Jon;
My guess is you've got a 2003 Team 3V.
Alberto Masi never did seat stay ends like this and the Masi trademark on the lugs was different so that means it is definitely a US bike. Keep in mind tho that from the early 90's on, most Masis were subcontracted to Italy (either Mondoinico or Bilatto), so it is a US bike in name only.
Masi USA's usual four digit serial number stopped around 94 if I remember right, then they went thru a couple of different formats between then and the early 2000's. The last numbering scheme was a five or six digit string, the first two of which were the year ... so my guess is this is a 2003 bike. Another thing that suggests a later bike is the head tube cable stops. Masi used downtube shifter bosses until at least 1997.
Differentiating between the 3V and the less expensive Team 3v is a little tougher... don't know as much about the newer bikes, but to the best of my knowledge, the 3V's always had Masi-branded seatstay ends while the Team 3V's had branded ends for a few years but mostly had either fastback ends or semi-fastbacks as on this frame.
The fork for this bike probably would have had an oval Masi crest on a semi-sloping crown (Henry James?):
http://bhovey.com/
These forks do show up occasionally on eBay, but if you are concerned about authenticity, be aware that there is an earlier version with a straight rather than pinched center that would not be right for your bike (Masi stopped using these around 1991):
http://bhovey.com/
If you can't find one, I'm pretty sure Masi USA still has a stash of old parts... they built a replica 3V limited edition a few years back and might even have a fork hanging around.
Bob Hovey
Columbus, GA, USA
http://bhovey.com/
Jon M. Crate wrote:
> I bought this Masi 3V in the stripped state without a fork. (Searches of the
CR
> archives indicate the 3V to be considered (barely) on topic)
> Recent comments about the angst of buying a forkless frame are well taken, but
> for me the chance to get one my size was too good to miss.
> I see no signs of crash damage or repair.
> Efforts to pump the seller for information yielded nothing saying it is how he
> bought it and he thought the previous owner used the fork on another bike.
>
> Here are photos
> http://s987.photobucket.com/
>
> I do not know enough to determine if it is Italian or US built, or what year
it
> may have been built.
> The serial number is 039958 and there is another number on the opposite side
of
> the bottom bracket - 69.
> - Can anyone interpret these numbers and tell me about this frame?
>
> There are traces of yellow and blue in recesses.
> It is 60 cm ctt and the top tube is 59 ctc and it weighs a mere 1971.8 grams,
> 120 less than either of my 58 cm PX-10s, but they are wearing paint.
>
> - Where could I find an appropriate fork for this?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Jon M. Crate
> Marietta, Georgia USA