Jon,
I have a 3V that I found in trashed condition and had restored. My 3V is a 1988 and had the Italian decals and according to Bob Hovey, was from Italy. My guess is that your Masi is from 1990 and is American made. The brake bridge has the Masi "M" and the front head tube lug has the same "M". The italian Masi had the rounder font masi all in lower case on the head tube lug and brake bridge. Your Masi has a different shaped rear drop out. My drop out does not have the Masi name on it. My bottom bracket shell has the Masi name stamped out where yours does not.
My opinion,
Best wishes.
Michael D. Schmidt Millington, NJ
On 3/8/10 12:36 AM, "Jon M. Crate" <Jon@FAI.US> 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