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I have been corresponding with someone who claims to have an original signal flasher, with the markings “Ideal Corp.” on one side; “Heavy Duty Flasher 536 HW 12 volt” on the other side. The coding is apparently “V 020 D”. I am hoping to find out what the "V" and "D" stand for, and whether I am correctly interpreting the date code to mean the second week of 1970.
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Hi Leon.
You have the date code right. I don't know about the letters though.Terry -
Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Are signal flashers judged for numbers?Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
I've never seen the dates judged but an experienced judge could choose to do it if he/she had a good mirror. That doesn't mean that we should not try for the proper date. Some of us consider ourselves as the most critical judge of our car.Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Other characters often document producing plant source for a flasher module. Consider Signal-Stat.
Originally, they had a single corporate location in Brooklyn, NY with mfgr facilities in Syracuse. Later, to handle volume and address the international market, they built a plant in Toronto, Canada.
The approximate age of one of these flashers can be determined by looking at the Bakelite base to see if it reads "Brooklyn, NY" or "Brooklyn/Toronto" and the date coding sequences used contain either an 'S' or a 'T' to ID the plant that made that specific flasher.
But, I don't think NCRS judges are SO ANAYL that they're asking owners to remove the flasher from its electrical socket to read the Bakelite emboss on the flasher module to see if it's an 'import' or not...Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Leon - Regarding the flasher you are looking at, if it's for the hazard flashers, the Ideal 536 is a variable load flasher and is one of the types seen on 70s; but for the turn signals, the flashers were the fixed load type and most common is the Tung-Sol 224 . PeteComment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Thanks Pete. I have an NOS Tung Sol 224 (dated for a '72; my car's a '70). My reading of the judging manual is that both the signal and four-way flashers were #536, however, I have a hand written note from some time ago that the signal flasher should be a #224. I am told that the unit is a signal flasher and it is a #536. I am not knowledgable in this area - is the #536 something that might have been original on a '70 LT-1? If it is, I am inclined to buy it, since the date would be correct for my car (whether or not I choose to ever install it...Dave's right, this has nothing to do with judging and everything to do with navel gazing!).Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Leon,
My 71 uses the 536 Ideal flasher for the Hazard lights and blue plastic 224 for the turn signals. My 70 (#14803) has a blue plastic 224 Tung Sol stamped 190 (19th week of 1970) mounted to the clip behind the passenger side dash pad for the turn signals. The 4 way flasher mounted to the fuse box is a Tung Sol 552 (non DOT) stamped 240 (24th week of 1970). I assume these are original with the known history and low mileage of the car. It will be in Marlborough/Boston in a couple of weeks if you want to look.Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Also note the Corvette Parts & Accessories Manual from 1972 calls out 'LF 224' as a note item regarding the turn signal flasher. While it's not listed in the current edition of the '70-72 JG, I suspect they're refering to a Littlefuse 224 flasher that was also packaged in blue plastic can similar to the Tung Sol 224 with a slightly different hue of blue.
During the early Shark era, Littlefuse supplied a lot of the control relays used on Corvette. So, it wouldn't surprise me that they were eventually qualified as a turn signal flasher vendor too...Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
See you then Dave. Does your #536 have any of the other markings that I've referred to (and in particular the letters before and after the date code)?Comment
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Re: 1970 Signal Flasher
Leon,
The 71 will be in Boston as well so we can look there. My notes say that it has IDEAL 536 HW silkscreened but I'm sure there is more than that. Has S 111 D stamped on it. 111 is 11th week of 1971. Don't know what the S and D mean.Comment
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