'85? Muddy Fox Serial number....any ideas?

[Synthiaks]

Does anyone here have an inkling about mid 80's MF serial numbers.....maybe @drcarlos ?

The challenger I just aquired from @narcotitlan no info around on it, but was apparently bought in 85 & decals/components are correct that era...the Sn is A6E00006 ....is the A for Araya? or could it be Toyo?

 

[Gtpulse]

Araya usually start ARY then the model year.

 

[Synthiaks]

Araya usually start ARY then the model year.

Thanks...thought is its not Araya so that makes sense.

 

[Synthiaks]

So.....actually I reckon it is Araya.

found an S&G Fox 'made by Araya' with the same 'A' code & date code layout.....it also has the Araya stamp at the top of the seat stays so clearly made by them.

so if correct that would mean this one was made in June of 1986.....no.6 of whatever the production run was.
A6E00006

or maybe thats all wrong....as I also found on here an Araya frame from 1995 with that same date code layout - A5F12334

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/help-can-anyone-help-me-identify-this-araya-frame.259296/


be interesting to get a few sn's of early foxes and see if theres variatons & what makes sense.

 

[Gtpulse]

So.....actually I reckon it is Araya.

found an S&G Fox 'made by Araya' with the same 'A' code & date code layout.....it also has the Araya stamp at the top of the seat stays so clearly made by them.

so if correct that would mean this one was made in June of 1986.....no.6 of whatever the production run was.
A6E00006

or maybe thats all wrong....as I also found on here an Araya frame from 1995 with that same date code layout - A5F12334

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/help-can-anyone-help-me-identify-this-araya-frame.259296/


be interesting to get a few sn's of early foxes and see if theres variatons & what makes sense.

The S&G Araya ones I’ve got have got ARY frame numbers, pretty sure those are UK market ones. I think the Araya/Muddy Fox branded Japanese market one I’ve got is the same but I can’t get to it!



The one you’ve got is interesting - it’s got decals from the S&G branded era but the frame looks like it could be later than the iconic White frame/yellow decals Courier era if that makes sense? Almost between the Courier and the later Courier Comp type era? If it is a 1986 bike that would make sense but the early style decals don’t.

Think it’s a really nice bike.

 

[legrandefromage]

that looks very similar to some of the UK 'Autostrada Engineering' frames and may have been from a small batch

they made frames for saracen and harry hall plus others

 

[legrandefromage]

but then here's another araya sourced frame that is a wee bit similar but not but similar but not

 

[Synthiaks]

Totally...my MB-MF A & B have ARY SNs.....blue BB below one isn't one of mine but ties in with the ARY SNs for S&G...but below that we have the 'A' code on a red '83 S&G Araya built MB-MF SDX.....same style date code layout as the Challenger....

 

[Synthiaks]

Also....another oddity is the missing decals, so on one side there's the 'Muddy Fox' logo....on the other the 'Challenger' name but corresponding sides are a complete blank, no residue or sign there was ever a decal there, so maybe only had one each side from new..... odd but maybe not impossible?