Year verification?

Upchuck

New member
Hey all, I have what I believe is a 1989 Fat Chance. It's NOS with the signed hangtag still hanging on the seattube. Serial # 04149F. Serial #'s predating 1990 are confusing to me. I'd like to verfiy the year. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
 

Spikes

New member
I'd say it is a 1987 Fat Chance. Could it be a 19"? That will explain the "9" before the "F". The year is a guess.
 

MikeyNYC

Member
Hey all, I have what I believe is a 1989 Fat Chance. It's NOS with the signed hangtag still hanging on the seattube. Serial # 04149F. Serial #'s predating 1990 are confusing to me. I'd like to verfiy the year. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Upchuck,
Take a looky at my footer and see if you can make sense of your serial # based on the #'s for my 1988 Fat Chance and 1990 Wicked, I'm not really an expert on the mystery of Fat City serial #'s...Otherwise check the www.FirstFlightBikes.com Fat Chance timeline.

If all else fails we'll need to call in an expert...is Rick out there to lend a hand?

Michael-NYC
 

Upchuck

New member
Upchuck,
Take a looky at my footer and see if you can make sense of your serial # based on the #'s for my 1988 Fat Chance and 1990 Wicked, I'm not really an expert on the mystery of Fat City serial #'s...Otherwise check the www.FirstFlightBikes.com Fat Chance timeline.

If all else fails we'll need to call in an expert...is Rick out there to lend a hand?

Michael-NYC
I seem to remember a page on First Flight's website that explained Fat serial #'s. I can't find it now. Maybe it was at another site(?).

I'm not sure what to make of the serial # in comparison to your Fat #. My guess is my # is lower than your's. So that might make it an earlier model...

Anyone? Bueller?
 

I-ROBOT

Active member
Hey Upchuck

What you have (most likely) is the 414th frame produced in 1989. The F indicates that it is a Fat Chance model (not a Wicked, Yo, or Team frame). I'm not exactly sure when we started adding the model designator to the serial number. It could have been in 1989. I believe we were still doing overall production numbers for serial numbers then. We did switch numbering schemes - probably in 1990 - to indicate the number of a particular model produced.

I have an 18" Wicked that I built in 1987. I waited for 87777 to come up in the production run and then I grabbed that BB shell and kept it until I was ready to build my frame. The is no model designator on the 1987 serial numbers.

I know it is confusing since there were several serial numbering methods used during the Somerville years. I know all of the serial numbers were recorded in a notebook - mostly likely more than just one. If anyone knows what may have happened to that (those) notebook(s), then the serial number mysteries could be cleared up. I am not sure who may have them or if they even still exist at all. I don't know if Chris or Wendyll ever recorded the serial numbers on a computer to have those lists as a back-up.

Reggie Jackson was the keeper and assigner of serial numbers when the frames were first tack welded together. He was responsible for tracking those numbers. I believe Lloyd Graves assumed that duty after Reg moved to an office position. I heard that Reggie moved to California after he was let go but I have lost contact with everyone who worked in Somerville at this point.

Hope this sheds a bit of light for you
Scott "I-ROBOT" Bengtson Chief Welder Fat City Somerville 1986 - 1994
 

Upchuck

New member
Thanks for the reply, Scott. I especially appreciate the extra tidbits of historical info. I'm sure I'm not the only Fat Fan who loves to hear tales of the "good-ole days", and even the not so good moments, of a legendary company that would have a profound effect on what we ride today.

It'll be interesting to hear if you ever find out what happened to those notebooks. Be prepared for the hysterics as everyone begs to see the scanned pages online.
 
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