Topic: 1969 San Jose Paint Inspector Stamping

[Bring Sally Up]

Have you guys ever seen this stamp? It was on the inside of the trunk? I though 69s didn’t come with spoilers from factory but were a dealer add correct ?  Or could this have been a stamp from factory to alter the truck for a spoiler ?

[J_Speegle]

Have you guys ever seen this stamp? It was on the inside of the trunk? I though 69s didn’t come with spoilers from factory but were a dealer add correct ?  Or could this have been a stamp from factory to alter the truck for a spoiler ?

No - has nothing to do with the spoiler. Its the paint inspector that inspected the unibody of the car. Another one was doing the individual parts painted off the car. He would apply about 6 similar stamps (different name) on most of those. These are example further in some other threads and in the Paint mark article you can find in the Library

This particular worker is not over found and likely was moved to another operation after a short time and the number style stamps were typically used in earlier production. The inspectors were typically  the older more experienced and/or connected workers on the line and made up about 10% of the line workforce

[Bring Sally Up]

Ahh. Ok thanks. So in this case the inspectors name was alter ? 

[J_Speegle]

Ahh. Ok thanks. So in this case the inspectors name was alter ?

Yes. Likely a last name. They used which (last or first) every was shorter and then the other if someone else already had that name in use once they went to names  which started during 68 production at San Jose.

In this case Henry had a long last name so it was easier to use his first name since no other paint inspector had the same name at the time. When the plant closed down Henry continued working in manufacturing in the Bay area. A friend was able to be given his original stamp.  While at San Jose as an inspector he tended to work on the main line, inspecting the uni-bodies, most of the time maybe out of choice or seniority  or for another reason

[nck54]

Jeff -- do you have knowledge of the basic dims the letters used in these stamps are?  Namely the height and width of one typical letter assuming "HENRY" and "AMBRIS" is used?

[J_Speegle]

Firstly - Welcome to the site. Hope the support and information provided here on the site is helpful in your restoration projects and endeavours

Jeff -- do you have knowledge of the basic dims the letters used in these stamps are?  Namely the height and width of one typical letter assuming "HENRY" and "AMBRIS" is used?

Got to ask is there a reason you choose those to inspectors for what I assume is your car?  Just asking since there are many names and at least one other inspector that filled in using his older style stamps in 69. If you just picking some names  other names documented around your cars build period might be better choices unless of course you found these specific names used on your car originally. 

As to the question. Measuring a single letter isn't going to work since different letters are sized differently in the pattern depending on the letter

Yes I have the measurements I can either the ones I had made or may have an original I can take them from. Let me check. Not sure if your going to find a matching font in the standard choices stamp companies use so be aware of that. 

[nck54]

Car is a 69 San Jose CJ that falls right into the early production time frame for the model year -- meaning Dec '68.

The car only had 78K miles on it, DSO in St. Louis and had been re-painted but not under the trunk.   I was smart enough to look over all the parts for markings, (took pictures of most), remember I saw what looked like a yellow smudge under the trunk lip but didn't take a photo of it --- now I realize it was most likely the inspector stamp and considering what my memory can recall, it reminds me very much of the HENRY stamp but again smudged so -- I didn't think to replace it until I started review info on this site.  Car has of course now been completely repainted so -- I want to at least put that one back on.

I have found a rubber stamp maker that seems open to do custom work, (still trying to nail down the price), so we'll see but -- short of me guessing from photos, it would be very helpful to have the approx size of the letters -- they all appear to be in caps and fairly block like so -- I'm assuming it should be easy for them to come close.

Neil

[nck54]

Basic level the car is being restored too.

[J_Speegle]

To save time I measured one of the stamps I've used for about 20 year. Typically travel with some to shows so that others can get their cars stamped on the spot. Too many stampings that are incorrect, from other plants or just made up out of air. Have over 80 different paint and body inspectors in the collection so far from all three plants

So a non-compressed measurement of the stamp you asked about was a height of 5/16" by over all length of 1 9/32"

As you can see the one has been well used. Should get it remade at some point but it still holds the ink or paint well

[67gta289]

Is it me or is "Alter" an unfortunate name for an inspector?  I guess it could have been worse, such as Fix, Broke, and so on.  Or the electrical wiring inspector with the last name of Short.

[J_Speegle]

Is it me or is "Alter" an unfortunate name for an inspector?  I guess it could have been worse, such as Fix, Broke, and so on.  Or the electrical wiring inspector with the last name of Short.

Yes agreed. He doesn't seem to have lasted or have filled the spot for very long. Not sure if that meant he went up the food chain, down or out the door.

Still much better than the nicknames some of them had for each other   

[nck54]

Thank you very much Jeff.  This will help in the proper fabrication a lot.

As you mentioned I'm a newbie poster here but have indeed been a troll for years on this site.   Have done a few more posts on the Boss site because I've been lucky enough to own several real Boss T/A race cars along with a few brand X T/A's as well.

I actually never thought I'd get into restoring a car to this level but I do live in Wis, (not much to do over winter outside unless you like snow -- which I don't), and after I sold all the old race cars, this one popped up on E-bay so -- the path was set.  And, like I stated, I've looked at this site for hours and hours helping to get this car back to form.  For that I sincerely thank all the posters that are extremely knowledgeable beyond what I could have hoped to find on my own.

Anyway, somewhat continuing the inspector stamp thread --- I am wondering if you or any others again have samples or info for the stamps on the windshield reservoir, air cleaner, (which are the only other ones I can recall seeing under the hood), or even a simple list of stamps and approx placement for 1969 San Jose cars that are more than just these paint inspector markings.

I'm not suggesting the paint marks and such that are indeed unique to each car -- Spindles, driveshaft, trans, axle etc -- but actual stamps beyond these and are not the usual interior ones on the steering column or rear of the dash and such.

Thoughts?

Neil




   

[J_Speegle]

Basic level the car is being restored too.

Nice job. You might consider making some changes since it is a San Jose and not a back east car. The first that stands out in the finish of the shock tower supports. As mentioned in a number of threads San Jose supply plants for those and other parts did not use the slop/paint mixture but instead just semi-gloss black like the front spring mounts/bee hives. Sure your exposure to Boss cars lead you astray on  that detail.

If you would like we can PM and discuss details or you can start a build thread in that section of the site for review and discussion since this thread is for the other subject

[J_Speegle]

Anyway, somewhat continuing the inspector stamp thread --- I am wondering if you or any others again have samples or info for the stamps on the windshield reservoir, air cleaner, (which are the only other ones I can recall seeing under the hood), or even a simple list of stamps and approx placement for 1969 San Jose cars that are more than just these paint inspector markings.

I do have a list I use for suggesting name or ID for inspectors based on cars VINs that I've collected for all the years and plants. More of some and less of others just due to access. It records location, marking, color of marking to car's paint color. In that way we get an idea of when stamp designs changed at plants and who was working during what periods.  Of course it will not include every detail but it can confirm who was there.

San Jose during 69 production had three different styles of inspector stamps. Some appear to reflect if the worker as a regular or a fill in for the postion. 
From what I've collected for 1969 San Jose production

The unibody in the inspector on the line marked their approval or passing on the trunk lid - drivers side.


On another line the individual body parts were painted and those were inspected by a different inspector. He placed his stamp/mark on

- Both front fenders along the lip that attaches to the inner fender panel
- To the cowl cover on the passenger side tab where the hood bumper will get installed
- Top part of the high beam section of the headlight bucket - both sides

Other threads that mention this. May these two together to consolidate the info and posts

https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=22346.msg140569#msg140569

As for other stamping I have a fair share of information I've collected over the last 40 years and have reproduced hundreds of them. You might have seen the sets of transmission stamps I gave to the CJ Registry and the Boss 302 forums for their use - trading between members. Know one set is in Europe currently so those get around. Those are the only sites it made sense for since all the cars covered there use only a couple of transmission types for all the cars.

[nck54]

Jeff -- PM sent
Thanks,
Neil