[CR]custom-built masi serial number question -- follow-up

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

From: <BobHoveyGa@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 11:36:11 EST
Subject: [CR]custom-built masi serial number question -- follow-up
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, dolface@gmail.com


In a message dated 1/30/2005 12:37:28 AM Eastern Standard Time, Galen Pewtherer writes: jim, thanks very much for the information, it's much appreciated. is there a way i can find out which builder torelli was using then, or, failing that, some details about the construction of the frame?

basically what i'm looking for is; frame materials, who it was built by, if it was sold as a built bike, and if so, what the gruppo was.

a bonus would be any history of the bike itself.

Galen;

I'd also love to know how Gran Corsa decals ended up on a track bike. Wasn't the usual practice to cut a decal and just use the "MASI" portion?

Since a few of the decals are off (especially the seat tube and fork blade decals), my initial assumption was that Jim supplied the buyer with a bare painted frame, to which the guy applied his own decals. The other hint that these decals ended up on the wrong frame is the "Brev Masi" decals on the chainstays which were to signify Masi's charcteristic oval chainstays... and as you can see, the stays on this frame are crimped...

The other reason I assumed this was a (non-Masi) Torelli frame was the complete absence of branded parts... no "Masi" on seatstay caps, fork crown or brake bridge, no "M" on the BB...

Looking in the Summer-Fall '94 Torelli catalog, your frame appears to be a Torelli Pista Speciale... the photo shows the same (socketed) seatstay caps, same fork crown, and brake bridge. Of course this may not mean much since the same Torelli subcontractor probably built several models for Torelli using the same parts... but I think those socketed seatstay caps are the giveaway, this is the only model they appear on except for the Torelli Kronos which is not a track bike.

The Pista Speciale is described as being built with Oria ML-25 tubing and Gipiemme dropouts. The listing does not mention it being available as a complete bike, and was listed in one color, Torelli Red. The price was $399.

Bob Hovey
Columbus, GA