Need help restoring an old Coppi
 

This bike was purchased by my father back in the early 70's when he was in high school. My parents are moving and since he recently had a hip replacement and this bike hasn't been ridden in 20 years, I decided to get it back in riding shape. I've been wanting a road bike for a couple of months now and this thing seems to be a nice example.

It says "Tour De France" on the frame, I'm thinking this is a model? So far I've had the tires/tubes replaced and the wheels trued. I am replacing the brakes with something cheaper to last me just so I can ride it. I plan to do the cables/chain next and then start saving for paint. Also, anyone know where I can find a set of OEM stickers for this?

Thanks in advance guys. I'm a huge bike noob so any help is appreciated :thumb:

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20050.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20052.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20053.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20054.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20059.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20060.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20061.JPG

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20062.JPG

I think this bike is older, maybe mid sixties. Personally, I'd clean it thouroughly, but I'd leave it as original as possible. The brakes will work well with new pads. All the cables can be replaced, and regrease EVERYTHING. I'd touch up the paint as good as possible, but I wouldn't repaint it.
I believe this model used seamless stainless tubing. Get some copper wool pads, and polish up the steel parts with lots of hot water and soap.
It's not the most high quality bike they made, but it is probably a good riding bike. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE A FIXIE OUT OF IT!!!!!

Nice. Balilla brakes come up on ebay often. Universal center or sidepull brakes would be period as well. Clean it up, replace the cables and you're ready to ride. Hard not to like a red Italian bike.

It may be, I have yet to ask my dad when exactly he got it. I know it was early 70's at the absolute latest.

The front brake caliper is broken (4th pic down) so it HAS to be replaced. It needs paint pretty badly, it is not something that I would do myself I plan to have it done by someone who actually paints bike frames regularly (just gotta find that someone :p).

I am not going to make a fixie, I'm no hipster. I just want something that I can ride until I have the money to get my own bike and retire this (and at that point repaint this). This bike will never be sold, I just want it to be in as good of shape as when my father purchased it (more for him than for me to be honest). I know that this bike has a lot of sentimental value to him so I won't be ****ing it up.

Found a set on ebay, but they are a little expensive (90 + shipping). I'm a college student, so for now this needs to be done on as tight of a budget as possible. I'm probably going to just pick up the cheapest thing I can for now. I just want to ride this thing.

Straight from my father: "It was over $200 in 1972 when your poppa bought it for me to use at university"

I suppose it may still be an older model, but it was purchased in the 70's.

Cool bike!

That is a real time capsule of early boom era 10-speed technology.

Thanks :thumb:

Can you tell me anything about it? I'm having a hell of a time locating any info on these bikes.

Those rear dropouts are Campagnolo--that's a good thing.

What does that round decal on the seat tube say?

Not much, Many multiple tour winners lent their names to a bike brand, Coppi being no exception. It appears to be all Italian, and by the top tube cable clamps and derrailleurs, of mid-late 60's era.

Here is a link to an a BF post about a Coppi bike I have of close / similar vintage. I hope the information helps if you haven't seen it it already.

Looks like pretty much everything on it is Campy except the brakes.

I'll take a picture of the decal in just a few minutes.

So how do I find out who actually made this bike?

Thanks for the info, I'll check it out :thumb:

They were made by Fiorelli. And that one looks right for an early 70's model to me. The mid level bikes from this time use a lot of the trickle down (up?) parts from the 60's and earlier and the style blurs a bit.

But I've had some Mondials and other Italian production bikes from around 1970 that had a very similar cache of parts. Your bike is nice in that it has forged Campagnolo drop-outs. So it may be a frame that was shared across a few models, the more expensive ones being Nuovo Record equipped?

Anyway NR would be a good upgrade for yours. Although I do like the look of the crank on you bike. The rounded profile of the arms is much nicer than the usual cottered cranks from this period.

If money is tight just clean and overhaul what's there. It's a nice one.

My thoughts are that this bike is all original, which only happens pnce. If you can clean it up and make a ridable bike just as it is, you will be preserving a moment in time for some future bike enthusiast/s. You know, I think I have some Barilla brakes around here.

If he doesn't I do.
The gaspipe Coppis always remind me of the gaspipe Atalas, and I have one of each out in the barn.
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Nice bike! I have a Coppi that is from a few years later, but it got quite rusty when I lived in Hermosa Beach CA, so I had it repainted. That was probably a big mistake.

Mine had Nervar cotterless cranks, and has Columbus tubing. The model was "Campionissimo", which was the top-of-the-line Coppi model, I think. Mine had Unversal centerpulls, Campy NR deraillers front and rear, and a few other Campy bits.

I agree with the others, you should definitely try to keep this bike as original as possible.

I'd strip every single part and piece off that bike. Degrease-Clean-Repeat as many times until everything looks good. Take some fine steel wool to the rust. Get some new hoods for those brakes. Touch up paint...ride.

New cables were put on this weekend Tires/tubes replaced, wheels trued, tore it all the way down and cleaned/degreased it, then put it back together.

need to order a new brake caliper, waiting on new hoods and cable clamps, then going to order grip tape. Done with bike parts for the year after that, stuff gets expensive :(
Before cables:

Bike as a whole
http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20019.JPG

After spending some time cleaning up the frame
http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20020.JPG

New tires, 700x25c Vittoria Rubino's
http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20021.JPG

Wheel logos
http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/fil...ture%20022.JPG

Yes, overhaul it, but be very careful with the crankset and the BB. There aren't any new replacements AFAIK, so if something goes haywire you need an entire new crank. I'd start by overhauling all of it BUT the crankset, not even loosening the cotter pin bolts. If it has toasty bearings, you'll be able to tell after the rest of it is smooth and clean-running.

Those brakes are fine, even with teh dead rubber hoods The shop I worked in sold entry level Fiorellis, made in the same plant as that bike. We loved the Balilla brakes. Not the prettiest, but they worked well. They do need new pads. You can give some business to your LBS to get some new pads to put into those brake shoes, or get some new old-style brake shoes.

The frame tubing is NOT stainless. If the paint is breached, it will rust. It's also not high-end tubing. These bikes usually ride real well once the bearings are all clean, wheels trued, and sized up for you.

I have a similar frame in silver, bad chrome. Got a couple decals from a guy in Italy on ebay, but might have to make the rest...

The levers look like Univeral's. Hoods will be a challenge to find. There is a set on Ebay at the moment. Expect high price. An option is to wrap them in bar tape like the early years.

Hubs look like Camp Tipo.
Pedals look like Layotard
Pump is a Silca - parts are available. Worth keeping and making serviceable.

Nice clean=up so far. I just noticed you have a broken brake caliper. THAT"S why you keep talking about buying brakes.

At least someone gets it :thumb:

Found hoods already, just waiting on them to arrive. I am planning to keep the pump, but I doubt it will go on the bike.

Yes, I realize this. I shot a coat of some clear primer over the areas I worked on so it won't rust.

Bike rides great, the wheels were trued and the fork bearings have been replaced. The guy at the LBS said I can wait until next year to mess around with the crank bearings since they are still in good working order. Also, I am almost the exact size that my father was when he bought the bike (he was about my age at that point), so I fit it very well as is. May make a couple changes though.

With cables on, after a quick ride

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/files/1607/resize1.JPG

I still have my 1971 Coppi, bought while in college, with Campy NR, Columbus tubing, and great picture of Fausto on the head tube. Have fun with yours, Mark