1962 Pan VIN

[Jerry Wieland]

I have seen this “light strike” 6 on less than half a dozen sportsters. Only on the starting 6. First time I saw it I thought replacement cases but that was true in only one instance.

I have it on good authority a minimum 5 pound hammer is needed, and just being a bit too soft results in a poor transfer.

Chuck I've seen the light strike 6 before also and just assumed that it was a tandem stamp that was machined off.

Jerry

[T. Cotten]

Cotten Muriatic Acid

Jerry

That's easy enough, Jerry, Thanks!

It would highlight different alloys introduced from welding, no doubt,..

But could it show shadows of previous stampings, like nitric on steel when they have been ground off a gun (or oh yeah,... a frame)?

Wish I had time to try, but Davenport is looming over me like a storm.

....Cotten

[eddiepanhead]

Thanks for all the detailed responses. Great to learn from you guys!

[Speeding Big Twin]

Eric, I'm not into serial #'s like you are and maybe I don't understand what you call a serif. Both my 2's have an upward 'hook' on the bottom leg of the 2. In your post #8 pictures 2 & 3 I do not know why you say the sequence 2 is seriffed. What do you call a serif on a 2? Please educate. I see the 2's are a different style in your 4th pic but both have a serif, I'll look again when I get time. Thanks, Bob

Cheers Bob. When you said serif you were referring to the same thing that I was referring to. Some 2s have a vertical serif (upward ‘hook’) at bottom right while some other 2s are sans serif.

But at post #8 for my second picture I didn’t mention a serif. Instead I referred to the 6 in the sequence portion: ‘In the sequence portion, regardless of how low or high the SN is, the 6 has a straight back.’
Here’s my second picture again.






For my third picture I said the sequence 2 is seriffed because it is: ‘In the sequence portion, regardless of how low or high the SN is, the 2 is seriffed.’
Here’s my third picture again and the sequence 2 is seriffed. But the year 2 is sans serif and apparently this was normal procedure at the factory.







However, in the year portion the round-back 6 and sans serif 2 were later changed to a straight-back 6 and a seriffed 2 which is what you have. But even though the year 2 was changed to a seriffed style, it was different overall to the sequence 2 as per my fourth picture. And if both your 2s have a serif, but are different to each other overall, then that is what I’d expect.
Eric

[Jerry Wieland]

Cheers Bob. When you said serif you were referring to the same thing that I was referring to. Some 2s have a vertical serif (upward ‘hook’) at bottom right while some other 2s are sans serif.

But at post #8 for my second picture I didn’t mention a serif. Instead I referred to the 6 in the sequence portion: ‘In the sequence portion, regardless of how low or high the SN is, the 6 has a straight back.’
Here’s my second picture again.






For my third picture I said the sequence 2 is seriffed because it is: ‘In the sequence portion, regardless of how low or high the SN is, the 2 is seriffed.’
Here’s my third picture again and the sequence 2 is seriffed. But the year 2 is sans serif and apparently this was normal procedure at the factory.







However, in the year portion the round-back 6 and sans serif 2 were later changed to a straight-back 6 and a seriffed 2 which is what you have. But even though the year 2 was changed to a seriffed style, it was different overall to the sequence 2 as per my fourth picture. And if both your 2s have a serif, but are different to each other overall, then that is what I’d expect.
Eric

I think the round back 6 is part of a tandem stamp. Jerry

[BigLakeBob]

Eric, Both of my 2's on a 12000+ serial # have serifs on the bottom leg, but are of a different style per your example.

[Speeding Big Twin]

Eric, Both of my 2's on a 12000+ serial # have serifs on the bottom leg, but are of a different style per your example.

Thanks Bob. Those things are consistent with factory stamping for later-62s.
Eric

[Speeding Big Twin]

I think the round back 6 is part of a tandem stamp. Jerry

I agree. Here’s part of what I said in my first post: ‘The early-62 characters normally look like they were done with a tandem stamp …’
Eric