Shop Dope sans sequential number

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nifty
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Shop Dope sans sequential number

#1

Post by nifty »

Any thoughts on this "Special" Shop Dope?
I'm thinking, being California specific, probably a "Dealer Letter" using Shop Dope stationery???
Or the MoCo just doing their normal thing?
I don't have a range of dealer letters to compare.
Presumably the glass lens reflector quality was non-compliant?
I have it as a PDF and want to upload it to site, but without a sequential number it will not be in date sequence with other SD/bulletins

For some reason this post would not accept the .jpg image????

Now the PDF is blank, grrr, stay with me, I'll try again

Hurrah, new .jpg & success at last!

Nifty
shop dope 55 tail light .jpg
shop dope 55 tail light .jpg (53.01 KiB) Viewed 465 times
nifty
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#2

Post by nifty »

Can anyone who has them, please check your specify year, 1956 to 1968 parts books, for California only red plastic tail light lens?
Or perhaps MoCo dealer letter to California dealer advising part number to order "special" tail light lenses for spare parts stock?
Looking for a part number other than 68090-55 or 68090-69.

Can anyone who has original, intact California bikes 55-68, please check your tail light lens and report?

Nifty
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#3

Post by panheadrider1961 »

Any motor vehicle may be equipped and when required under this article shall be equipped with the following signal lights or devices:
A brake light on the rear which shall emit a red light and which shall be actuated upon application of the service (foot) brake and which may but need not be incorporated with a taillight; and
A light or lights or mechanical signal device capable of clearly indicating any intention to turn either to the right or to the left and which shall be visible from both the front and the rear.
Every brake light shall be plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 300 feet to the rear both during normal sunlight and at nighttime, and every signal light or lights indicating intention to turn shall be visible and understandable during daytime and nighttime from a distance of 300 feet from both the front and the rear. When a vehicle is equipped with a brake light or other signal lights, such light or lights shall at all times be maintained in good working condition. No brake light or signal light shall project a glaring or dazzling light.
All mechanical signal devices shall be self-illuminated when in use at the times mentioned in Code Section 40-8-20.
All lenses on brake lights and signal devices shall be maintained in good repair and shall meet manufacturers' specifications.

(Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 556, § 112; Code 1933, § 68E-207, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 165, § 4; Code 1981, §40-8-26, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 165, § 10.)
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#4

Post by panhead_kicker »

nifty wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:17 pm Can anyone who has them, please check your specify year, 1956 to 1968 parts books, for California only red plastic tail light lens?
...
The only 68090-55 lenses I have ever seen have been plastic. Sounds like very early 55 production may have used glass, then all where plastic after that. California or not.
nifty
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#5

Post by nifty »

panhead_kicker wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:23 am
nifty wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:17 pm Can anyone who has them, please check your specify year, 1956 to 1968 parts books, for California only red plastic tail light lens?
...
The only 68090-55 lenses I have ever seen have been plastic. Sounds like very early 55 production may have used glass, then all where plastic after that. California or not.
Panhead kicker, I suspect you are correct re glass very early 55 only

I further suspect:

EDIT:
68090-55 LENS, Tail Lamp, Red Glass, for GUIDE RH-55 tail lamp, originally had “TOP” and "5495681" molded into top of glass lens, also has “GUIDE RH-55” in raised letters on the bottom, beneath which was "Guidex" in raised cursive script. Installed lens almost flush with bezel/rim/door. This GUIDE, glass red lens also used on Chevrolet panel truck 1948-54.

In Early 1955 these glass lenses were illegal in California, where Genuine GUIDE red plastic lenses with no ID number were recalled/retrofitted. See Feb 01,1955 “Special” Shop Dope.

Sometime later, but still early 55, all Guide RH-55 red lenses, for all US states, switched to plastic and these have very different design of internal reflector prisms, but external as for first glass except deletion of raised "5495681". Apparently rest of USA not subject to recall/retrofit, just production line and spare part change. Installed lens almost flush with bezel/rim/door. Possibly/probably the same lens as California plastic replacement for glass.

Later production plastic red lenses commencing approx 1965 for -55 lamp 55-68 have a vertical "SAE-ST" also raised in the plastic at left side. Installed lens almost flush with bezel/rim/door.

All above, at least 3, possibly 4 different red lenses shared same 68090-55 part number, used 55-68.

GUIDE, or MoCo may have later found some leftover stock, because some early 70’s XLs came factory new in crate to Australia with 1955 era glass red lenses in their tail lights.

Nifty
Last edited by nifty on Thu Sep 29, 2022 1:56 am, edited 4 times in total.
BreakerJo
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#6

Post by BreakerJo »

I believe that the photo provided below may have been taken on or about May 13, 1954. I would guess that the original source of the photo may be Chris Haynes.

I believe that production for 1955 models started on July 26, 1954.

According to Palmer, the lens pictured in the photo was used for the first six (6) months of production.

I don’t know what Palmer’s statements are based on. For example, I don’t know if he has an independent source of information as to the use of the glass lens or if his statements are based on the subject service bulletin itself. Maybe he assumed that the glass lens was used up until about the time that the bulletin was sent out?

As to the organization of the service bulletins, I would organize the bulletins by date. If you want to organize the bulletins by number, you could assign a number (e.g., ###X) to the subject bulletin that would cause the subject bulletin to be sorted or otherwise appear in chronological order with the other bulletins. But, I don't know if there is some way to note that the number is not a factory assigned number. May cause confusion.
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FIMG 20332 1954-05-13 glass lens 1st 6 mos 1.jpg
FIMG 20332 1954-05-13 glass lens 1st 6 mos 1.jpg (47.38 KiB) Viewed 301 times
nifty
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#7

Post by nifty »

BreakerJo wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:36 pm I believe that the photo provided below may have been taken on or about May 13, 1954. I would guess that the original source of the photo may be Chris Haynes.

I believe that production for 1955 models started on July 26, 1954.

According to Palmer, the lens pictured in the photo was used for the first six (6) months of production.

I don’t know what Palmer’s statements are based on. For example, I don’t know if he has an independent source of information as to the use of the glass lens or if his statements are based on the subject service bulletin itself. Maybe he assumed that the glass lens was used up until about the time that the bulletin was sent out?

As to the organization of the service bulletins, I would organize the bulletins by date. If you want to organize the bulletins by number, you could assign a number (e.g., ###X) to the subject bulletin that would cause the subject bulletin to be sorted or otherwise appear in chronological order with the other bulletins. But, I don't know if there is some way to note that the number is not a factory assigned number. May cause confusion.
Many thanks BreakerJo

Given the July 26, 1954 start of 1955 Model Year production, Palmer's "first 6 months of production" fits pretty well with both U.S. except California usage, and approx Feb 1955 California cessation of use.

Pure speculation, but its not difficult to imagine that California was first state to introduce legislation which effectively prohibited the glass lens, other states moving in same direction, GUIDE manufactured compliant plastic lenses, MoCo did a quiet change in California and an even quieter change for rest of country.

I suspect that an original, California dealer only, "Special" Shop Dope, would be a very rare piece of paper.

We don't know the California dealer who received this document, but judged by only one affected bike in approx 6 months, it must surely have been a small time, mom & pop dealership.

If you look in this forum's Downloads, Shop Dope & TSB section, although site administrator Panhead has not yet had time to put them all in order, for my uploads, I have followed his title/heading method so they all will be in both sequential number order and date order. (Service Bulletins follow on from Shop Dopes in both numerical and date order, it was just a name change, some transition service bulletins also say shop dope) I have also added at least year to many title descriptions, so viewer seeking specific information gets some idea of relevant year, without having to download irrelevant tsbs.

It may be possible for Panhead to insert the numberless "special" precisely where it belongs (override the computer sort order)

I will send him the PDF version and ask.

EDIT: I have edited my description of first glass lens to reflect what can be seen in BreakerJo's pic.

Nifty
Last edited by nifty on Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#8

Post by RUBONE »

That shop dope isn't too rare. I believe I have more than one of them. But I have lots of shop dopes and a fair number of duplicates. Many in the '20s and 30 too. The lens has been discussed here before, there is info in the knowledge base and at least one scan of my copy. The one you posted is mine so you must have gotten it off the internet.
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Re: Shop Dope sans sequential number

#9

Post by nifty »

RUBONE wrote: Wed Sep 28, 2022 4:46 am That shop dope isn't too rare. I believe I have more than one of them. But I have lots of shop dopes and a fair number of duplicates. Many in the '20s and 30 too. The lens has been discussed here before, there is info in the knowledge base and at least one scan of my copy. The one you posted is mine so you must have gotten it off the internet.
Rubone,
Yes, I did harvest it from the internet, perhaps even from this site, I don't remember. I had it filed in my electrical folder and had forgotten about it,
It was only the prior act of uploading other TSBs to Downoads section, and then finding this one again, that alerted me to its number-less special configuration

Agreed, not as rare as some others, but only one to each California dealer, then normal attrition over 67 years.

I found at ;least one of your posts http://www.hydra-glide.net/phpBB3/viewt ... mp#p151844

Do you know the identity of the recipient dealership of this "Special" Shop Dope?

I also uploaded PDF version to Downloads section, with credit to you, Panhead is going to place in correct order, but he is very busy keeping this site going and "life".

Nifty
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