hyperRevue

Before everyone bites my head off, this is not another "how do i remove my Pista decals" thread.
That said, does anyone have or know where I could find a complete set of 2004 Pista decals?
Any help is much appreciated.

dolface

*bites hyperRevue's head off*

B17

You might try BianchiUSA.com. They have (or had) decals for the frames, but they are navy rather than white. Bear in mind that this was a few years ago, so they may or may not still have 'em. I bought some for a Celeste refinish of a Bianchi conversion project I have yet to complete. The head tube decal and "Campione Del Mondo" decal were included, along with a chainstay sticker. They were $28.00/set, IIRC.

hyperRevue

yeah, i saw those. I really want the white with black outline for the paint scheme I envision.

Does anyone know if in order to get my frame painted I'd have to remove the clearcoat first? Like, is simply taping off the existing decals and painting (not powdercoating, obviously) the frame completely idiotic?

vindicator

I think you might have to get the chrome right off. I don't see paint sticking too well to chrome. That would be a real shame, letting all that shiny chrome go to waste. Too bad.

hyperRevue

the pista is clearcoated though. I guess my question was will paint stick to clear coat?

Ken Cox

If Bianchi can get clear coat to adhere to chrome, then any other color of paint should adhere also, with the right primer.
However, I don't think the chrome on a Bianchi frame corresponds to industrial hard chrome.
Hard chrome costs too much to apply, and the price of a Bianchi Pista doesn't reflect an expensive process.
Rather, I think Bianchi uses some lesser process that gives the aesthetics of chrome without the hardness.
I suspect the so-called chrome on a Pista frame will come off with sand-blasting or glass-beading, and maybe even with chemical strippers, whereas true hard chrome will resist these forms of removal.

Interstingly, my wife has an old Nishiki frame with an industrial hard chrome finish.
After stripping the paint off of it, we have not found a primer and paint combination that will reliably cling to the chrome.
The paint chips very easily; too easily.

I have a 2005 Pista.
When the time comes to refinish it, assuming the time comes, I would like to finish it in black with celeste decals.
I have not had any success finding the celeste decals, but then I have not corresponded directly with Bianchi, either.

BlueBrew

i would like it in naavy blue with celest decals

Camel

Unless they are really complex, you should be able to have them done up by an online decal place. Probably would be more expensive than finding an original set from somewheres.

I had a decal place do a one off for me, for 2 "Bianchi" fork stickers-pretty darned good match (font, size&color) to the originals.

hyperRevue

yeah.
i discovered www.cyclart.com/ last night and am waiting on a price quote from them, but they seem like the perfect place.
Along with being a custom frame painter and restorer, they specialize in replacement decals.
I'll let everyone know how they work out.