L. Zappa frame: any info?
 

Does anyone know any further information about an L. Zappa frameset?

More photos here: http://www.oldvelos.com/bike-of-the-month-august-2020/

"Purchased as a Columbus SL frame in 2014 for its original cromovelato finish. There is no manufacturer identification apparent on the frame, the only markings being the distinctive stylised ‘Stork’ and L.Zappa fork crown, and L.Zappa seat stay tips. The frame comprises a Cinelli SC (Made in Italy) bottom bracket shell and Campagnolo dropouts and over the bottom bracket cable guides. Given the various features I date it to late 70’s early 80’s although the Cinelli bottom bracket doesn’t reflect the post 78 Cinelli logo. There are no decals and no indication it ever had decals, which is why I removed the Campy logos from the Veloce groupset. No online research has been able to establish the background of the frame, although it would seem reasonable to assume it originates in a country that associates with the Stork, the seller being located in Hungary. Most likely a custom build."

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b9435b51df.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...65778bb617.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a0e444549e.jpg

Nobody in Frank's family with an "L" first name, so ...? It looks like a fairly mainstream Italian contract-built and that panto is also generic, can't make out any more details since the link doesn't work for me, but from what I see above the "squared-off" top of the stay caps might be only thing like a distinctive clue, and I cannot recall which builder did them in that style. BTW "Zappa" is a Sicilian surname, so I'm told.

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there was a Gianfranco Zappa active on the pro circuit in the late seventies:

Museo del Ciclismo - Gianfranco ZAPPA

wonder if he could be related to the builder...

perchance member MauriceMoss may be able to shed some of his illuminazione...

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While we wait for the experts to chime in, perhaps some entertainment?

There is also the possibility that it may be a table made in Latin America, perhaps from Mexico or other countries in South America. Here, bicycle frames were always built under Italian standards, for example, 36mm bottom brackets and to a lesser extent, French-made standards. Also that it is from some Spanish craftsman of those who had a very small annual production and only made to order. It is a beautiful picture, very neat in its construction, what measures of seat tube does it have? 27.2mm? in argentina exist in LA PLATA city a bike shop call ZAPPA BIKE.

Yeah, was waiting for "needs zircon-encrusted shift levers".

I've no idea on the seat tube diameter - is knowing that to tell the tubing? The link (which I tried to fix in the original post) says it's a Columbus SL frame, purchased from a seller in Hungary.

Maybe it's just custom pantograph work.

This link should work. But, it is not a secure link.

http://www.oldvelos.com/bike-of-the-month-august-2020/

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link no work for me

are others able to view it?


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For some reason the link changed to https on it's own. And it stopped working.

I heart chromovelato. :love:

That's the trick: you copy and paste but take the "s" off https before you hit return. That's a fine looking cromovelato frame in pristine condition! The BB shell is indeed a Cinelli SC and the shorty Campy DOs are "portacatena" so we know it's no earlier than 1978 and likely an early 1980s build.That does look like a stylized stork on the forkcrown panto and never seen any other builder use that motif: no help at all.Cannot make any headway even with gobs more (good quality) pix, but fun to look at them. maybe the indomitable @MauriceMoss can solve this stumper!

Thanks for the tags @unworthy1 and @juvela.

Nice looking frame. Especially since the cromovelato finish is in such a good condition; that's kinda rare.
Unfortunately I don't have any verified info on this marque. I saw one "L.Zappa" frame before but I'm pretty sure it was this exact frame. I think it was up for sale a few years back on either bdc-forum.it or fixedforum.it. Whoever bought it upgraded it a bit since, as when I first saw it, it didn't have the cutouts filled in with white paint (unrelated, but for some reason this green/white combo instantly makes me think Puch...):

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dfa3493e36.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...67281fe914.jpg


Anyway, there were two Italian marques named Roli - one in Arezzo named after ROberto Nocenti & Francini LIdo and the other in Bergantino (near Rovigo) named after Luciano Zapparoli. That second one is the closest possibility for "L. Zappa" that I can think of - in this case Zappa, obviously, would be short for Zapparoli. Don't quote me on this tho, just a wild guess.
There are lots of birds in the Po river delta so, if this frame is from the area of Bergantino, a bird panto wouldn't be surprising. The bird has a curved beak, so maybe it's supposed to be an ibis or something? I don't know.