bradford,
I can answer most of those questions, but I'll have to do it later today since I've got work to do. Stay tuned if someone doesn't get to it before I do.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
>
> CR FOLK:
>
> I'm on-the-hunt for a Masi Timeline. Anybody got one? Specific questions
> below:
>
> SEATSTAY CAPS:
> 50's and 60's Masis have flat caps, is that right? Did the fluted style
> start with the Gran Criterium model(1970 I've heard)? Did all Eddie's
> Faema/Solo Superia bikes have flat caps or did Eddie ever ride flutes?
> Also, are the flutes on early 70's bikes fabricated from tubing or are they
> "just" cast plugs? Also, what year did they switch to the one with the
> stylized 'M' on it?
>
> FORK CROWNS:
> In the mid-70's there was a flat crown and a twin-plate crown. I take
> it that there are both Italian and US Masis with the twin-plate crown, is
> that right? What year was the first twin-plate made, and what year was the
> last? During the years that the twin-plate crown was made, were all Masis
> made that way, or was it just some of 'em? Why did they quit making 'em:
> were they too much trouble to build or were they just un-good for some
> reason? What year did they start using sloping crowns on the Gran
> Criterium?
>
> BRAZE ONS:
> What year did they start using brazed-on brake cable guides on the
> top-tube? Also, mid seventies GCs seem to have brazed-on bottle bosses and
> top-o-the-bracket cable guides: what year did they start using those as
> opposed to the venerable clamp-ons?
>
> BOTTOM BRACKET:
> Before the M-cutout, some Masi BBs have a collection of slots. What
> year did they switch from slots to M's?
>
> MARKINGS:
> What was the first year for the decal set in use on the late 70's US
> bikes, the one with the flags all-in-a-row under "GRAN CRITERIUM"? Also: it
> has been noted that in this decal set, one side of the downtube decal has
> the American flag and the other side has the German flag -- is it correct
> that the drive-side usually shows the German flag, or was it totally random?
>
> NUMBERING SYSTEM:
> It was my impression that the practice on early US bikes was to have the
> tabs stamped with MC(size) and a serial number. But some seem to have
> MC(serial number) and the size. Is there any significance to that? (See for
> example the one on Ebay right now, item #1031304642 that someone pointed out
> the other day, which is too small for me --of course-- but is a 58 that is
> marked MC28, with 58 at the top of the tab).
>
> I realize that this is an awful lot of questions, but if anybody has
> partial answers to this bit or that bit I'd appreciate finding out. And if
> there's already a timeline somewhere that has this sort of info I'd love to
> know that too.
>
> Brad Stockwell
> No Masi, but working on it...
> Palo Alto