Classic & Vintage - American Masi Team 3V - date of manufacture?

Hey all,

I just had the good fortune to pick up a Masi "Team 3V" frameset - purple, internal lugs - in minty condition from a fellow who hadn't built it up since 2000. He thinks it dates from 1997, but I'm having trouble verifying this. The serial number is 1327 and the size code is M56.

Rear dropouts are stamped "MASI" and the seatstay caps are blank. Brake bridge says "MASI" on both sides. Anything else I should look for? Any ideas on who built this one?

Thanks!

pics:D

pics:D

Ask and ye shall receive:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2437731906_4633c7e6f7.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2033/2437733572_21913ed6c6.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2437732536_2b8e17dd1d.jpg

see my flickr page for more pics, and larger hi-res versions:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soradical/sets/72157604700876805/

Congrats! If I had to take a somewhat educated guess, I'd put it at late '91. The Team bikes weren't consistent. Some were numbered as part of a limited edition series, while others bore serial numbers. To make things a bit more confusing, I have a non-team San Marcos-built '88, SN 8054, which one would think would be much later. However, as I understand it, the '8' denotes '88, and 054 the serial. It seems their jig was only capable of four digits so they started over when they got to 1990 with 0001. If there's any logic to it, that makes your '1' a '91 and 327 serial. That could be of added interest as such a late SN would make it one of the last to come out of the Kirkbride era (and thus MASI USA period). Also, from what I understand, a 1997 would make it a Mondonico-built machine and therefore not a USA bike. I'm by no means as expert in these things. For that I defer to Bob Hovey (BobHoveyGa<@>aol.com). He's helped me much in demystifying my Masis.

thanks Dude! Looks like it is indeed a '91 - the Sakae aluminum fork is original - and I still haven't seen another example of seatstay caps like mine. Pretty cool. Seems like mine is the same frame as the Tre Volumetrica at the time - just painted as a Team 3V. This is based on my research into the old CR list emails, but it seems pretty solid. I'm happy :)

late to the party but would also lean to it being a 91 san marcos frame.
pretty bike. congrats.

k