Mongoose bike serial number ar302374 serial numbers#
Mongoose bike serial number ar302374 full#
Mongoose bike serial number ar302374 series#

The 'heli' in heli arc comes from the shielding gas helium that was used. It's proper name is GTAW, or Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. Unique Heliarc weld pattern ('heli arc' is another name for TIG.

A round hole below the upper seat mast.

Gusset at the front behind the headtube.

There are a few key components to look for on a BMX Products, Inc.

Mongoose bike serial number ar302374 series#

Series SerialĪs a general rule anything with a Gusset behind the head tube was manufactured in the USA. All USA made frames after they dropped the “C” were month, then year, then serial number. USA made frames from post gusset era, still had the month first, then the year but they were stamped not on the bottom bracket but on the brace behind the bottom bracket. Sometime in 1982 the bottom bracket brace was replaced with an open design (see picture below). J2009981: according to this serial number the frame was manufactured in October of 1982. (If your frame has holes in the dropouts, BUT does not have 3 holes in the brake bridge, its NOT a supergoose, even if its chrome) See dropouts page here.

Mongoose bike serial number ar302374 full#

These extra holes were only on the full cromo frames that had the 'step down' type dropouts. The easiest way is to check the brake bridge for the extra two slotted holes that were added. So there is actually a month or more where there was a 'Team/Supergoose' frame that had no 'T' in serial but still had 'old style' dropouts. There was a few 'crazy' months around April, May and June in 1981, when there was mix of old and new dropouts being used. When they dropped the 'C', it was realised that there was no need for it, as there were other ways to ID a Team/Supergoose (full cromo) frame. Also of note is the 'T' (for team), was also dropped. This applies to all frames made, EXCEPT those starting with the letter 'M' as these frames were made in the Merida factory in Taiwan.) As before, the letter indicates the month and the first number or the second digit in the sequence indicates the last number for that year. (nb: The frames were still made in Chatsworth up until 1984 when they moved to Moorpark. The 'C' was dropped and they started out with a single letter followed by a sequence of numbers. In April 1981 and onwards the frames were coded differently. (there are a couple of known Supergoose frames without the flat seat stay. NBB: In 1982 and onwards, a Team frame was also offered in 'Show Chrome' as well as red or blue candy coat. As opposed to a candy coated full cromo frame = team frame. NB: a Supergoose is just a full cromo team frame that has nickel (79/80) or chrome plating (81 onwards) as its final finish. Very early team frames had a 'T' but without the flattened seat stay, but these are very few and were in 1977 mainly. This was done to give better clearance for the chain. (Moosegoose, Two/Four, Two/Six, and the Kos Krusier also have 100 % Chromoly tubing).Īnother feature of a Team / Supergoose frame is the flattened seat stay where the chain passes it. The Team Mongoose, Team Minigoose and Supergoose, all should have a T in this area.

Mongoose bike serial number ar302374 serial numbers#

The same coding applies to the first part of the serial numbers as we discussed above, however, if a capital T is in front of or above the CXX it indicates that it is a 100% Chromoly frame. The Team Mongoose and Supergoose frames are a little different. NB: Super X has an “X” instead of a “C” in the serial number. This guideline also applies to Team Mongoose, Supergoose, Jag, Blue Max, Roger DeCoster, Super-X, and Moto-Trac frames. Let’s look at some serial number examples below to get a better understand how the process worked. So serial numbers that ran from May 1976 through to March 1981 will have three digits in sequence overtop the serial number of that frame. in the early years moved into the unit next door to RECO and eventually bought them out. RECO was a frame welding company that BMX Products, Inc. for the first 3 years of production, after that the frames were made “in house” by BMX Products, Inc. RECO (Racer Engineering Company) manufactured frames for BMX Products, Inc. The frame components were manufactured in different stages and or departments and some of the parts were exhausted quicker than others, it this process that lead to some of the frames “crossing over” to different years, especially during the end of the year. The serial numbers were hand stamped on the bottom bracket tubes then packed in (empty beer) boxes waiting to be welded to frame tubes. Of course these are general guidelines in identifying Mongoose frames and there are the anomalies to this process of serial number identification. It was around feb/march 77 that the extra single gusset was dropped from the frame.

From here frames were stamped with the letter C for Cromo, a letter for the month, and a number for the year of production.

In May 1976 the serial number process changed again with the addition of a month code.