Galen,
Not quite sure what to think. Don't know why it would have the small flat stay caps. I agree with the other gentleman who feels it's an American Masi, on account of the HJ lugs. Joe Starck may be able to answer these questions or Jim Allen also. It's a little too new foe my expertise.
Brian Baylis
La Mrsa, CA
hi all,
so i bought the bike (original thread here
http://search.bikelist.org/
here's the scoop, and many thanks to the extremely knowledgeable and helpful bob hovey for bearing all my pestering questions with good grace and a helpfulness.
(there are pics here for those who like that sort of thing (
http://photobucket.com/
the bb shell is stamped with 'M53' on non-drive side, and '06 17 86' on the drive side, steerer tube on the original fork has the same set of numbers, less the 'M53'. seatube measures 52cm ctc, tt is 55cm. the seatstay caps are plain, as is the fork crown. the seatstays are 16mm in diameter at the cap.
bob's opinion is that this was a custom job, which jibes with the long toptube (in my mind anyway), and that it's an italian job (sorry, couldn't resist).
questions still remaining: tubeset (there is no rifling in the headtube), actual date of production, and period-correct gruppo. my best guess for the latter is c-record, and if that's the case, please feel free to email me off-list if you've got bits to sell or trade. (i have a bunch of japanese stuff to trade; dura-ace njs 151bcd cranks and chainrings, superbe pro njs cogs and chainrings, and non-njs shimano 10-pitch stuff, including a chain and chainwhip.)
many thanks -- -galen 'finally has a real masi' pewtherer san francisco, ca