New Owner's Registry
Mon, August 23, 2010 
My new owner's frame number registry is now up and running at davemoultonregistry.com. There is also a permanent link in the navigation bar at the top of this blog.
This is a project that I have had at the back of my mind for a few years now, and finally it has all come together in the last few weeks. I have just a few frames and their owners listed so far, more will be added in the days, weeks and months to follow.
Already I have been making a withdrawal from deep within my memory bank, especially when looking through my frame number record book, and looking at photos of these very same frames it lists, built back in the early 1980s.
Some frames I remember clearly along with the people that ordered them, others are nothing more than a few scant details, hand written in a little 5 x 8 inch notebook. What I do remember is my feelings of the situation I found myself in back then.
Renting space in the Masi shop which consisted of two rooms, each about 40 x 40 feet, one room was for framebuilding, the other housed the paint booth. I was sharing this with three other framebuilders, and two painters.
All four of us were sharing the same frame jig, sand blasting and paint booth.
Two painters had the use of the paint booth three days each, that left one day which happened to be Sunday, for me to paint my frames.
Add to this the fact that I was building custom frames; each one different, individually built for different customers. Not contusive to any sort of production on a large scale.
In spite of this I built 69 frames in 1982; that was almost six frames a month. A good year, but I had to do better if I was ever going to open my own frameshop.
In 1983 I hit the ground running; I built 10 frames in January, 9 in February, (Not bad for a short month.) 11 frames built in March of ’83.
I built a total of 96 custom frames that year, plus I managed to move out of the Masi shop and into my own facility, and started production on the John Howard frame.
This 1984 1st Generation Fuso #216 is currently owned by Bill Silverman. The white decal panels were inspired by the custom paintwork like the frame pictured at the top and built a year earlier
Of the nine frames built in February 1983, I found it interesting that I was listing three of them in my new registry. The first, one of two custom frames owned by Lorin Youde is #2831; a 57cm. frame that was originally built as a display model for “Bud’s” Bike Store, in Claremont, CA. (Two top pictures.) More pictures on Flickr.
#2832 was also a 57cm. custom built for Chuck Schmidt, a frame that sports a great deal of chrome plating. (Picture left.)
The previous frame just mentioned was probably built on the same jig setting as Chuck's, as it was a stock frame not built with any particular customer in mind.
Then #2836 is my own “Tribute Bike” generously presented to me early last year. More pictures of that bike here.
If you own a custom ‘dave moulton,’ a John Howard, Fuso, or Recherché, please email me with the frame number, size and model if it’s a Fuso. Also, please mention how long you have owned it and whether the paint is original or repaint.
I will add your name to the list, pictures too if you care to send them, or if you have pictures on a site like Flickr, or PhotoBucket, I can link to them.
Email for this purpose use davesbikeblog[AT]gmail[DOT]com
Reader Comments (2)
Look forward to seeing more and appreciate the way owners preserve and enhance these works of art.
As soon as I finish putting all the parts on the Fuso frame I purchased recently, I will add a picture and then it can be added to the registry. Looking forward to sharing it with all the Moulton owners and fans, as well as Mr. Moulton himself. Thanks Dave ! Fuso # 595.