Originally Posted by
repechage
I will have to review this, maybe they guy was recreating a bike from his youth? The transfer reproduction is off if they wished to be original, and I have never seen the forward side of the top tube as a typical place for a Columbus transfer. Kind of reminds me of all the Campagnolo stickers just below the lower head lug to hide the bulge or cracked paint from a crash.
Interesting you should mention the decal placement. There is no right-side photo of that frame prior to paint, but it so happens a local friend has an unidentified, smoked-chrome SLX Benotto (cromovelato finish) which is NOS - and has the same tubing decal placement:
Originally Posted by
repechage
It also reminds me of a California Masi Gran Criterium frame set that sold for a few years ago on ebay, in full chrome. The buyer paid pretty big dollars for it, then promptly sent it out for paint, it is now painted again, the chrome was near perfect... the new paint is very nice, The total investment must have been absurd.
Unless that chrome job was post-factory, that's pretty much on the same level. Even if it
was a later modification, the cost of returning something such as that Masi or this Benotto to original specs becomes utterly unfeasible, if not rather revolting. Unless it's something particularly unique or relevant, a better example will almost always be available.
-Kurt