ScubaSteveR

I have had this Maserati MT4 since brand new. I purchased when the bicycle shop where I was working closed in 1974. I worked there from 1973-1974 and it was on display since before I started, so I don't know the actual date of manufacture. I raced it 1974-1976
It is nothing like I've seen before or since.
It is TOTALLY Campagnolo Nuovo Record; front and rear derailleurs, brakes, hubs, cranks, pedals, seat tube, head bracket, crank cups, even drop outs and the PUMP! THE WORKS!!
It has Columbus tubing, and Cinelli bars and seat.
There are some minor paint issues and "patina" of age.
Take a look and let me know what you think

Kevindale

Cool bike! I'm curious why you're calling it a barn find? Did you put it in storage, forget about for years, and then find it again?

I'm guessing from the seat position that the frame is a little big for you. This is all I've ever seen about Maserati bikes: SEVENTIES MASERATI - INTRODUCTION

Did the bike shop owner have any info for you when you bought it? What are the dates on the cranks and RD?

randyjawa 

And you won't find too much more than that. I picked up my Maserati (the one mentioned in the quote above) years ago and, sadly, it was too small for me. Nice bicycle and certainly a bit on the unusual side...

cb400bill

Not necessarily. BITD, this was a very common set up for a bike.

ScubaSteveR

It's always been hanging in my garage, so I see it every day. I guess I used the "Barn Find" tag because I didn't know what else use.

As for it being too tall for me, I'm 6' tall and have a 33" inseam so standing flat foot I clear the top tube easily, and that was the seat post height was where it was most comfortable and efficient. My legs were almost straight out at the bottom of the pedal stroke, which is how it was figured then. May be done differently now. May also explain why I hyper extended my knees!

I don't have any more info about it's manufacture date. How do I date the parts?

Does anyone have any in put on the value?

Thanks for the interest!

KonAaron Snake 

I'd basically put a value on it at larger production Italian with NR, similar to Bottechia, Atala...500-600 and the value is in the parts. I might be on the high side and I'd never pay that. It really depends on part condition. Maserati bikes aren't really that unusual...most I've seen are on the lower end of the spectrum. I'm not sure who made them...I'd assume they're branded.

As far as dating the parts, the cranks should have a date on the inside of the arm...hubs have dates on the lock nuts, derailleur should have pat.__ on it. You can also date with characteristics sometimes... Velo base.com is great for that.

Kevindale

Yeah, I know, but in this case it looked like the seat was as about as low as it could go. In my experience that can mean the frame just barely fits, and the rider is at the limit of what would give them a good pedaling position (as seems to be the case here) or they've had to compromise because the seat post is too tall and the seat can't go any lower. This bike looks like it's at least 60 cm frame size, and maybe a bit more, which seems like it would be pushing it for a 6 footer.

In terms of dating components, are the date codes on Campagnolo hub lock nuts only on the rear nuts? I'm still waiting for my wrenches to remove the rear lock nuts on my early '80s Tommasini, but the front lock nut has no stamping.

As for dating the parts, look on the inside surface of the cranks. You should see a single digit in a diamond. If it's a '3' then the crank was made in 1973. Mine were made in 1981, so it's a '1' inside a circle. You'll also see the crank length. For the RD, look on the end of the RD body where the shifter wire enters. You should see a 'Pat. xx' for the date. You can google image search to see what the lock nut date looks like. As I mentioned above, I think it might only be on the rear hub lock nut.

randyjawa 

Look at the top of the rear derailleur. The date should be stamped there...



However, be forewarned. There seems to be a lot of 1972 Campy NR transmissions fitted to later made bicycles. Had a few come through The Old Shed, over the years.

DMC707

YEs,but is patent date the same as manufacture date for these? I have Colt firearms made in the 1970's that are still marked with an 1873 patent date

juvela

This marque seems to have only been about for a one to two years. Have never known the identity of the contract builder.

There was a "show model" one level above this which was taken 'round to exhibits of all sorts. It was heavily pantographed and featured drilled dropouts, cutout shell and special paint finish.

Also right around this same time were Bugatti badged machines. Took in a pair of them in the late seventies which had been purchased at Pike Place Market in Seattle ~1973. Never knew identity of contract builder in that case either.

ramzilla

I'd think that you could get at least $500 for that. Probably more from the right buyer.

rootboy 

Campagnolo changed the date with each year of manufacture. But that doesn't mean the date on the derailleur is the same as the year the bike was made. Some bikes made in 1975, for instance, showed up with Pat 73 derailleurs, etc.

tommasinisun

i have a frame, see pic.

tommasinisun

not sure if the sticker, columbus sl, is a true representation of the frame. bought it in california.

machinist42

Nice bike!

I'd like to see more pics, especially of construction details such as the underside of the bottom bracket, stay finishes at the rear dropouts, both inside and out, reinforcements for seat and chainstay bridges, lugwork at the head tube and anything else I may have neglected to mention, or that you find interesting about the build?

I'm trying to suss out the maker.

(It's a rabbit hole I've gone down. It's what I do? I'm not late, though, for any important date...)

tommasinisun

Thanks a lot for checking it out. New to cycling, I really do not know anything about the frame. Told that it has a French BB. Here are some pics that could help.

tommasinisun

Tried to send pics, but had some troubles.

tommasinisun

one at a time.

tommasinisun

successfully sent 2 actually. this time I will try 3.

tommasinisun

Additional information. Both rear dropout and the fork dropout are marked Campagnolo, in small prints though.

tommasinisun

I searched online and found this dropout similar or the same.

T-Mar

The Columbus decal is definitely incorrect for the frame. It's the post 1987 style while the frame is circa 1973-1977 based on the long dropouts without the spring hole. It's also an SLX/SPX or TSX decal, as opposed to SL, neither of which were available in the mid-1970s. The frame itself is likely SL based on the size and Campagnolo dropouts. However, to be sure, you should verify the seat post diameter and presence of a Columbus steerer tube on the fork.

I strongly suspect that many of fittings, such as the shift lever bosses, top tube cable tunnels and water bottle bosses are later additions.

tommasinisun

It is a new decal for Columbus SL, style definitely wrong. Did Columbus have SL in the mid 70s? I measured the seat post diameter, little over 26mm. I do not have tools to take off the fork now. I truly admire your insight and thanks!!!

T-Mar

Given that it has a red border, it shouldn't even be SL. if it says SL then whomever reproduced them made a mistake. SL used a blue border and even that only started in 1978.

In the mid-1970s, Columbus had five tubesets, including SL. However, all five used a common decal. Attached is an image of this decal, circa 1973-1975. Earlier and later versions were slightly different, with the major difference being only one wing on the bird in earlier version and the bird being white in later version. The decals with the wide border containing the Columbus name were introduced in 1978.

Slightly over 26mm is far too small for Columbus SL which typically used 27.2mm. However, this size is typical of Falck, an Italian tubeset that was popular on mid-range Italian bicycles of the period. Another possibility would be Tullio, but this tubeset appears to have been restricted Rizatto and this is not one of therir frames, based on the serial number.

BTW, you do not necessarily have to remove the fork to determine if it has a Columbus steerer tube. Just remove the front wheel and look inside the bottom. A Columbus steerer will have five helical ridges (see photo). However, sometimes these can be hard to detect as they are narrow (3.5mm) and thin (0.35mm). Once corrosion has set in, they can be extremely difficult to see and it is often easier to remove the fork and check for the dove logo on the outside of the steerer tube.

machinist42

Pardon my effrontery, but I humbly take exception. I'm fairly certain this example is not a respray and appears to have original water bottle and downtube shifter bosses.





Source.

I realize braze on water bottle and downtube shifters were not the norm in the early '70's, but such a high percentage of these high-end low-numbered Maserati have them, I find it less plausible that all of them had these features added later.

Mine has two sets of water bottle braze-ons, and the through-tube cable routing reinforcement is entirely consistent with the reinforcements at the brake and seat tube stay bridges. There are a few chips in the paint throughout the frame, revealing a former rather nasty green, which I believe was the "popular" racing green of the period, and chroming underneath. The fork, (with a cute little Columbus dove), is fully chromed. Both the downtube and water bottle bosses, and the throughtube cable routing reinforcements, exhibit precisely the same layering in the tiny chipping that is present. I doubt the frame was stripped, bosses and routing added, then chromed, then painted nasty green, then repainted again?