Bikingfool

Think back to the mid 80's. You walk in a bike shop and see one of the most beautiful bike on the floor, not a scratch, paint glistening, chrome so shiny you could use it as a mirror. You buy it and ride it the first day and say "Ok, see you in twenty years" and lock her away. You come across her one day while cleaning out the basement and say "Eh why do I have you" and you throw her out on Craigslist. I doubt any of you would have done it but the guy I bought this from did and now she's mine, mine, ALL MINE!!!!

Bikingfool

More photos, once I started, I couldn't stop..... Just a few things I need to do to perfect this beauty, replace the stickers, touchup the few nicks, and replace the right peddle. The left one is perfect.

unterhausen

not blue, forget it.

Nice looking bike in amazing condition. To tell you the truth, I almost regret a bike like this more than one that has been ridden to death. Such a nice bike and never realized its potential. On edit: pretty amazing wear on that pedal considering the condition of the rest of the bike. Somebody raced it most likely.

Bikingfool

Oh, and I have to take a Q tip and clean the 20 years of dust that found it's way on the oily parts.

Bikingfool

Nope, the original owner rode it for only 20 miles. He must have taken a few sharp right turns on the mean streets of Dearborn.

ricohman

Beauty!
I have a few time machines myself.
I have always wished for a "time warp machine" thread myself. Maybe I should start one.
Only for unaltered NOS or nearly NOS rides.

Bikingfool

Sounds like a good idea. How do you go about doing that?

vjp

Great!!

I have repaired a tear like you have your brake hood with crazy glue. I put a few drops on a piece of tin foil and then dip a pin in it and while carefully lifting up the edge of the tear coat it lightly with the glue at the tip of the pin. Carefully align the edges and press together.

You can get repro decals from Cyclomondo on EBAY.

I bet he rode it 20 miles and wiped out on it while strapped in and never rode it again. That would explain the pedal and the decal on that side. Shame, but good for you!

vjp

Dawes-man

Maybe evidence that the rider scared himself to death and decided riding wasn't for him...

Bikingfool

Didn't you hear, burgundy is the best color to bring out passion. Don't you watch HGTV?

By the way, what's the best way to take off the old decals without ruining the paint?

retyred

Beautiful bike! How did you find it? Is there a story behind the
purchase?


I reread your OP and saw the CL part. However I'd sell a kidney before I sold that stunner!

Ronsonic 

Please try to catch it up to the miles it should have by now.

Bikingfool

Got it off Craigslist here in Detroit. I purchased it off the original owner who must have thought biking was going to be fun but after 20 mile he put it away never to touch it again.
He didn't tell me why but vjp and Dawes-man probably hit it right, he got scared after taking a corner too fast by the evidence of the badly scraped right brake plastic cap.
I'm sure he would have started again but he had other toys to play with as well, like a 69 Camero Z28 and a speedboat so biking was probably low on his list.
Anyway, I got her now!

frpax

My Basso was like this. The off-white Campy derailleur jockey wheels were still off-white. Dry rotted tires and a bit of rust pitting were the only things.

The Guerciotti is absolutely beautiful.

Charles Wahl

That G has to be about the same vintage as the frame I have. Mine is also a TSD import, and it's got a robust clearcoat on it -- which is too bad, because the top tube has a pair of large "Campagnolo equipped" decals, one of which is peeling off. But they're under the clearcoat, and removing them leaves a sort of unsightly place. OTOH, your downtube graphics look like they might peel right off. Try some mineral spirits (on the underside of BB first) and work slowly.

BF member JRrestore was cooking up a set of Guerciotti decals for someone else here -- I know that I sent him photos of mine to develop them from. However, he doesn't list them on his website (yet?)
https://www.velocals.com/servlet/StoreFront
You can email him at wandson1ATmsnDOTcom

Greg Softley in OZ (eBay seller cyclomondo) also has a Guerciotti set.

Is it an SLX tubeset? With the chromed stays, I imagine so. Great find, of course.

Ex Pres 

The jrrestore decals were for mine, and they look great. Someday I'll get some good sunny day pics up, but I try to ride every weekend that it doesn't rain. Unfortunately, I keep getting caught in the rain, too, so the bike's kinda dirty.

And Bfool, I'd love some of those as higher res pics for my collection of Guerc pics. Someday, maybe someday, way off in the future, maybe a website.

cyclotoine

I have the opposite feeling. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to ride it.

I did the same thing to my nearly perfect pedal doing an in action photo shoot hammering out of a corner too soon. ARGG!

Rod Arnold

My Guerciotti came with the same goddawful rubbery "tubulars" with the side lips. Not Clement's best effort. Hopefully you'll ride it enough to justify replacing those with some real tubulars.

prettyshady

Such a nice bike, and thank you for the photos

Bikingfool

Any suggestions on what tubulars I should but on?

Rod Arnold

Just about anything, as long as you don't go real low end (and negate the advantages of tubulars).
My old Guerciotti has remained tubular because I built so many wheels over the years, and didn't want to scrap them. I've run lots of tires in that time, and none stood out as being really bad or really good. But Continental Sprinters have been my favorite in recent years because they are supple, somewhat durable, and not really expensive.
There's nothing wrong with running the Clements that are on the bike; just reglue them and go. But you will notice a difference with good tubulars.

Bikingfool

Not a problem with getting you some pics. I'm a part time photographer and was planning on doing a full blown layout of this beauty after I get the little things taken care of. I'll tag you so we can keep in touch.

JML

That's quite a find!

My bike is from the same era, with the same parts -- and I think that final version of the Campy SR brakeset is the best looking, ever. But replace the pads with Koolstop pads, or you'll never stop!

robtown

Are you going to make our misery complete and tell us what pittance you paid for her?

BTW - sweet bike!

Bikingfool

The guy was asking $700. I figured I could probably get him to drop a hundred, but when I saw it, I didn't hesitate a second and gave him the full amount. He felt good getting what he wanted and I felt great getting a "Mona Lisa".