I've Either Struck Oil...

[WEBellSystemChristian]

...or a sewer pipe with this latest purchase. It appears to be, at the very latest, a Red 1955 WE 500 housing.

I think it wasn't bought immediately by somebody because the date stamp isn't clearly visible. I actually did a little detective work by comparing the internal ribbing and structure to my other colored 500 housings. I was torn between several housing designs at a point, but the icing on the cake was the way the lift was shaped around the mounting screw. The lift mounting points from the late '50s and on were more 'streamlined', but the one on my 6-55 Green was 'snubbier', exactly like this red one!

After it was paid for, I noticed the right side view shows the housing date; can any of you guys make out what it reads? I'm hopeful that my judgement says it reads "53", but that's probably a long shot.

I plan on using this housing for a two-tone set. I know that two-tone reds were used until at least around 1955, so I'm not too far-off base if I'm correct.

I'm pretty excited, especially because I got it for $6.99 plus shipping!!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301649882353

[WEBellSystemChristian]

First is my 6-55 Green 500 lift, followed by my 3-56 lift, followed by the ebay lift. Every lift after the 3-56 in my collection looks like the Red, and every lift before 6-55 in my collection looks like the Green, so that must mean the ebay housing has to be, at the very latest, mid-1955!

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Sorry for the rampant posting on my own topic...

Here is the last picture I'm going to post for the night: the housing date stamp. The more and more I look at it, the more and more I think it says "9  18   53". If I'm right (usually not), then this is the first and only '53 dated red housing I've ever seen.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

What does everyone think of this one? Did I get an early one? Did I fail miserably? It's a long shot that the housing may be from 1953, in that case, it would almost certainly have been on two-tone to begin with. In fact, that may be why it's being sold separately; the seller didn't like it on a black chassis, so he removed it, sold this housing, and bought a black replacement housing for the chassis.

But, more likely, it's a later housing from the mid-fifties, in which case, I will still make into a two-tone.

Thoughts?

[RotarDad]

Christian - Nice find!  Red is always nice.  I found a soft red shell on a junker refurb a couple years back, and I have two-tone plans for that one also.

You are right on the lift design.  I first noticed that simpler lift on early black sets.  I also noticed that some them had warped a bit over the years.  I'm sure the WE engineers added the extra plastic and angle to address the warpage issue.  I don't have enough data points to know when the change occurred, but my 9/55 Rose Beige still has the smaller lift, while a 4/56 black set I just checked has the newer version.  You don't need to remove the shell to tell.  The newer version has a tab that sticks up in each of the back corners that is visible from the outside.

[andre_janew]

Once you get the housing, you'll see the exact date clearly.  For now, only educated guesses can be made.  In any case, you have a nice red housing from the 1950s and you got a really nice deal on it.  I wouldn't be surprised if you posted it as a June 2015 FOTM.  Congratulations!