Ooh controversy. Okay let's try and clear this up.
First off, I know that quoting catalogues and magazines isn't always gospel: manufacturers under commercial pressure may have pictured and promoted bikes that were different to those bought on the street. But I think the secret is to focus on the big differences and then use the details to help.
Second, we're talking
Team Stumpjumpers here. The top of the range ones that were made out of Tange Prestige steel. Prestige is light, thin, sweet riding and magnificently pingy; especially when built into large 1980s frames. Here is some ping, Vasili:
88 Team Stumpie
The S
tumpjumper 25 Years book has Teams coming out in 1984, which may or my not be true. However, by
1985 they were definitely available.
They were pink; they had a unicrown fork with short sleeves; the frames were lugged. They had shallow road style cable guides. They were fitted with Suntour Roller Cam brakes under the chainstay.
For
1986 not much difference; better tyre clearance apparently. Pink lugged Prestige. Note the shallow roadie style cable guides.
This Page for a November 1985
Bicycle Guide review for the 86 model (again thanks to Mombat).
Exerpt from the review:
For
1987 they were built by Dave Tesch in the US. Blue and White. If you have one - I will buy it.
The 1987 catalogue is
here
Magazine review
here (Scroll down a bit.)
You have to zoom in on the catalogue, but if my eyes don't deceive, lugs, and narrow cable guides. Also note that the 1987 Stumpjumper Comp was lugged (not Prestige though).
Back to
1988. Made in Japan; grey and white. Lugged Prestige; welded unicrown fork with no lugettes; 'normal' deep slotted cable guides. Serial numbers begin with 8F. Intriguingly, some have an embossed S on the seatstay cap, some raised, some nothing...
By
1989, the Team Stumpjumper is welded (no lugs); it has a seat stay canti, and 'double taper' seat tays. Still offered in grey and white, still built with Prestige tubes. Not sure whether these were built in Japan or Taiwan.
Catalogue images
here
Mine is lugged, built from Prestige tubing, has a welded unicrown fork with no sleeves, and deep slotted cable guides. It was advertised as a 1988 in the classifieds of a 1989 edition of MBUK. The vendor claimed it was the UK press bike. I bought it and it was grey and white with XT throughout.
All the parts on it apart from the bb cable guide have been replaced.
p.s. some XT M730 cantis to the first person to get the Vasili reference.