but it could easily be something else.

From what dphdo found, they alerted line workers to what parts were needed for that specific engine.

Thu Aug 21, 2025 10:44 am

I’ve ordered an M178 ink stamp. The price was very reasonable after I spent a good 45 minutes creating the design. The M178 fan shroud was from a 1958 Bus shipped to Canada. It had M178 stamped on the front and back of the fan shroud and on both sides. I’m also guessing as above that the fuel tank got one too. These were within the first months the governor was introduced so perhaps later engines didn’t get all four?

Does anyone have a better image of an M620 stamped shroud?

Thu Aug 21, 2025 12:06 pm

I don't think I saw an M620; I did see M610 but of course Ididn't save the photo. I guess I get to dig through thousands of pics marked 'factory' this weekend!

Stamps threads

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=750206&highlight=stamps

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=688216&highlight=stamps

Found an M610!

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=667197&highlight=stamps

Fri Aug 29, 2025 1:19 pm

I have two Buses that originally had M codes stamped on the fan shrouds. My 1957 Kombi equiped with one of the first governors stamped M178

It was important that the stamp didn’t look brand new and flawless after 68 years. I practiced quite a bit on a scrap piece of wood. Above is the result, I would rate moderately successful. It would definitely be better to do this with the engine out of the Bus.

The other is my 1965 hardtop deluxe that was factory issued with M codes stamped M620/21. These were also only moderately successful. The 12 volt sticker was applied by me many years ago and has not faded nor lost its adhesion so I left it in place.

Fri Aug 29, 2025 6:30 pm

That M178 looks just like factory.

Fri Aug 29, 2025 10:05 pm

The font is “stencil”.