Classic & Vintage - the epic 80s italian paintjob appreciation thread.

Love it, hate it, they deffinately have their certain je ne sais quois.

heres my soon to be gone rossin

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/267080991_ef32aea081.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/90/267080953_6688ea4518.jpg

rossin had some EPIC paintjobs. chesini gives em a run for their money though!!

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/chesini2/01.jpg

and we all know about colnagos

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/colnago-88/12.jpg

i wonder if this is where the painter for landshark got his inspiration? :D

share your favorites!

You can tell what era a bike is from it's paint job.

"""You can tell what era a bike is from it's paint job"""

Yes and I think it would be regretful to permanently 'moderrnize' any older high-end bike. There is a tendency to do so when a bike is about 15 years old and not quite 'vintage'. The original style always comes back into favor or neat kitsch although at some point.

I once bought a 1963 BSA Royal Star motorycycle that was 'modernized' by the previous owner in the mid-70's. The original sleek chrome and ornate parts were considered garish and tacky in the 70's. Today, the original bike is considered one of most beautiful motorcycles ever made. I spent thousands to bring it back from that rediculous 'modern' state of the 70's.

OneTwentyEight's Rossin reminded me that I have a picture of one of my early '90's jobs.
The customer may have seen a Rossin like that and wanted something similar.
Welllll,....almost!

I know, I know! I swear one of these days I will learn how to post bigger pitures!:D

If the URL name is short enough, just click on the yellow box with the mountain, and copy in the URL.

Like so:

http://www.delight.com/photos/uncategorized/dianelane.jpg

A slightly more subdued example of Italian paint artistry:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/Basso_87_final_1.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/Basso_87_final_3.jpg

-Kurt

I know, I know! I swear one of these days I will learn how to post bigger pitures!:D

http://www.irfanview.com/

Download their image editor, and use that to resize and edit your photos. The .JPG output feature allows you to adjust the compression of the photo, allowing you to post a larger photo under 100k...although, with your premium membership, that isn't a worry.

-Kurt

OneTwentyEight's Rossin reminded me that I have a picture of one of my early '90's jobs.
The customer may have seen a Rossin like that and wanted something similar.
Welllll,....almost!

I know, I know! I swear one of these days I will learn how to post bigger pitures!:D

I've seen my share of bikes, and drooled over plenty of bike porn, but this is the first bike I've ever seen with both downtube levers mounted on one side of the downtube.

Can you 'splain this one to me? :o

...but this is the first bike I've ever seen with both downtube levers mounted on one side of the downtube.

Just noticed that myself now. I like that - allows for easy double-shifts with one hand.

Must be a pair of right-hand friction levers though, as they do match.

EDIT: Took a closer look - they're a pair of Shimano 600s, one set on friction, the other on index.

-Kurt

Tommasini SL Comp in the Quattro Colori paint scheme. I would love to own one...if I could only find it.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2301/tommasini1gu3.jpg
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/379/tommasinico6.jpg

Yech. Haven't seen a paint job I like yet.

I don't care for Picasso paint splashes. Give me creme with gold & polished aluminum highlights:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/pinarello89/3.jpg


...or a simple two-tone fade...

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/patelli85/8.jpg


...or the polished aluminum-on-black:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/guerciotti87(tsd)/4.jpg

Take care,

-Kurt

...both downtube levers mounted on one side of the downtube.

Can you 'splain this one to me? :o

What Kurt says...


I like that - allows for easy double-shifts with one hand. -Kurt

It is a "custom" built (and custom painted) Rock Lobster.:D

Oh god, I just looked at that Colnago at the top and went crosseyed. I may have barfed a little on the keyboard too :). Would I make myself a total hypocrite by saying that I'd still like to own it? I've always viewed '80s paint jobs the same way I do Family Guy-style comedic timing. You know, a gag starts off and is funny, runs longer than it should and stops being funny, runs even longer and gets really funny. Likewise, a little bit of wackyness with paint is cool and really over-the-top paint is great too, but there's a point there in the middle where I just have to shake my head. I still lean toward more classical solid colors but can't deny the appeal of the occasional weird paint job. For some reason I seem to have a thing for that Tommasini that 55/Rad posted.

M u u u u s t ...........h a a a v e...........P a t e l l l l l i.............

http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_love/drool_cloud.gif

Pogliaghi:
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/psychlist43/pog1.jpg

The Motta bikes weren't quite as wild as the Rossin and Colnago, at least not yet around '84-'85. They were often pretty eye catching though.

http://www.duane.kennard.com/Motta_DK.jpg

I prefer a simpler, plainer look, but those are impressive.

So does that make entirely chrome restrained?

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/dj_flx/benotto_01.jpg

If the URL name is short enough, just click on the yellow box with the mountain, and copy in the URL.


hi, not to hijack, but what do you mean by "mountain"

Jan de Reus:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/d/133136-2/P1010078.jpg

ok so it's not italian, it is very 90's. btw that Pogliaghi, Rossin built. I think
Sante would roll over in his grave if he saw that paint scheme.

marty

So does that make entirely chrome restrained?
Not in my opinion.

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2401/pinnyfullretouchedgp8.jpg

i think that gianni motta is pretty sharp.

i would like to own this:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Japan/Zunow_main.htm
edit: this one not so much:
http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/Dave-Ross-collection/Zunows/1988_Lepton.jpg.html

OK, this is probably a good moment to toss in a couple of pics of my Rossin - easily my favorite bike in the stable. Handles like a dream, and is a wonderful excuse to just go bugf**k down the road. What I really love about them is that there was no attempt whatsoever to color coordinate the decals to the paint job, thus giving a whole new set of colors to match the bar tape and cable casings.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/Rossin1.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/Rossin3.jpg

I'm always on the lookout for another frame . . . . or four or five . . . . in 56-57cm size. Ability of the wallet is always the only limiting factor.

Compared to most of these, this is a restrained Italian paint job...or does 10 Speed Drive disqualify it?

http://209.190.31.210/gallery/d/155982-2/P6281967.JPG

So does that make entirely chrome restrained?

First Benotto I've ever seen that I like...

-Kurt

Compared to most of these, this is a restrained Italian paint job...or does 10 Speed Drive disqualify it?

http://209.190.31.210/gallery/d/155982-2/P6281967.JPG

HUBBA, HUBBA, HUBBA! *wolf-whistle*

Sharp, my friend! Now show me a chrome Guerciotti fork - nice or beat up - that fits my red - or blue - 60cm GLX/GL!

-Kurt

my friend has the track doppelganger of that guerciotti.

my friend has the track doppelganger of that guerciotti.

Would he like to trade for a road frame? ;)

-Kurt

haha, i doubt it. it was recently stolen from him and some vigilante justice ensued and it was returned. i think hes got a bit of an attachment to it now. ill ask next time i see him, however.

http://static.flickr.com/103/315093665_98ce36e162_o_d.jpg

(he has the original fork, too)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/99/297103893_d0f8bdcdca_o.jpg

The Motta bikes weren't quite as wild as the Rossin and Colnago, at least not yet around '84-'85. They were often pretty eye catching though.

http://www.duane.kennard.com/Motta_DK.jpg

Wow. That is beautiful.