Classic & Vintage - colnago frame resto

i have a 1973 colnago super that needs some work. i've been advised to send it back to colnago to have them do whatever work needs to be done. has anyone here done this or know of anyone that has? should i just send the frame to a reputable local establishment?


what do you think? and thanks for your input.

joe bell or cycle art.
both do outstaniding work and can restore the bike to whatever orginality with paint and decals that you want

i have a 1973 colnago super that needs some work. i've been advised to send it back to colnago to have them do whatever work needs to be done. has anyone here done this or know of anyone that has? should i just send the frame to a reputable local establishment?

what do you think? and thanks for your input.

not rocket science, any reputable painter can do the refurb, most any good frame guy can do repairs. And repro decals shouldn't be too hard to find.
I'd be afraid of it getting lost in the basement iff'n I sent it back to Colnago...
'73 - is without cable guides and 120mm rear? you keeping it that way?
one of the best ridin bikes, ever

not rocket science, any reputable painter can do the refurb, most any good frame guy can do repairs. And repro decals shouldn't be too hard to find.
I'd be afraid of it getting lost in the basement iff'n I sent it back to Colnago...
'73 - is without cable guides and 120mm rear? you keeping it that way?
one of the best ridin bikes, ever




the frame has been estimated to be a '73. i don't know for sure, though. braze-on cable guides, painted fork and chainstays. 1972 hour record decal. not sure about rear spacing. everything that i was able to find out suggests it's a '73-'75. and yes, i'd like to keep the frame as close to original as possible. whether i'll go for a full resto remains to be seen.

the frame has been estimated to be a '73. i don't know for sure, though. braze-on cable guides,

Did the 70's Italian bikes come with braze-on cable guides? My AD was from the early 80's and I *think* it had clamp ons. But that was an AD.
Do you have a pix of the frame?

the frame has been estimated to be a '73. i don't know for sure, though. braze-on cable guides, painted fork and chainstays. 1972 hour record decal. not sure about rear spacing. everything that i was able to find out suggests it's a '73-'75. and yes, i'd like to keep the frame as close to original as possible. whether i'll go for a full resto remains to be seen.

here's a nice '72, note the lack of Braze-ons,
http://www.theracingbicycle.com/images/Colnago_Super_full.jpg
as the years advanced, brazeons were added to replace the clamp-on stuff, as I remember the last things to be added was the braze-on bracket for the FD.
my '78 super (now gone) had a semi-sloping painted fork and chrome fork crown, DT Shift bosses, TT cable guides and BB cable guides (above BB) but no bottle bosses, no chainstay cable stop.
my '80 super has semisloping but fully Chrome fork, under-BB guides, and downtube bottlecage bosses, but still no FD bracket - I think those were put on from '83 on.
the '80 is also set for 'nutted' brakes, not the 'newer' recessed brake bolts and the slightly longer chainstay length like the Mid-late 70's Supers, not shorter stays like the 'saronni' style supers of the early 80's.
go figure...

depending on the mix of braze-ons you'll prolly be able to roughly 'date' the frame. Also If you measure the spread at the rear dropouts (and if it has been altered...) then 126mm would prolly indicate '77 and newer, 120 mm means likely a '76 or older. But thatz not cast in stone either.

joe bell or cycle art.
both do outstaniding work and can restore the bike to whatever orginality with paint and decals that you want
Yup.

Cyclart is completely overpriced, and to top it off, have the nerve to slap a small Cyclart decal on your left chainstay near the BB.

I've never researched Joe Bell's work or prices, but I have heard high praise of his work.

Personally, I recommend the fantastic Gary Cole down here in Miami, FL. I've seen his work on many bikes including VLWs, and he is nothing short of show-stopping fantastic - you'll never see a decal edge with his clearcoats. Prices are reasonable too - starts at about $190 for a stripdown and repaint to a single color (provided there are no chrome areas to worry about. Let me know if you'd like me to shoot over his number to you.

-Kurt

Add Ed Litton in Northern California to your short list. He did an impeccable job on my Mondia restoration, and for a very nice price. $425 for paint, pin-striping, decals, AND a replacement head tube.

He even installed the BB and headset/fork for me when I picked it up.

Add Ed Litton in Northern California to your short list. He did an impeccable job on my Mondia restoration, and for a very nice price. $425 for paint, pin-striping, decals, AND a replacement head tube.

He even installed the BB and headset/fork for me when I picked it up.
+1. He did a great job on my 1967 Paramount. He's also a great guy, and if it's possible to be too honest in business, Ed would qualify. And if you ever have a chance to visit his shop - you will think you died and went to Vintage and Classic heaven. There is way too much cool stuff to look at and learn about. And Ed enjoys sharing his knowledge. Take his time estimates with a grain of salt, but rest assured that the end result will make you very, very happy.

.... and to top it off, have the nerve to slap a small Cyclart decal on your left chainstay near the BB.

Well, DUUUH! What would a Van Gogh be worth if he didn't SIGN it?! I sign all MY paintings. (not a decal)

Except for two that slipped through over the years. (a nod to Brent Steelman):rolleyes:

I made sure that David put a decal on the repaint he did on my Pog.
Granted no one would look at it and think that it was NOS original
(there are some subtle variations) but a) I wanted the advertisement,
David did a great job and should get credit for it. and 2) it prevents
it being sold as NOS.

Marty

Brian Baylis, YES, but too late, he is off to building seriously.
Joe Bell, he gets the next two, just have to get down there.
Cyclart, Would have gotten one of the next two but Joe Bell had the transfers. Cyclart can do good work, but one must be Extremely, (think all caps for emphasis) specific.

Joe Bell also has Rob Roberson on the torch, an added benefit.
Ed Litton, Good with torch, I would use iff you can pick it up in person. I have seen great work come from his studio, I did not get it. Effort to reship and rewait was beyond my tolerance, transfer work was spot on however. Transfers are sometimes a nightmare, and the varnish fix ones are not forgiving.

My advice, in person contact and documentation is vital. Never assume a thing.

Well, I'm a member of the Ed Litton fan club: proud as well as pleased that he's local. I don't think I would put him in the league of Cyclart, but I don't think he would claim to be their direct competition: he's a full-service one-man shop that also happens to do excellent paint. Excellent frame building and excellent repairs, too. All of us who have visited his shop have a clear picture of how much work he has stacked up and that explains the long waiting period, sorry you had to endure one.You're right though, personal contact makes a difference, he's done some things "while-I wait"ed cause I was right there looking at him.

thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. i'll post pics at some point.

i have a 1973 colnago super that needs some work. i've been advised to send it back to colnago to have them do whatever work needs to be done. has anyone here done this or know of anyone that has? should i just send the frame to a reputable local establishment?


what do you think? and thanks for your input.

I have two frames that have been at Colnago since November. As far as I know neither has even been touched yet. He has also sent out an official letter to his distributors stating that he will no longer repaint because of fears that he will thereby be hooked into a new 2 year warranty period. I would not recommend sending anything to them. Especially as any frame builder can work on the bike and any modern painter with a half decent paint booth can match their paint quality and replicate the original.

As for Cyclart, I wouldn't go near them with a 10 foot pole. They are very polarizing, either you are super happy or super disappointed with them. That for me is enough to steer clear of them. They are also known to up prices for questionable reasons.

Ed Litton does work as good as anything that I have seen from Cyclart, but like anything it is better to go there in person.

I would dig out some original decals and then get a painter local to you to do the paint.