Instrument panel upgrade.

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 5:25 am

Harley-Davidsons were a little more organized with regards to model changes,but interchangability of different model parts is extensive. (I sold myHarley panhead back in 1990 after 12 years of ownership & "bikerism")
It was common practice to put a better-breathing shovelhead (1966-mid-1980 models) top end onto a panhead (1948-65) or a knucklehead (1936-47) bottom end. But I know a guy who put a pan top on his shovelhead as a gag. Also saw an engine that had one pan head & one shovel head in a magazine. Quite an accomplishment to even get that one to run as they had different rocker arm ratios--I think he had to have a special cam ground.

Eric

Post by **GAHorn** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 8:38 pm

N9149A wrote:
Mine currently has extra overlays and a shock mounted center. I pulled the center out a little to look and found the remnants of the original. It currently has a lexan overlay low center and a row of aluminum paddle switches below that and raised, radiused edge panels on the outside of the panel.
Walker you indicated in an earliar post that your current panel has the aluminum "piano" keys (switches) at the bottom. This tells me you have an early '53 which has the '52 style panel. Later panels did away with the "piano" keys. Your description, if I'm following it right, describes the original panel pretty well.

The 1953 model began with SN 25373. All previous sn's were '52 or previous models. The '53 model year (began production in '52, just like the auto industry) incorporated significant changes from the earlier B-models such as: pressure cooling cowl (replacing the Model-T type openable upper-cowl, cowl-latches, and cooling baffle air-box), pull-type electrical switches (replacing the piano-key switches), increased capacity cabin-heating/ventilation and associated changes to exhaust-system muffs, and starting at SN 25612, improved spring-rate (non-interchangeable) narrow-ankle main gearlegs. The changes to the instrument panel largely accomodated the heater/ventilation/switch changes and gyro/avionics layout.

(I'm not certain any were assembled after '56. The last SN recorded was 27126 and was produced and recorded by the FAA as a '56 model. If it had rolled off in '57 the FAA would have likely shown it as a '57 model. Did you have something specific about assembly of 170's in '57 Doug?)

Walker, remember to put hearing protection on your little girl if you have her buck those rivets.

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:09 am

gahorn wrote: (I'm not certain any were assembled after '56. The last SN recorded was 27126 and was produced and recorded by the FAA as a '56 model. If it had rolled off in '57 the FAA would have likely shown it as a '57 model. Did you have something specific about assembly of 170's in '57 Doug?)

Oh jeez, there I go again bringing up the 1957 thing again. That was just a throw-back to an old thread we had on '56 vs. '57 being the last production year. The net result of which was that '56 was the last production year, and that any 1957's were probably re-imports to the States. Guess I just can't get that last fact to stay lodged in my brain. Nevermind...

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:51 am