Early Bear Valley ?? what year

[wiggviv]

Just picked up a project looking for some Marin info/help on year bit of a mystery.
Frame No M91404---- (10 digit number) guessing produced '89 for 1990 year run.
It's a Zolatone anthracite with white logos seams a year early catalogue shows light grey colourway .......
Also headset size 1" when did Marin go 1-1/8" ?
Stripping and cleaning will try do some pics - came with Spinner Rockstars original stem, seatpost and a mix of Exage M400 and modern bits.

 

[Tootyred]

Dark grey was 91....light grey 90. Both zolotone. 89 was same colour as 90, but gloss standard paint.

Marin went 1 1/8" in 90, although that was a slow roll out as you went down the pecking order.

That 10 digit system was seen until 91....although the new system with 2 letters was also about in 91.

The real tell tale is the frame tubes. Afterburners oversize stays came in in 91 with the cast dropout at the rear too.

 

[Tootyred]

Could i have your frame number for my "collection" please...

Ive made a bit more progress of late on decoding the 10 character numbers, but the more i have to compare the better.

Cheers

 

[wiggviv]

Excellent info Tootyred looks like '90 year frame 'left over' painted in '91 anthracite grey.
Confirmed by 1" and pre-after burner stays.

 

[brocklanders023]

Have seen other 90's in the darker grey, pretty sure my Pine Mountain is. Reckon it's a later batch but as mentioned, the obvious give away will be the seat stays, narrow 'Race Bred' or thicker 'Afterburners'.