[mattarnold]

Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone may have any information on this frame.The serial number is 2X Y 3997 A (in a U shape left to right). There's a sticker on the seat tube below the clamp that says 'original paintwork Eddy Merckx' abnd I'm wondering if it's a team colour? On the chain stay is a Belgian bike store sticker (Plum oostende). The 'corsa extra' name is on the top tube at the seat end and all the others I've seen the name is by the head tube.

Anyway, thanks in advance. I'm looking forward to putting it together.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[tarwheel2]

Check the Merckx forum here and/or Gita Bikes, the US importer.

 

[Guest]

Nice bike.

As Tarwheel said, number hanger would indicate that it may in fact have been a race frame.

I don't think it was a special team colour though.

There is an MX Leader in the same paint in the Gallery thread in the Merckx sub-forum.

Also if you check out the old Merckx catalogues at Bulgier.net there are a number of pictures of stock frames in that same scheme.

Pretty machine regardless.

 

[bradfordsmurray]

Hi, I know what this means --> "serial number is 2X Y 3997 A (in a U shape left to right)" based on reading Emerxil's online information on Merckx serial numbers:

2 = 62 cm frame (c to c seat tube length),
X = Columbus SLX tubing,
Y = employee code for the year the EMC factory worker finished preparing the frame for painting,

3997 is the 3,997th frame in the series of frames built during the years of A (see below),
A = years 1986-1988.

Based on the 3997 it could be a 1987 frame, as I think 9999 frames where made during any one letter series (eg A) for those years the letter represents.

Not sure if yours is a team colour, but a Merckx frame made for a professional team will usually have a different style of serial numbers/letters (see photo of yellow bike below) compared to the serial numbers/letters on those sold to the general public. The yellow bike in photo (not mine) is a former Merckx professional frame from the 1980s that was then supplied to the professional team "Capri-Sonne" (identification "CS" in the frame number).