IpIp Biker

Hello,

This is my San Jose Swap Meet Bianchi Find...Gentlemen was selling different Bikes and Bike Parts..One of them was this Tired looking Steel Bianchi Celeste.. Having a Soft Spot on Celeste Bianchi's, I went for it and agreed $70.

I think its a mid to late 80s Campione D' Italia. I was excited on restoring it...but I realized that repainting the frame is probably its 1st major need: Lots of scrapes and Scratches, the Celeste finish is cracking inside the clearcoat, and the some Decals seemed peeled off.

Being a DIY avid...Properly Re-Painting a steel bike I have no real experience...Especially finding the Correct Celeste Color...Any Advise? Is It possible to find a Rattle can primer and Version of a Bianchi Celeste Color in a Spray Cans after I Scrape of the old paint bare?

Thnxs.

IpIp Biker

better pic of full bike

malcala622 

I think its safe to say a repaint isn't needed.

What you spend on a full repaint and decals will be jjust about the same cost as buying a Celeste bianchi with great paint condition.

I say leave as is and spend the money on new cables, tires etc etc whatever it may need.

2cam16

I can't really see much detail since your photos are small, but from what I see I'd just clean it up and spray on some clear coat to preserve whats left.

3speedslow

And no, there is no Bianchi Celeste in a can. Drat!

juvela

"Do you have Prince Albert in a can?"

-----

3speedslow

He sleeps with the fishes!

squirtdad

clean the heck out it and enjoy. let it wear it's experience with pride

a full repaint is a ton of work and expense. Rattle can can look really nice, but it is not at all durable. real auto paint is great but expensive

as to work/expense to do:

buy a good mask $30 to 50 at home depot

Strip frame to bare metal (chemical stripper) and rags
wipe down with acetone or paint prep (use glove )
acid etch primer
sandable primer
multiple thin coats of color (3 + )
multiple coats of clear
decals
need to pay close attention to repaint times and other details

Bianchigirll 

You have an '88 Campione de Italia. The best thing to do is strip all the parts off clean and wax the frame really well and rebuild it. Of course touching up the worst parts with a best match is a good idea too. Do a search for some suggestions on some close matches and mixing ideas.

Sadly there was something wrong in the paint shop in '88 and lots and lots of Bianchis look like that now. Same with the decals especially the name, they would come off while unpacking the bike sometimes.

Too bad the original brake blocks and holders seem to be gone.

The good news after cleaning and rebuilding it should be a fabulous rider. That Formula 2 frame rides pretty well, although those wheels may make it feel a bit harsh.

IpIp Biker

I did invest on a small bottle of Bianchi Celeste touch up Paint at Ebay .. but did not match too well.. Celeste on the Bike frame was more dull and less bright than the touch up paint.. either its the aging or from what I heard .. Bianchi made different Celeste color shades

Bianchigirll 

Both. Depending on the year, batch and other things there are lots of variations in Celeste shade and like you said there is aging and fading on you frame. Then you Mint Celest which was really lighter and Nuovo Celeste with had a bluish metallicypearlesance to it.

jon c. 

A store that sells auto paint can match any color and put it in a can. And if you match the paint as it looks now, you should get a better match than if you could find the original Celeste.

It probably wouldn't be just exactly perfect as paint matching never seems to work that way, but it would be as close as you can get.

leicanthrope

That's really interesting to hear. My 88 CdI has almost exactly the same craquelure thing going on.

T-Mar

None of which would have happened, if it had been Made in Japan.

Bianchigirll 

Yes sadly that crackling paint was spread across the line, I think and Formula 2 frame in Celeste was susceptible to it. very bad quality control that year.

It isn't as bad but my '88 Trofeo had the same issue.

feesh

I think that cracking looks very cool! But I also think old guitars with checking in the lacquer looks great.
No way I would try to "fix" that.

John E

Too bad about the late 1980s paint fiasco at Bianchi. My charcoal ("metallic Ralph Lauren brown") 1981* Campione d'Italia still looks great, as does my 1988 Schwinn mountain bike.

* -- probably a 1982 model built in Dec. 1981 --

3speedslow

My 89 CDI does not have it or maybe it's just impossible to see, it's coloured black.

machinist42

Raku.

Murray Missile 

I'll second that, it's amazing what a can of clear enamel can do for old paint and decals.

francophile 

Think of paint crackle as 'patina'. It's actually kinda nice, gives that vintage aged look.

On the touchup, get a $2 bottle of Testors flat black and flat white model paint at your local model shop or craft store (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc.) and get 3-4 basic disposable water bottle caps off water bottles you've drank, or use an upside down aluminum can, I just find water bottle caps to work extremely well.

Since your touch-up is too bright, put little bit of your touchup paint in one water bottle cap, then dab in a touch of flat black and mix. Do the same with a second and third water bottle with a touch more black with the other two to get some darkness variations. Clean your brush.

Dab each one in an inconspicuous spot in an order you'll remember cleaning the brush between dabs, then cover all three caps in that same order with cling wrap loosely. Let the paint dry for 5 minutes on the frame. See which one is a closest match, use that cap for your touch up. If none are close in color, try again.

Meanwhile, for the test dabs, if you have any PB Blaster, dab a little on a paper towel and wipe the dabs off. This will work for up to 2-3 days after with some effort, but if you do it within a couple of hours, it'll wipe off like you're wiping up a spill.

This is just the technique I use for paintmatching. As long as your paint isn't sun-scorched, you can use the same cap for every spot on the bike.

satbuilder 

If you decide to repaint, I was able to replicate Celeste for my '73. You may have to monkey around with the drop count to get the newer color.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...te-recipe.html

ddeand 

Funny how that cracking on a guitar would make it a relic snd command a premium. And from my guitar fixing days, I found you can replicate almost any color by heading to your local drug store and picking up a few bottles of fingernail polish. For a color like celeste (very similar to Fender Guitar's Surf Green), you can find a color that is very close and add white until it matches. Takes a while, but it's cheap, durable, and effective.

rjhammett

I kind of like the crackle look.
If you look at a painting by one of the old masters you will see plenty of crackling. It doesn't diminish a masterpiece. A glass half full guy.

tricky 

Another vote for the crackle looking cool. Lots of people put a lot of effort into deliberately making crackle finishes on furniture and the like. Btw, you got a screamin deal for $70. Ride the heck out of it. I actually enjoy a bike more when I don't need to worry about the finish...