1962 (?) Bianchi "Campione del Mondo"
 

Recently purchased what I believe to be a 1962 Bianchi "Campione del Mondo."

Images here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hudson...57678013407245

Not a lot to go on here so far as dating is concerned. All of the original components long ago replaced with early 70s "upgrades."

A couple of questions for the Bianchi cognoscenti-

Repaint with repro decals, or leave rough with abundance of patina?
Who is the go-to painter with an understanding of the older celeste colors?

What would be an appropriate selection of components to bring it back to life?
A couple of thousand and a decade of searching might yield the correct pile of Bianchi marked components.
The correct fender set is unobtanium...
I think that the last year or so of the "Campione del Mondo" model run was set up with first generation Campagnolo "Record" components- maybe easier to find, but oh so dear. 1K for a used crank set!

Anything that I am overlooking that would help nail ID and date of manufacture?

Thanks for looking.

Pic assist
https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/302/30...b30a9f6a_b.jpg[url=https://flic.kr/p/P7Dpjc]

Pic assist
 

Thanks!
Eventually I will re-learn how this is done.

The seat cluster respray really shouts repair. Otherwise the situation with resprays is that with fresh paint, anything less than fresh parts looks odd.

What makes you believe it is a Campione d M? The decal on the downtube? That decal was pretty much standard on all models. I would start my investigation by checking the seatpost diameter and the headset origin. What to hope for is seatpost 27 - 27,2 mm and/or the headset races has <C> marking. Then it is one of the top models and we get a little closer in identifying it.

Bianchi Specialissima and Gran Sport headsets

It has chrome dropouts. Good thing in the hierarchy. It has no oilport on the back of the headtube - which it normally should have if being a Specialissima. But there are CdM: s and Competizione: s that have it too at (rare) times. The serial number position puzzles me a bit. Top models did not start with a divided serial (both sides of seat lug) until later - to my knowledge.

Start with the easy part - seat post diameter.

What is the full serial number? In the statistically insignificant sample size of the two Bianchis I have owned, the first digit of the S/N was the last digit of the year of manufacture (1962, bottom-of-the-line Corsa model and 1981, upper-middle Campione d'Italia model).

More details...
 

Seatpost diameter: 27mm

SN: 270 007

There is evidence of brazing where the seat stay cap meets the seat lug on the non-drive side- no doubt the reason for the black re-spray.

It will be a couple of days before I have time to disassemble the bike and get at the headset.
Looks like I will have to make a special 2 pin tool to work on the headset.

I considered that the "Campione del Mondo" decal was a bragging rights decal used on more than 1 model post 1953-
now I am seeing photographic evidence to support that.

I think it would be more like a late 50's CDM.

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Headset ball size may be 1/8" rather than the more commonly seen 5/32".

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Headset tool found
 

Found a VAR #13 from an eBay seller not 10 miles from home.
Hopefully it will arrive in time to get into the headset over the holiday break.

At a much later date, Ed Litton was the Bianchi distributor pair repair guy.

Interesting project you have there over the Christmas hiatus.

Like how you have the multiple frames hanging in your shop. May your part bins be overflowing !

Look forward to progress on this Bianchi, whatever it turns out to be.

That's a tough one. The black is ugly, and unfortunate. But I think if it were mine I'd be tempted to leave the bike just as it sits.
Unless I had a grand, or more, burning a hole in my pocket to add to it.

True that. He still has a relationship with Bianchi (they had him check out some of their new steel offerings a few years ago when they were having issues with them). Ed is pretty much a walking encyclopedia on the subject of Reparto Corse Bianchis he ID'd and repainted my 1961 Competizione. He is a very good painter with a good stock of old Bianchi decals, and a nice guy who is very happy to share knowledge. I have every confidence he can tell what is up with the seat cluster. In short, he can take care of you. And he's just down the road from from you (Pt. Richmond - just the other side of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, very close to I-580).

Ed's work, both frame repair and frame painting, is first rate. Do take his time estimates with several grains of salt if you have him do any work on it. But if you can be patient, you will be pleased with the results.

Yes, Ed's weeks are your months.

I had one idea to paint that area the same Blue as seen on the accent color of the fork.
Shaping the transition to mimic a lug shoreline.

This is one that to decide you have to see in person.

That's being generous....

Thanks all-

I'll contact Ed Litton...I've been meaning to meet him anyway

+1 :thumb: