Post by: WildcatRudy on March 15, 2012, 05:34:04 PM
Of all my luck today, I found a bowling ball in a giveaway pile on someone's front lawn in our neighborhood. I'm surprised nobody else grabbed it!
It is a teal Rhino made by Brunswick. I could not find any information about it online. The color is of course teal, but the lettering appears to be stenciled on, and is like a "safety" orange in color. (My Track ball has engraved logos and lettering, in comparison.) It does not say "Rhino Pro" as I've seen listed elsewhere. But it does have the same sanded finish as opposed to gloss.
It looks to be in decent shape, also. I mainly grabbed the bag for my daughter's ball (and the sling is a nice bonus), but I didn't expect the ball to be this good or in this condition. It has a few nicks, but I do not see much of any track around the ball. So it appears it may not have been used in too many games. I'm tempted to either sell it, or have it plugged and drilled and give it a roll!
Post by: The Celtic Kegler on March 15, 2012, 05:58:23 PM
That is a urethane Rhino from the late 80s. It is a three-piece design. The serial number on the ball denotes it was made in January 1992.
The Rhino Pro bowling balls did not appear until a few months later when the reactive revolution swept the bowling nation.
Edited by The Celtic Kegler on 3/15/2012 at 4:02 PM
Post by: WildcatRudy on March 15, 2012, 06:02:09 PM
Thanks!
Wow, that is a bit dated. I don't know if it's worth keeping. I was trying to find specs on it to see what it was made out of.
Post by: The Celtic Kegler on March 15, 2012, 06:04:48 PM
Any idea how much it weighs?
Post by: Jesse James on March 15, 2012, 06:10:19 PM
I had one of those balls. Even in it's sanded finish condition, it was for dryish lanes back then. Depending on how strong you drill it, it might be a good spare ball......or useful on toast. Give it a whirl and see. If you throw the ball slow, it might become a useful weapon. Good luck.
Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, but it still holds the universe together.
Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.
Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.
Voting is like driving a car. Vote (R) to go backward. Vote (D) to go forward!
Post by: MI 2 AZ on March 15, 2012, 06:18:46 PM
Would you mind posting the codes for figuring out the years from the serial number or a link to that? I think I still have an old Rhino sitting around somewhere.
Thanks.
_________________________________________
Need bowling information? - Please check this: BR FAQ
Post by: The Celtic Kegler on March 15, 2012, 06:27:18 PM
First letter is the month... A would be Jan... L would be Dec.
Second letter is the year... The first Rhino came out in 1986... hence that year is A.
B would be 1987... C would be 1988... and so on.
Post by: The Celtic Kegler on March 15, 2012, 06:30:31 PM
One note... this was the system that was used when the Big B rolled balls off the line in Muskegon. When they moved to Mexico about 6-7 years ago... the serial number system changed.
Post by: MI 2 AZ on March 15, 2012, 06:41:00 PM
Thanks, very helpful.
_________________________________________
Need bowling information? - Please check this: BR FAQ
Post by: WildcatRudy on March 15, 2012, 06:44:18 PM
This feels like a 15 pounder. It actually feels a bit heavier, but it is not drilled for me and my arms are a bit wiped out from working outdoors the past couple of days. (So it feels every ounce of 25 pounds right now. 
)
) Thanks for the date code on that! Didn't realize they were made in Muskegon.
I haven't been on a league in many years (and wasn't all that great), so my current ball is actually set up for the dry lanes I find during open bowling (it's a Track Dry Heat). Although, I usually bowl at Super Bowl in Canton (MI), and their lanes are usually about medium when it starts around 6pm or so. I'll probably be looking for a medium-to-heavy oil ball in the future, once I can get back on track and get in some practice and tutoring.
Post by: The Celtic Kegler on March 15, 2012, 06:50:53 PM
I believe MOTIV is using the old Brunswick factory to make their equipment...
Post by: Strapper_Squared on March 15, 2012, 07:54:21 PM
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Post by: Aaron Koch on March 16, 2012, 09:25:35 AM
Motiv has there own manufacturing facility. They are not using the Brunswick factory or it's equipment for making bowling balls.
Aaron Koch
Post by: charlest on March 16, 2012, 10:25:43 AM
I have an old chart of this.
First letter is the month.
A - Jan. B - Feb. C - Mar. D - April E - May F - June
G - July H - Aug. I - Sept. J - Oct. K - Nov. L - Dec.
Second letter is the year
F - 1992 G - 1993 H - 1994 I - 1995 J - 1996 K - 1997 L - 1998 M - 1999 N - 2000
O - 2001 P - 2002 R - 2003 S - 2004 T - 2005 Y - 2006 Z - 2007 A - 2008
"None are so blind as those who will not see."
Post by: tywithay on March 16, 2012, 12:25:03 PM
If you want more information on this ball, search "Cobalt Rhino." It's not actually teal. As the others have said though, 3 piece ball with a pancake core and urethane cover.
Post by: dougb on March 16, 2012, 01:49:04 PM
Very cool -- now I have to look at my old Big Bs and see. Thanks Jeff!
Post by: avabob on March 17, 2012, 08:21:34 PM
I also had one. It was actually better polished than dull, but a very good ball. Shot 800 with one and used it a lot enroute to a 229 average in 92. Incidentally every serious bowler should have a urethane ball in their bag. Not just good for spares, they can be a great option for strokers and tweeners on wet dry house shots, or some short tournament patterns.
Edited by avabob on 3/17/2012 at 6:23 PM