Classic & Vintage - polishing Wlier copper frame?

I just picked up a Wilier Triestina from the 1980s with the gioiello ramato copper finish. The frame is beautiful but I think that a good polish will really bring out the copper shine. Does anyone have a recommendation on a polish or cleaning approach? Thanks.

is it a transparent lacquer over chrome (copper colored) or really truly a copper plating? I am pretty sure I've seen the former on Williers, and if so I would not take anything abrasive to it. If it's the latter, and it isn't clear-coated (with probably a clear lacquer if anything) then by all means polish it with a non-abrasive polish (something like Autosol or Happich) and then apply a good auto paste wax.

I believe it is copper lacquer laid over the chrome. Any suggestion on a non-abrasive cleaner and polish? Thanks.

I'd go with WD-40 on cloth rags to clean, then a NON-CLEANER (no abrasives) paste wax to protect, I use Mother's carnuba wax, but it's a little hard to find.

The term you're looking for is Chromovelato. And I would just clean it and wax it.
Oh yeah... TTIWWP (This Thread Is Worthless Without Pics)
-Gene

can we see please?

+1 WD-40 and this wax. Any decent motorcycle shop will have it. Great stuff.

163827

Thanks for the replies. The frame is in really nice shape, save for a small scratch on the downtube and 1/2 x 1/2 inch paint flake under the top tube where the bike must have been hanging on the wall. The rest are smudges I just need to clean. The bike otherwise looks as if it was seldom ridden. Dura ace rear and front and seat post, record hubs, campy cranks, headset, brakes, hood, pedals and clips. Mavic MA 40 wheels. It's a bit big for me, so I'm not sure if I will hold on to it, but it was just so beautiful I couldn't pass it up. Here are some pictures:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4873554750_fbbb615edc_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4873556002_511947b356_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4873555162_b1d061ac47.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4873557370_7d97ed2059_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4872946833_cea4c8b1e7_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4873558452_499335759c_z.jpg

I've been wanting one of those ever since I saw this two years ago:

http://velosniper.blogspot.com/2008/12/vintage-wilier-triestina-road-and-track.html

Score!

Interesting, in the photos of that 1986 the cables are not interior routed. I would love to be able to date this bike more precisely. Any ideas?

looks great! just a couple mods away from something really, really special *cough*seat/stem/hoods/wrap/tires*cough*

nice!

I do believe I've found my grail bike...

Not copper plating, but chromovelato lacquer, as the others have said. Treat it as you would any other paint.

-Kurt

The term you're looking for is Chromovelato. And I would just clean it and wax it.
Oh yeah... TTIWWP (This Thread Is Worthless Without Pics)
-Gene


Not copper plating, but chromovelato lacquer, as the others have said. Treat it as you would any other paint.

-Kurt

In Italian it is actually cromovelato without the "H". The cromovelato finish is more delicate than "paint" but the chrome underneath is generally better protected than chrome on other bikes so it last better.

If somebody is looking for a super nice cromovelato bike, I can set you up with one of my friends in Italy who has this bike: http://velospace.org/node/20088

Ah. I wasn't sure if it had the H or not, but felt it was a safer bet to include it. Thanks for that correction.
-Gene-

Ah. I wasn't sure if it had the H or not, but felt it was a safer bet to include it. Thanks for that correction.
-Gene-

Italian lesson of the day: You only use the letter "H" after the letters "C" or "G" if you want to make a soft-sounding vowel, which are exclusively the letters "E" and "I", to be hard sounding. That is why Spaghetti has the letter "H" otherwise it would need to be pronounced spa-jet-ti. This is also why the Italian brand name Chicco is pronounced Keyck-ko (two hard sounding syllables, one with "H" the other without). The translation of "who" in Italian is "Chi" which is pronounced like what you put in a lock, key. A cheetah in Italian is a ghepardo which is a hard "G" pronounced Gay-par-do, if written without the "H" it would become jeh-par-do.

Awesome. I'll definitely remember that.
-Gene-

GOOO. Beautiful bike but ditch the stem!