Dirk, Wayne, and other Masi Mutts:
In MOST cases, not all, the Italian Masi serial numbers indicate the year and month of production.
Wayne's serial number of "764" indicates an April 1964 build date. Dirk's serial number of "822" indicates a February 82 build date. My serial number of "8511" indicates a November 85 build date.
The same number is USUALLY, but not always, stamped on the fork.
Later,
Jim Allen
"Bingham, Wayne R." wrote:
> >>>>>Can somebody help me dating an italian Masi Prestige frame?
> http://home.t-online.de/
> It is a Prestige but has two special features I haven't seen before. It
> is not painted silver but covered with clear coat, so the bare metal and
> the silver of the brazing is clearly visible. Very nice. It has also
> "aero" lever braze ons and the cables run through the tubes of the frame
> with nicely brazed on outlets. Looks like the frame at the bw picture of
> Faliero Masi at the CR Masi italy page. The numbers at the BB shell are
> FT55 822 55 is the size. Does "FT" stand for the builder and is 822
> specifying "second frame of 1982" like at american Masis?
> Dirk<<<<
>
> Dirk and listees -
> Since we're playing the Masi dating game ------- my Italian built
> Prestige has PN55 and the number 764 stamped in the BB shell. I'd also
> like to know if the three digit number signifies the build date. I had
> suspected that my frame was a '75, based on frame details and
> components, but it could certainly be a '76 instead. Besides the fact
> that the 55 is size, does anyone have the key to the rest of the
> letter/number scheme?
>
> Wayne Bingham
> Falls Church, VA