Classic & Vintage - Chromed Bike Frame Question

This arrived yesterday from Europe, early 70's Italian frame, obviously handbuilt, nice thinned lugwork and painted cutouts..inside bb mitered and filed..looks like a well built frame by an small, unknown builder(?)
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ebay description

San Marco in Treviso Complete Chrome 53cm ctc Track Frame No Drilled! Italian Threading Lugged and Lovely!
Lovely track lugged frame, Columbus tubing. Early 70s team Track frame, used only on the velodrom has never been on the streets. The fork crown and seat lug are pantographed in the framename.
The painting is quite unique, the frame is completly in chrome, and has a thing transperante red blood over the main tubing, lugs have been detailed in white. This frame is quite special and really stands out in the sun!
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ok here's what I need to know...I have never had a fully chromed frame before, this is chromed with a blood red translucent over the chrome...I had seen theis rarely on several frames before..the red glows in the sunlight..

I am amazed at the conditon of the chrome..almost nos and just a few minor chips on the underside of the bb and downtube...

those of you who have experience with chromed bikes, what is the proper way to clean and preserve the finish..mothers/meguires chrome clearner with a good carnuba wax???

any help appreciated

The finish is called cromovelto (sp?). Transluscent paint over chrome. Just keep it waxed. Any auto paste wax is fine.

If the chrome is fine now, no bubbles underneath, or flaking, that means it was done correctly and was well cared for.

Assuming you don't ride in bad weather and store in a dry space it should keep on keeping on.

The finish is called cromovelto (sp?). Transluscent paint over chrome. Just keep it waxed. Any auto paste wax is fine.

If the chrome is fine now, no bubbles underneath, or flaking, that means it was done correctly and was well cared for.

Assuming you don't ride in bad weather and store in a dry space it should keep on keeping on.

I remember reading about cromovelo here awhile ago on one of the bf threads..
I'll do a search for it(couldn't remember the term)
no bubbles, just a little flaking on the top of the fork crown and from what the seller told me very well taken care of and never outside of the velodrome...

so bottom line I just go ahead and do what I do to all myf rames when I first get them...

1) strip everything off
2)clean insidespaces with mineral spirits
3)clean with toothbrush with simple green

4)clean with meguires cleaner
5)polish with meguires polish
6)polish x2 with premium carnuba

put everything back, ride sweet lovin hell out of it.....

... so bottom line I just go ahead and do what I do to all myf rames when I first get them...

1) strip everything off
2)clean insidespaces with mineral spirits
3)clean with toothbrush with simple green

4)clean with meguires cleaner
5)polish with meguires polish
6)polish x2 with premium carnuba

put everything back, ride sweet lovin hell out of it.....
Yes, that should do it!
I might do step 2 OR step 3, but not both.

thanks dr.deltron, hey can you tell me what this process is called? I tried a search for the
chromovelo..nothing..I remember seeing the Italian name for the process awhile ago on some thread.... IIRC chromo?????

also would the entire frame be clearcoated or just the translucent red part? or did they even clearcoat it...

A Real Good Looker !

A Real Good Looker !
+1! ^

And I'm not familiar with the chromovelo process per sae, but translucent red sounds about right.
If it were transparent red, it's common name would be "candy apple" red.
And you get better adhesion if you powdercoat those types of colors over the chrome, rather than "wet" paint.
Wet paint requires a primer for adhesion, negating the translucent/transparent effects.
It may have been wet painted originally, which mens it will likely chip pretty easily.
If it doesn't chip easily, then it may have been powdercoated.
Or a special translucent paint with an adhesion promoter added.

To touch-up a color like that, your best bet is going to be fingernail polish. :p

And that Marco reminds me of my first Italian bike, a Bianchi. I wasn't much for Celeste #227, so I stripped that off and found a fully chromed frame. Only the lugs had been polished though, and left exposed.
So I masked off the lugs and rattlecanned some candy red on it. Added some black graphic dry-transfer letters and sprayed more candy red to hold them in place. The candy red doesn't show over the black letters.

I was often complimented on my nice "Vitus"! :p

(Vitus 979's were a popular anodized/bonded aluminum frame of that era)
and that's what my Bianchi looked like.
(and it still does, as I saw it a few months ago) ... :eek:
I Painted it back in what? ... 1981!
:D

thanks again doc, your A number 1