37 knucklehead vin question

[Jdiesel25]

Does anyone know around what serial number sequence the L went from a straight leg to a bent leg in the EL?
From what i found looks like 1000-1500's were straight then above 2000"s had the bent L
thanks in advance

[T. Cotten]

Hope this helps a little, JD!

37font.jpg

Let us hope we can narrow it down,

.....Cotten

[Jdiesel25]

37EL opinions

[Jerry Wieland]

37EL opinions

37 vin.jpg I think the case has been fixed where the yellow line is and maybe where the red is but I see no evidence that the VIN is not original.

[T. Cotten]

Alas, JD,..

If only we knew the belly production number!

....Cotten
PS: I hoped Jerry would recount how stamps may have varied bench to bench.

(Or perhaps they just didn't care as much as we do!)

[Jdiesel25]

Another one
belly numbers on this one are
37 - 1699

[Speeding Big Twin]

Joe, what do you mean by ‘bent’ leg and ‘bent’ L?

Regarding 37EL1575, I can’t see anything wrong with the characters and they appear consistent with factory stamping at that stage of numbering.
Can you post photos of both BNs please.
I’d expect casting number 112-35 above the drain plug but no date code.
Do I see a marking on top of the left case near the rear mounting bolt? (For 37 I wouldn’t expect anything there on either case.)
Also, 1575 is one of several 37 Knuckles mentioned in Shop Dope 153 although it doesn’t state whether it was EL, E or ES.

As for 37EL2076, you know my opinion on the SN and the left BN from last year.
Eric

[Speeding Big Twin]

PS: I hoped Jerry would recount how stamps may have varied bench to bench.

I too would like to hear more about this.

Jerry, do you have factory info and/or documentation about variations? Thanks.
Eric

[Jerry Wieland]

I too would like to hear more about this.

Jerry, do you have factory info and/or documentation about variations? Thanks.
Eric

I do not. Just observations over the last 50 years. Jerry

[Jdiesel25]

Joe, what do you mean by ‘bent’ leg and ‘bent’ L?

Regarding 37EL1575, I can’t see anything wrong with the characters and they appear consistent with factory stamping at that stage of numbering.
Can you post photos of both BNs please.
I’d expect casting number 112-35 above the drain plug but no date code.
Do I see a marking on top of the left case near the rear mounting bolt? (For 37 I wouldn’t expect anything there on either case.)
Also, 1575 is one of several 37 Knuckles mentioned in Shop Dope 153 although it doesn’t state whether it was EL, E or ES.

As for 37EL2076, you know my opinion on the SN and the left BN from last year.
Eric

here’s an example
also I haven’t been receding your emails for some reason

[T. Cotten]

The early stamp, JD,..

...Has a "serif"; Later plain fonts are "sans-serif".

(I didn't make this up, honest.)

....Cotten

[Jdiesel25]

The early stamp, JD,..

...Has a "serif"; Later plain fonts are "sans-serif".

(I didn't make this up, honest.)

....Cotten

That’s the word I was looking for haha thanks

[Speeding Big Twin]

Joe, I’m not sure what’s happening with emails. I know the first one got thru to you last year regarding 37EL2076 and its left BN. If you didn’t receive the second and third emails let me know and I’ll try sending info via PM.

Re the change from seriffed L to sans serif L for 1937 SNs, thus far my photo collection indicates that for Knuckleheads it seems to have occurred somewhere in the 1500s. Maybe in the 1560s or 1570s. I have one possible exception which appears to show a seriffed L at 26++ but the photo isn’t great.

For the WL/WLD (not WLDR) the change appears to have happened somewhere between 15++ and 19++.
It may have even happened somewhere between 15++ and 17++ because one photo I have of a Model W (no L) suggests that somewhere in that range at least five characters changed to later-37 types. But did the L change at exactly the same time as those five other characters? I don’t know.

For Big Twin Flatheads the change seems to have occurred somewhere between 26++ and 29++.
It may have even happened somewhere between 26++ and 27++ because one photo I have of a Model U (no L) suggests that somewhere in that range at least five characters changed to later-37 types. But again did the L change at exactly the same time as those five other characters? I do not know.
Eric

[Jdiesel25]

Hope this helps a little, JD!

37font.jpg

Let us hope we can narrow it down,

.....Cotten

Do you happen to have a picture like this for 1936?

[T. Cotten]

Not a very good one, JD...

36VINs.jpg

....Cotten
PS: Different sixes!