Taco Mini Bikes

I was checking the earlier posted topics, Taco registry thread? and The Taco mini bike ID Chart, and did some comparisons.

Below is the list of the owners and the bikes that they have registered in the registry thread. To this list, I've added my bikes and the one's registered on the steenstacominibikes.com site that weren't already on this site.

I think it's safe to say that the first number is the year and the last 3 or 4 numbers represents that bikes particular number in the sequence.

Does anybody else see a pattern here? Where are all the other letters of the alphabet? This proves that the ID chart posted is completely wrong when it comes to saying that the letter means the week it was produced. I doubt that every Taco 22 was built in the 16th week of each year.

The letter designates the model. 22's are obviously designated "P". When it comes to 44's 99's and 100's (listed below as T, A, or H), it's a little harder to tell. They shared frames and so many of them were acquired later without wheels or engines to help ID them. Adding to the problem is that many people wrongly think the larger 1969 and later style swing arm frame makes one automatically a 99 and some others think a 100.

Since the 1967-68 flat bar swing arm 44's and 99's have the same style earlier frame (100's weren't produced yet), and none listed have a "H" I think by a process of elimination that "H" =100. I also think that based on the pictures of Don Marsh's original later style 99 and Taco Jack's original later style 44 on the steenstacominibikes.com registry that "44" = T. and "99" = A. That seems to correspond with many (not all),of them listed below. It would also make sense that there might be less A's and H's listed since they would be higher priced models and probably less of them were produced. We need the owners with original equipment 44's, 99's, and 100's to check their bikes to confirm this.

There is a couple of type errors on that site that I cross referenced to the list below. One of Donald Marsh's 99's and a 22 are mistakenly written as 9F497 and 8F3423. You can find them below correctly listed under Bayareaburrito's bikes as 9H497 and 8P3423.

Other stuff: Based on Taco Don's Tacquito, E = T33. Most likely, Frijoles had no numbers because they were sold as kits. No early 1967 tubular swing arm T44's, T99's, T66's, or T55's seem to be represented on the list. Did they have Numbers? I can't see any numbers on the pictures of Taco Joe's 66 and it has a newer US Motors West Bend, engine, so it might not have originally been a 66.

None of my 44/99/100 frames came with engines so thats why I posted them with question marks.

This is theory based on the limited data at hand. What do you guys think?


INJUNTOM

T22: 9P052
T100 70H737
T99 8T3123

Bayareaburrito

T22 8P3423
T22 7P579
T22 7P1510
T22 covered with paint
T99 9A081
T99 9H497
T99 covered with paint

HarleyBob

T44? 8T1834
T22 70P058
T22 7P1864

Voxnut

T44 8T3262

Calijeff

T22 70P1233

Mac

T22 8P5441
T22 9P1810
T100 9A286
T100 9H193

Buddy44

T22 7P464
T44/99? 7T2337
T44/99? 8T1694
T44/99? 8A1433
T44/99? 8A?6?7
T44/99/100? 9T500
T44/99/100? 9A647
T44/99/100? 9T763
T44/99/100? 9T840
Frijole (later style, No Numbers)

Taco Don

T33 5E139
T22 8P2010
T44 8A1277
Frijole (later style no numbers)

Taco Rudi

T99 9T1508

Taco Jack

T99 9T1589

This is one part of the TACO puzzle that would be great to solved. I was told that TACO used a similar (not the same) system that Schwinn bicycles used. Does anyone know their system.

I don't know the accuracy of what I was told, just another theory. I have been trying to get that meeting with John Steens, which if he recalls would help to solve the mystery.

TJ

Joe,

I have the Schwinn serial number code somewhere. Maybe it's in my Sting-Ray book. I'll try to find it. I'm sure it's quite different to what Taco used. If I remember correctly, Schwinn used a new letter of the alphabet each year to designate the year of production.

It appears from the registered bikes that Taco only used a few letters, and used them to designate the model. So far we only have: P for all 22's , T, A, and H, for 44's, 99's, and 100's, and "E" for 33's.

I think the only real problem to settle, is if T, A, and H, really does correspond to 44's, 99's, and 100's in that order.

The Schwinn serial numbers can be found here
http://oldroads.com/sh_sn.asp

I have a 44 with the serial # 9T365

That 22 is not in my possession I only have the original receipt for it. I'd LOVE to have it back.

Thanks Jeff.

I did find my old note for Schwinn's code (1965-82), last night. Your link is a much better reference and helps show that Schwinn's code is not really going to solve what Taco did. Schwinn used two letters to designate month and year, and not for the model ID.

It's my belief that Taco's numbers start with the year, then the model as a letter, then number in production. No month or week.

As an example, Jeff's number #9T365 means: 9 for 1969, T for 44, and 365 for it's number in production that year. (Note that his is another 44 designated with a T). His "lost" bike #70P1233 would be: 70 for 1970, P for 22, and the 1233rd bike made that year.

The last 3 or 4 numbers might be for that model but, I kind of doubt it. If a same year 22 and 44 or 99 shared the same last digits it would mean the production number was model specific. The more bikes registered would help solve that question.

I knew that your 22 was "long lost", it was included for ID historical/statistical reasons, and since we know your 22's number maybe one day it can be located .

Mac now has a Taco 100 roller(6" rims) ID# 70H903

I wonder if it's safe to assume that the 102 and Matterhorn bikes would have the same code as the 100 series bikes?

That might explain why my neighborhood Schwinn bicycle shop use to display and sell Taco's back in the late 60s
Buddy Great piece of research

Thanks Bayarea!

Hey Mac, is that roller nice, or another one of those creative engineered specials? (code for butchered).

Mac's 100 being another "H" falls right in line with my theory.

I'm guessing that the 44, 99, and 100's in the registry that don't match the letters in my theory are bikes the owners have built from frames into the model they wanted to build?

Let's hear from you guys. I'd like to know what you'd have to say.

TJ, you've got that restored Matterhorn on the home page, maybe you can answer Bayareaburrito's question?

....Creatively engineered.
Footpegs broke off, holes drilled thru frame, folding footpegs shoved thru holes and nuts tightened. Woods Motorsports has agreed to fix that if I want to.