Help with Marin frame numbers please!

[mechagouki]

From seeing and talking with Marin owners and ATB sales, there were some exceptions to this rule, where frames were upgraded in the factory and appeared as another model in the showroom.

That would explain the 1991 Bear Valley I had (Matte Zolatone/gloss black) that had Afterburner stays and a 1 1/8th headtube, sadly i sold that bike in 1992 and can't give you a frame number

EDIT: Just been perusing the 1991 catalogues, BV is supposed to have AB stays, but I had a 1991 BV with tapered stays as did a friend of mine.

Also messing with the serial numbers is the fact that (according to catalogue) BV and Palisades shared the same frame (Tange MTB throughout) and EG and PM shared same frame (Tange OS MT4), this would mean a model number in the serial could only refer to a frame type, not a paint/spec./model type, so a possible frame type list would be:

1. Team Issue - Prestige Concept
2. Team - Tange DB OS Prestige
3. Pine Mountain/Eldridge Grade - Tange DB OS 4MT
4. Bear Valley/Palisades Trail - Tange DB (MTB)
5. Muirwoods - Tange chromoly (front triangle only)
6. Bolinas Ridge - Tange chromoly (seat tube only)
Totally guessing these last two
7. Sausalito - Tange DB (MTB?) - 700c
8. Stinson - Tange chromoly (seat tube only) - 700c

Of course this is based on the frame numbers that WD-Pro and I have (1990 bikes) when applied to the 1991 range - very confusing I know and hard to confirm without more 1990 numbers and a 1990 catalogue.

So - clear as mud then

 

[uxbull]

Hi,

Sorry to resurrect this thread, it has been really helpful by the way, I have a frame with the number, M13CA0037.

Now I understand the M the 1 and the 3 (Factory it was made in, Team issue, 1993) but what does the CA mean and shouldnt the 00 really have a letter instead of the first 0.

All help greatfully received.

 

[shogun700]

Does anybody have any pre 1991 frames to compare with these other 2 which we are sure of?

Hello, new here, but I thought I could add to this topic-I just picked up a very early Marin, advertised on ebay as a 1986, serial number A870691932. It uses Tange 'MTB' double butted tubing, tig welded with a lug-like reinforcement atop the seat tube. It was advertised as a 'Joe Murray' model and has a sticker at the base of the seat tube that says 'Designed by Joe Murray, NORBA Champion 1984-1985'. I believe the original color was forest green, and the previous owner really likes Shimano, based on the size of the sticker on the top tube!

It's a neat bike and fits me very well. Anyone ever seen one before?

 

[beavis]

Hi,

Sorry to resurrect this thread, it has been really helpful by the way, I have a frame with the number, M13CA0037.

Now I understand the M the 1 and the 3 (Factory it was made in, Team issue, 1993) but what does the CA mean and shouldnt the 00 really have a letter instead of the first 0.

All help greatfully received.

Its all very confusing. My Marin is definately a '91 (afterburners along with the darker "Charcoal Zolatone" finish) but serial number would say its a '90. Maybe one of the first 1991 bikes produced late 1990?

Also, just to add confusion to the whole thing - I was reading an old "Mountain Biker" magazine that Brocklanders leant me and it states that Marin revised their serial number system for their 1993 range to include a code that would I.D the shop that sold it as a theft/recovery measure...? :shock:

 

[Cobbsie]

Just caught up with this thread

Have just aquired a MArin Nail Trail with the frame number FM5ZAD016

Quite curious as to what its all about.
Going by the 'formula' am presuming F is the factory, M? model?, and 5 1995, however cant find a corresponding piccie!

Silver ally frame with black forks...i'll try and post a piccie later

 

[FluffyChicken]

Just caught up with this thread

Have just aquired a MArin Nail Trail with the frame number FM5ZAD016

Quite curious as to what its all about.
Going by the 'formula' am presuming F is the factory, M? model?, and 5 1995, however cant find a corresponding piccie!

Silver ally frame with black forks...i'll try and post a piccie later

Yes FM5
M5 = 1995 Nail Trail from my records of this period Alu frames.

The 'D' probably means 19" Marin Frame sizing CTC (or in the more conventional for the time CTT of ~20.5" frame)
http://mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekataloge/PDF/Marin/1995.pdf

 

[Drewson]

So how do the serial numbers work for the Marin Team Titanium? :?

My 91' has serial number 6443....

 

[FluffyChicken]

I assume the is Lightspeed or Merlin's numbering system or some other company at that time who built Ti frames an email to the builder would give you who/what/where. Lightspeed do that apparently.

 

[aws]

My old Marin Eldridge Grade's serial number is W63DA0009. Doesn't really seem to match up with the decoding formula:

W = ? factory
6 = Muirwoods??
3 = 1993?
0 could be O = ? inches

I do know that the frame was a warranty replacement for the previous owner, perhaps the W has something to do with this? However, I bought the bike second hand early-mid 1992, so it couldn't be a 1993 frame. I suspect it may even have been a 1991 frame. It definitely has the afterburners. The frame is 15.5" so I don't know how this stacks up with O. It looks just like a 0, but I guess it could be an O.

Haven't used the bike in over 10 years, but it is still a really lightweight unit compared to my newer alloy bike.

 

[Standish]

I assume the is Lightspeed or Merlin's numbering system or some other company at that time who built Ti frames an email to the builder would give you who/what/where. Lightspeed do that apparently.

FluffyChicken,

Do you have an email address for either of those, i'm trying to find the year of my Team Titanium, serial No 4313 but not much luck.

Cheers.