Bob,
Regarding identifying the pressed lug from an IC Masi lug without seeing the triangle window in the back of the seat lug is difficult. Generally the point on the seat tube of the IC lug will not have the two holes drilled in it. Otherwise, from photos, it is hard to tell the difference.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Charles;
Yeah, this is a later bike. I believe the seller said he got the date from Brian Baylis but if so it is likely he quoted Brian the number sans the zero, or Brian just misunderstood and thought he was asking about 115.
I'm not sure if this frame was done before the move to San Marcos. But more important than where it was built (to me anyway) is whether or not it has IC or pressed lugs. #0115 appears in a transitional point and I am trying to get a good seat lug photo from the seller to confirm the lugset (I wrote but he's not gotten back yet). In my photo archive, frame #1000 uses pressed lugs while frame #0207 appears to be transitional (short-point undrilled front tang, no triangular window in back). #0300, #0304 and #0315 all appear to have the triangular window (only #0315 has a photo of the back of the seatlug, but they are all the same size so I'm assuming they are from the same batch of 25).
Is there another way, besides the seat lug, to distinguish the pressed set from the IC set (at a distance or in photos)?
Bob Hovey Columbus, GA
Original Message:
Bob Hufford recently send around an ad for a Masi from the Craig's List site, an ad that contained the following line:
"Serial numbers on bottom bracket: 0115; MC 55."
Bike is stated to be 1974. Now, if I remember right, that serial number would be part of the series of frames made after the Carlsbad facility closed, and manufacturing was set up elsewhere, right? Up in LA? San Marcos?
Anyway, the first Masis didn't have the zero prefix, I'm quite sure..
So, that bike would be more like 1976, right?
small thing, but crucial, in my view, since the Carlsbad frames are certainly more interesting to me than any of the later ones.
Charles "picky" Andrews
SoCal