Little Darwin

Well, I won the auction for Huffy and Campagnolo bikes. The huffy was toast, and has been properly disposed of.

The Campagnolo... Well, while not diasppointed, I am not ecstatic, it is not the mint gem I had wished for... but it is interesting.

It is a bike that used to be a nice bike, then it wasn't, and now it will be nice again... at least in parts.

Some of the low-lights... lots of rust, including the steel rims, a plastic seat, that may have always been plastic, some substitute cable clamps, including electrical tape and a hose clamp.

The positives..... It does have some salvageable Campy components and/or parts for other components... including a Nuovo Record RD...

The color is blue, although it looks like it used to be a lighter blue.

No labels to identify it, but it is a nice lugged steel frame... 62cm seat tube, 59 cm top tube (both c-c) and a standover of about 34" on flat tires.

Let me know if more pictures will help the identification process... I do need to still get a shot of the drop outs and the serial number (if any).

Oh, and it is a 12 speed, but not in the way you would think... check the rear cluster!

Any ideas?

Little Darwin

More pics

Little Darwin

Can't find a serial number, but Campy dropouts, and the paint started flaking, so I did a little scraping and found a clue...

cyclotoine

Wow it looks like a pretty nice bike. Nouvo Record RD, FR, Brake levers and calipers, Pedals and seatpost, with a very cool TA crankset (which if I am not mistaken is a desireable item). The frame actually looks pretty nice (my size too - of you want to get rid of it PM me). And I will venture a guess and say it looks british to me.

EDIT: FD might be gran sport, I don't know need someone who knows more.

Little Darwin

One more hint... The downtube, once I scrape the rattle can paint says CORKY.

I don't find much when I search.

Anyone think this could be a frame built by Corky Gulbranson referred to in an article on Richard Sach's site?

https://www.richardsachs.com/articles/rsachsmadeusa.html

I just sent email to Mr. Sachs to see if he could help.

unworthy1

HUH! Gotta love a mystery! I have never seen that horse-fish decal on anything before, is that a mythological seahorse? Given the clues I CAN ID, this was a quality frame, with some quality parts, that was subjected to horrible rust-abuse, and some crappy replacement wheels. What a shame there's so much rust, but a lot will be salvagable. British is as good a guess as any, it has that "continental" look with the long point cut-out lugs, but a smart Vagner fork crown and classic rear cluster, I'd guess a British builder near the coast...sea-horse on a crusader's shield...but hopefully someone will know it from that decal. 27.2 seatpost means quality DB tubing, look for a date on the Campy RD. Funny it has a TA triple but it ain't a touring frame...GREAT FIND!

cudak888 

Just checked one of my Campag. catalouges (anyone have a No. 17 to spare?), and I'm pretty sure it is. Odd that it's not NR.

-Kurt

sunofsand

That bike is my Dremel Wonderland.
I'd love an entire project bike like that.


So, the good news is that if you take the time you can turn that bike into a real looker.
Or, you could just clean it up a bit and ride it as a beater.

sunofsand

Looks NR to me

cudak888 

Didn't NR have stamped openings in the right-hand cage plate? Or was that Record?

-Kurt

sunofsand

As far as I know
the outer cage plate had no holes in either GS or early Record and only featured the sun insignia

This has a short clamping body with no cable guide which is NR
I dont think NR ever had a cable housing stop but I could be wrong
(One derailleur -either Record or early NR- had a cable stop with screw assembly on the arms instead of the simpler design where the arms just pushed on and held by tension from the spring arm.)
Gran Sport had the weird mechanism
This is the only Gran Sport styling I know of
https://cgi.ebay.com/1960s-Campagnolo...QQcmdZViewItem


early Record/original Record I have seen mislabeled as Gran Sport but is the first of the parallelogram's
The one with chrome covered brass
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1


I could be wrong
Campy should be an elective in high school

cudak888 

The original G.S. front mechs from the '50s were rod-operated, but I was referring to the later Nuovo Gran Sport front derailers (not to be confused with the very similar [to the original G.S.] rod-operated derailer used in some of the Valentino gruppo, and if I'm not mistaken, Gran Turismo).

I have an un-dated post-'82 Campy catalogue (incomplete - nothing but pages stapled together) here, I see foe following:

Record front changer (four holes in side plate, no peak in derailer body hinge)
[Nuovo] Gran Sport front changer (World logo, solid cage, "peak" in derailer body hinge)
...and this puzzler, considering the Valentino gruppo is supposed to have a rod-operated FD:
Nuovo Valentino front changer (Winged logo, solid cage, "peak" in derailer body hinge)

Funny thing though, I recall Stan's avitar of his Paramount to show a NR front changer minus any holes upon the side. I stand corrected, but it opens up another question: Where does the Record FD from the catalogue I mentioned fall into place?

-Kurt

pastorbobnlnh 

Do any of these pictures help? These are the two that came with my '66 Paramount before I cleaned them. There are slight differences. I believe the one in the back is the same as Darwin's. I'm sorry they are a mess in these pictures. They now qualify as bicycle bling, but I couldn't find a picture from after I cleaned them.

Little Darwin

Is there a quota limit per thread for images?

I have a pic of the logo on the FD if anyone wants it. I think it is the "sun" logo.

Campagnolo script with globe and rays.

The FD cable wasn't hooked up. Instead of replacing the cable, the last rider adjusted the lower limit screw to keep the chain on the big ring.

Little Darwin

I love it when things come together...

Received from Mr. Sachs: yes - harold g made corky brand frames.

Then after searching I found a site that mentions Corky...

It says he was the best builder in New York in the 60's and 70's, and that the graphics for some were designed by Mark Lobit who won two national championships and who also trained with Corky's son. He always rode Corkys.

https://centerportcycles.com/pages/sc...rapbook02.html

I am emailing to see if he can tell me anything.

cudak888 

Looks like you didn't get such a bad deal after all, frame dent and all.

-Kurt

Little Darwin

I deleted a picture of the barcon earlier in the thread to post this picture.

I will probably be working a trade for the frame with Cyclotoine...

Good news for him... I found this!

ga_mueller

What a cool thread! It's a modern-day archaeological dig!

Scooper

Darwin, I'm envious. You paid a pittance for a beautiful lugged 531 frame built by one of the best U.S. framebuilders at the time and equipped with Campy components.

I think I'd be inclined to attempt a first class restoration.

Congratulations.

I LOVE threads like this...

Little Darwin

Pretty much all of the Campy components are in the mail now, destined to be cleaned, polished and used... That is the key to what I wanted. Did the recipient get a good deal? I think so, but he is also getting a lot of work.

If the bike had been my size, I might have been tempted to keep it, but as it is, I really just hope to share the wealth. And maybe get a donation or two for my LiveStrong ride, maybe a small biking something for myself... and recover what I spent.

I will be getting at least one piece of Campy bling on my Sears bike... so I am happy. I may also put on the Cyclotouriste (and BB?) for the lower gearing.

BTW - can someone point me to a clamp on cable guide or other device to use with a bottom pull derailleur on a bike that doesn't have something?

cudak888 

Top tube, seat lug and head tube replacement + stay brazing by framebuilder: $300,
Paint job, one color, non-candy (Gary Cole prices): $190-200,
Outfitting that thing with decent components once again: $250,

The value of your hard efforts after all of this? The cost of a nice, original, chrome Paramount.
(Yes, you thought I was going to say "Priceless" there, eh?)

I'll take the Paramount, thank you!

-Kurt

Little Darwin

Kurt,

Thanks for the comments, I don't want anyone to get the frame without knowing the potential issues.

I see the seat lug... Do you think it impacts frame integrity, or just looks? I sort of saw something, but thought it was just cosmetic...

What are you seeing on the head tube?

cyclotoine

531! this is lookign better all the time. Kurt, what is all this about dents and replacing tubes... It seems the bike only needs a paint job?

unworthy1

Anybody who can spot $300 worth of frame repair looking at these pics has got much better eyesight than me! I may not be privy to all the info, but all I can see wrong with the headtube is some electrical tape, are we assuming it hides some bad damage cause there's similar black tape on the TT? The seatlug looks to have a small dent and rust near the top spear tip...again, doesn't look like a replacement needed from the pic I'm looking at. 'Course, I'm notoriously optimistic about old "treasures" like this, so I may be blinded to the harsh reality. But Cudak, if you're this good you should hire your services out for prescreening eBay auctions!

silversmith

I thought I saw a dent on the top tube where it touches the long point of the seat tube lug.



Aside from what appears to be a dent, there may be some putty or solder there as a filler. But it could be just the picture.