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Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:04 pm

This information has been posted on the site at various times but not in a specific thread so here is the information for reference and use in FAQs.

As many of you know, various parts used on Volkswagen and other vehicles were date-stamped by the original parts manufacturers. Due to production lead times, these date stamps typically preceded the manufacture date of the vehicle by 1 or more months.

Bosch
Parts are stamped with a 2 or 3-digit sequence.
From 1920-1963, the format was 1 or 2 numeric digits, then an alpha character.
The first 1 or 2 digits are the month, 1 through 12.
The last digit, a letter, is the year.
I was not used as they are too similar to the month digits.
For 1945-1963, O was also not used for the reason above.

From 1920-1944, the following apply:
A=1920 B=1921 C=1922 D=1923 E=1924 F=1925 G=1926 H=1927 J= 1928 K=1929 L=1930 M=1931 N=1932 O=1933 P=1934 Q=1935 R=1936 S=1937 T=1938 U=1939 V=1940 W=1941 X=1942 Y=1943 Z=1944

For 1945-1963, the following apply:
1945=A, 1946=B, 1947=C, 1948=D, 1949=E, 1950=F, 1951=G, 1952=H, 1953=J, 1954=K, 1955=L, 1956=M, 1957=N, 1958=P, 1959=Q, 1960=R, 1961=S, 1962=T, 1963=U

Example: 8M would be August, 1956:

For 1964-1969, Bosch used a 3-digit numbering scheme. The first digit is the last number of the year. The second 2 digits represent the month.
Example: 401 would be January, 1964.

For 1970-79, Bosch continued using a 3-digit numbering scheme but the months were numbered 21-32. In addition, 33-36 were used for the 4 quarterly periods. 33 = Jan.-March, 34 = Apr.-June, 35 = July-Sept., 36 = Oct.-Dec.
Examples:
021 = January, 1970
932 = December, 1979
436 = 4th quarter, Oct.-Dec., 1974

Bosch documents, thanks to hazetguy:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=675476
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=675477

Bosch chart from 1960-onward, thanks to glutamodo:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=1167254

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Hella
1950 and earlier parts are stamped with a MM DD Y sequence where MM=Month, DD=Day, Y is a letter indicating the year.
1951 and later parts are stamped with a sequence consisting of 1 alpha character and 2 numeric digits.
The alpha character is the year where:
1949=H*, 1950=I*, 1951=J, 1952=K, 1953=L, 1954=M, 1955=N, 1956=P, 1957=S, 1958=T, 1959=U, 1960=V, 1961=W, 1962=X, 1963=Z, 1964=A, 1965-B, 1966=C, 1967=D
O, Q, R, and Y were not used.
* H & I are unverified
The numeric characters are the week of the year.

Examples:
M 05 would be the 5th week of 1954.
07 26 H would be the 26th of July, 1949.
31 T would be the 31st week of 1958

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SWF
Parts are stamped with a sequence consisting of alpha characters.
The first character is the month, A-M
January=A, February=B, and so on
I has been reported to not be used to prevent month/year confusion but tyhe letter I has also been seen on some semaphores as a month stamp.

The second character is the year, where:
1949=A, 1950=B, 1951=C, 1952=D, 1953=E, 1954=F, 1955=G, 1956=H, 1957=J, 1958=K, 1959=L, 1960=M, 1961=N, 1962=P, 1963=Q, 1964=R, 1965=S, 1966=T, 1967=U
I and O were not used.
Example: BB would be February, 1950.

SWF semaphores are date-coded on the steel pivot arm, the part that the arm and lens are screwed to.
More semaphore information

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SHO
Parts are stamped with two sets of numbers; year (last one or two digits) followed by month (also last one or two digits).

SHO semaphores are stamped on the back, on both sides of the locking tab. SHO produced replacement semaphores at least through 1968.
More semaphore information

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Blaupunkt
From 1955(?) onward, Blaupunkt radios have a simple letter code to indicate the year the radio was produced. Note that a radio produced in 1961 could be seen in either 1961 or 1962 model vehicles.
1955 - 1956 - R
1956 - 1957 - K
1957 - 1958 - S
1958 - 1959 - G
1959 - 1960 - Q
1960 - 1961 - D
1961 - 1962 - E
1962 - 1963 - T
1963 - 1964 - U
1964 - 1965 - V
1965 - 1966 - W
1966 - 1967 - X
1967 - 1968 - Y
1968 - Z
1968 - 1969 - A or B
1969 - 1970 - B, then 7 630
1970 - 7 630
1971 - 7 631
1973 - 7 633
1974 - 7 634
1975 - 7 635
... and so on, last digit increases by 1 each year.

Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:55 am

Good summary Ev.

I have a Hella headlight assembly that is the early style with the date stamp "K". I think this corresponds to 1952 and would fit with the alpha sequence for Hella.

Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:10 pm

Ev, it's good you posted these codes here, as I received the January/February 2008 VVWCA newsletter (Vintage Voice) in the mail today and it contained a reprint of an old date-coding article from 1996 that contained the erroneous assumption that the letter codes for Bosch and Hella were the same.

That very article is what got me started collecting data on what letter codes were correct for Hella headlight assemblies, year by year.

Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:59 pm

Thanks Ev, good info,

There is also a Blaupunkt from 1955 that has the letter code 'R'.

Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:04 am

Thanks, I made some updates to the lists.

Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:03 am

Here´s a Hella headlight with 43J date code. VW logo at 18.00 hrs in the lense and Hella logo 18.00 in the chrome rim.

IMHO evidence enough that 1951 could be added to the list.

Looking at this unit the Hella example is the wrong way around:

"Example: M 05 would be the 5th week of 1954"

Should read 05 M = ....

Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:40 am

Here's a brass reflector from Hella with date code 07 26 H which IMHO adds 1949 to the Hella list. Basically same kind of unit as the 1951 above.

Note that the numeric part is probably MMDD and not number of week as in the 51 and later units.

Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:35 pm

Thanks.

I added some SHO information tonight as well. Thanks to members on the site who posted information elsewhere and the person who pointed it out to me to add.

Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:43 pm

What are the letter codes of blaupunkt radios after 1968?Thanks.

Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:32 pm

turkishgecko wrote: What are the letter codes of blaupunkt radios after 1968?Thanks.

Not really relevant in this forum, but..
68 Z
69 A
70 7 630
71 7 631
72 7 632

etc.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:02 am

what does a 3Y stands for on a Bosch 343 distributor? 3 is march, ... and Y?

Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:10 am

vwbeetleeurope wrote: what does a 3Y stands for on a Bosch 343 distributor? 3 is march, ... and Y?

1943???

Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:48 pm

Thought I would post a pic of the Bosch Dist date code since there wasn't one already:

4 is 4th month (April) and "G" is 1951. "A" was 1945, and "I" is skipped. So this dist is an April '51 unit.

Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:15 pm

I added some additional Blaupunkt radio codes I found today to the first post.

Corrections or additions are always welcome.

Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:19 am

I have here a Bosch D regulator dated "11 Z"
What year would be that regulator??
There is also a stamp GR
II.B.III
Anybody knows what that could mean??

Thanks,

Guido

Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:21 am

D regulators are also date coded:

This one is a 7F, or July 1950. "6M" is on all D regs (that I have seen).

I think I have seen the "Z" codes on some Bosch items and can only guess that that might have been a post-era marking, your Z reg is actually made in '63 as a replacement part for earlier cars.

Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:35 am

Hi John,

I removed that regulator from a 47 engine , I opened it and I found something strange ! The housing is in poor condition, I never had a D regulator with that kind of pitting on the housing ! So I think it is old !
I've bin told that these regulators where used in a Radio car ??????
In the last picture it is next to a 50ties regulator !
Check the pictures please !

Regards,

Guido

Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:49 am

Interesting! It appears to have a condenser (capacitor) attached to the circuit breaker contact bus. As a noise reduction component, I would have expected to see it on the regulator contact instead.

Is the reg on the right a 1950? What month? It has the larger tab on the ground bus that my 7F does not. I thought the earlier regs did not have that.

I have a reg that was on an engine that was left exposed to the elements for probably 20 years. It is quite pitted, but not as rusty on the inside as yours. But it WORKS! I will probably sell it in the classifieds here soon, it would be good on a "rat" split....

Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:59 am

The other regulator is 5 G so 5/51
I thought it was my 5/50 regulator but that was sold recently !

Any thoughts about The "GR II & III " stamp
And RS/GK/136/6/2Z

Thanks,

Guido

Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:32 am

Found this licst for Blaupunkt Radio's
R = 1955/56
K = 1956/57
S = 1957/58
G = 1958/59
Q = 1959/60
D = 1960/61
E = 1961/62
T = 1962/63
U = 1963/64
V = 1964/65
W= 1965/66
X = 1966/67
Y = 1967/68
Z = 1968/69
A = 1969/70
B = 1970/71