Thanks Brian,
The downtube decal is the "cross hair" type. Seat tube and head tube decals do not have the white background behind the fleur de lis and snake like the later Cali bike decals. Also, seat tube boxes are left facing (thus the box is off-set on the color band so the decal seam is at the back of the seat tube) and have a yellow background. Also, the frame does have the pump peg braze-on under the top tube near the seat tube.
I have sent detailed photos to Gary Prange at Screen Specialty Shop in NC. He is in the process of duplicating these decals. These were originally Italian made decals (probably used until they ran out) and thus were not produced by Screen Specialty Shop like the later California decals. Finally, the champaign colored frame has yellow lining around all of the lug work. I don't know if this was a factory job or done later.
Some have suggested that the seat tube may have been brazed in upside down and thus the 26.8 diameter?!? Or that the tube is just out of round. I haven't done any microscopic measurements but can tell you that a 27.2 post doesn't even come close to fitting.
Jeff Pyzyk Milwaukee, WI
>From: "brianbaylis@juno.com" <brianbaylis@juno.com>
>To: appraisalresourcegroup@msn.com
>CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: Re: [CR]Masi Seat Post Diameter
>Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 04:38:48 GMT
>
>Jeffery,
>
>Forgot to mention that pretty much all of the '72 Masis I've seen are
>either all Columbus tubes or all Reynolds tubes; the mixing seems to
>have stopped in '72. Also the typical '71 GC will have the little
>pump peg brazed underneith the top tube near the seat lug, whereas
>the '72 and later bikes do not. Earlier than '71 the BB cutouts are
>not the standard "M" and frequently they do not have the pump peg
>braze-on. Needless to say, these changes probably did not take place
>on Jan. 1 every year; but these dates are generally in the ballpark
>in most cases.
>
>So, if the bike is all Reynolds (fork blades and chainstays are the
>key clues) or all Columbus (again fork blades and chainstays are the
>telltale parts) then it's probably a '72 frame.
>
>Brian Baylis
>La Mesa, CA
>
>
>
>-- "JEFFERY Pyzyk" <appraisalresourcegroup@msn.com> wrote:
>Attention Masi Mafia. I recently purchased a 1971 Masi Gran
>Criterium,
>stamped M56A on the bottom bracket with 11 71 stamped on the fort
>tube. It
>is came as a very original bike with all correct dated Nuovo Record,
>etc.
>and what appears to be original paint. The seat post is a 26.8 and
>appears
>to be a proper fit. Is this correct? Also, does anyone know the
>significance, if any, of the "A" suffix on the bb stamp?
>
>Jeffery Pyzyk
>Milwaukee, WI