Timeline for Production of White Painted Shells and White Painted Skirts

[FCJ]

For model years 1960, 1961, and 1962 (until January 31, 1962), the design and production of the Super Soft Buddy Seat called for the shell assembly (aka pan) to be furnished finished black by HD to Milsco and, ultimately, for the bottom of the shell assembly and the inside of the housing assembly (aka skirt) to be finished white by Milsco.

Due to HD’s methods for finishing the shell assembly black (e.g., painting or dipping the shell with the binding riveted to the shell), there was typically black finish on the binding when the shell assembly was furnished to Milsco.

On January 31, 1962, the design was changed to (a) specify that the shell assembly would be furnished finished black by HD to Milsco with no finish on the binding (e.g., “SHELL ASS’Y FURNISHED FIN. BLACK BY H.D. MOTOR CO. – NO FINISH ON BINDING”) and (b) eliminate the instruction for the bottom of the shell assembly to be finished white by Milsco.

On August 23, 1962, the design was changed to eliminate the instruction for the inside of the housing assembly to be finished white by Milsco.

So, some seats had bottom finished white shells with inside finished white skirts. And, some seats had bottom finished black shells with inside finished white skirts. Examples below.

Sources include Michael Paquette, Alan Perry, and Chip Perry.

Photo 1:


Photo 2:


Photo 3:


Photo 4:


[END]

[FCJ]

Below is an example of an inside finished white original OEM skirt. Looks like seat was DIY recovered and shell may have been spray painted, but original OEM fillers, binding, and skirt were reused.

Photo 1:


[END]

[FCJ]

Same skirt as above. You can see the skirt covering (i.e., thin layer of plastic “imitation leather” material) that was cemented to the skirt and sewn along the edges (with white nylon thread) before the housing was tacked and sewn to the binding. Different types of plastic were used for the plastic covering at different times.

Photo 1:


[END]