Need some help on the old Colnago...
 

To start the story as is: got an old Colnago quite some years ago for 10 euro...
It was lying at the scrapyard and got my eyes on it and brought it home.
Now it's been hanging around for years in my barn but since I have set my mind on a challenge, I want it back on the road as it was made for that... And my challenge this year is to ride it to the top of the Galibier in France, September 1st for a good cause.

I'm going to completely take it apart and clean and buff it all up. Repaint will not be done as I want it to stay as original as found...
Now I already started searching for more information on model, year etc but can't seem to find a good point somewhere... So hopefully there are some experts on here who know...
Things that puzzle me are the different size of wheels (23 front, 22 rear?...) or is it to do with the tyres. And how can I point the year of make on this? Surely there must be a way to pinpoint that?

Ok, enough of the blabla: here are the pictures (don't mind the mess please).
If anybody wants more pictures or detailed ones, let me know

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09347.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09349.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09350.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09351.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09352.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09353.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09355.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09356.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09357.jpg

Part 2:

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09358.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09359.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09361.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09362.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09364.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09365.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09366.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09367.jpg

And part 3:


http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09368.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09369.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09370.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09371.jpg

Thanks for any comments! :thumb:

I can't believe that was in a scrap yard... Wow. The tires someone just put different size tires on it. The 22 and 23 is the width of the tires the 700c is wheel size. Just put new ones on. No big deal. Cool bike

Thanks Sloar, yeah, then never mind the question of the tires... :innocent: (probably the biggest noob mistake to make) :lol:

No problem, great looking bike, enjoy

The sound you hear is the entire C/V forum being green with envy at once.

Around '76/'77. There should be a date on the top of the rear der. it can sometimes help you with dating.

The tires are old, and different sizes just because that is what someone put on the bike when they replaced the tires. This bike will clean up nice, take your time and it will reward you.

Wow what a find... you've got a very special bike there. Take some time to learn how to properly restore this bike. Hasty bad/poorly informed decisions can lead to drastically reducing the value of what you have there. Even how you clean those components and the paint and decals should be taken carefully into consideration. It's a very, very worthwhile project so as vjp said TAKE YOUR TIME with this one. Congrats.

^ +1. Congratulations. There are many that would consider this a grail bike.

Very nice, I'll double your investment... $20? I don't know much about Colnagos but this one looks great. Good luck with your planned ride.

Wow, 10 euros? Great find.

That looks late 70's to me. Is there a date code on the derailleur or inside the crank arms?

From the looks of everything, she's a '76 or '77. Some specifics to that timeframe:

- Fork crown with clover and "Colnago", but lacking the triangular indentations on the back of the crown
- Fluted seatstay caps with no engraving
- Short Campagnolo 1010B dropouts, not drilled for Portacatena
- No chrome or simulated-chrome decal on driveside chainstay
- Over BB cable guides
- Braze-on gear lever mounts but no braze-on brake cable guides

As far as date codes on the components: we see this all the time, but it's not an accurate gauge since any component can of course be swapped out at any time (we all do it all the time here!). The crankset is not a Campy model in any case, so it may or may not have a date code.

I'll echo the suggestions above regarding restoration, too. Take your time and you'll have a really beautiful and rare gem at the end of it all. This was pretty much top-of-the-line back when it was assembled, as indicated by the plethora of pantographed components. Too bad the original crankset (probably with matching pantographed chainring) is no longer with the bike, but for 10 Euros? Wow, what a find :)

Not trying to toot my own horn, but you may want to peruse this thread - this is actually a '74 Colnago Super I restored a couple years ago:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php
/558407-1973-Colnago-Super-Restoration?highlight=

Or this one - Forum member is nearing the end of his restoration of this '74 Super:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...d-build-thread

Good luck, and ask questions/PM us - we're all about helping out :)

DD

I'm gonna guess 75/76. I believe that the "Colnago" on the fork crown came in between '75-77 (depending on who you listen to) and that the top tube guides came in around '76/77. Since yours doesn't have the tt guides, it should be '75-76 (if the timelines are correct).

Also, your decals look a bit different, but I also suppose that European market models may have been different than USA market bikes.

Whatever the case, it's a beauty! Don't do anything rash (I'm glad that you're not re-painting) and have fun! Keep us posted.

Good info, DD. I posted mine before seeing your post. Maybe '76 is a good working date.

+1

Incredible bicycle with a huge upside.

I have a Colnago Super as well that will be attended to next month.

That one will be used by my youngest son until he outgrows it.

I'll sell it then, and wow, would I love to find one like yours in my size.

Very cool.

I think I have to concur with the dating- I bought a Colnago frameset in '73 or '74, and there were some that orange color for sale there, but the decals were different- I had a friend who had an older blue Colnago, and these decals look more like that- but they all varied quite a bit. You can see it in "Breaking Away' because he's the pump weilding Italian on the Blue Colnago- about a '70 I think. Heh Heh Heh.

then I see the braze-on shifters, braze on water cage fittings- mid-70's on generally-, but still the top tube clamps and I'm thinking mid to later '70's-

Colnagos were getting very popular then and I think there were a lot made by many people all over the world- this one was made in Italy I see. The 3T bars are also a version later than the ones most of the racers from my area- Indianapolis used in the early '70's before switching to mostly Cinelli- the etched stem and fork are nice touches they started doing more of in the later '70's

is there a "Brev." and date on the top of the rear derailleur? Of course it could have been changed like the wheels. The six gears in the back didn't come along until the mid-70's but could have been changed later

Nice bike- handle with care, but I'd look into getting it cleaned up and restored- very much in demand if you follow ebay at least.

I wrapped mine around the froint end of a Chevy Impala in 1978.

Thanks all for the comments! I love how far the knowledge goes with some of you. Didn't know there was that kind of history behind a Colnago which I saved from the scrap-yard :twitchy: Glad I did.

Will start dismanteling it tonight so will surely treat you guys with more pictures :thumb:

^ Yay! More pics is always a good thing ;)

DD

With some delay: more pics!

Have done some more cleaning up and new tube on the front...
Parts are cleaning up nicely

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09544.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09545.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09546.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09547.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09548.jpg
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http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09550.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09552.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09553.jpg

And some more:

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09554.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09555.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09556.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09559.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/DSC09560.jpg

Found the "patent-76" on the back. Could this be the direction of the year it was made? :thumb:

What a great find (as you no doubt know). I am now green with envy.

This is one of the most beautiful bikes I have seen. Congratulations! That beauty would have been completely destroyed within minutes if not found by you! I'm not green with envy, because I never envy anyone, I am blue with admiration, and thankfully, that bike ended up in your hands! :-)

Flash

Beautiful bike would love to own one like this one day. Reading your story makes me wonder how anyone could ever end up with a bike like this and just toss it out as scrap. Congrats on the find can't wait to see it complete and hear what you think of the ride.