What do you make of this "Colnago"?
 

Browsing E-Bay and stumbled across this frame:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265903216922

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/XVEAA...~Y/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TVgAA...-u/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gBcAA...~O/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JmIAA...~R/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pKcAA...~T/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7BkAA...-2/s-l1600.jpg
A couple more photos on the ad.

Ok, so the fork appears to be genuine Colnago.
The rear dropouts have "COLNAGO" stamped on them.
I can't tell, but it appears as if the clover on the downtube lug may be simply painted on, and not pantographed.

My main objection with this frame is that I've never seen seatstay end caps like that on a Colnago. To me it looks more British than Italian.

Comments?

I'll defer to ones more knowledgeable of later steel Colnagos, but I don't believe it is as described in the ad. I have never seen a steel Colnago that did not have seat stays tapered at each end and also have never seen them brazed into the lug like that. My knowledge of Colnagos past the mid 80s is scanty but I believe that they moved to straight fork blades very early in the 90s. So what year would this be? /

I hesitate to add any comments but I'd be very suspicious. Not only are the seat stays not tapered, but the brazing doesn't look like what I'd expect from a true Colnago. There is something weird going on at that juncture also, with what appears to be some red paint covering up where the tubes join the lug. I'd pass, personally.

I am the farthest from an expert on this but it made me curious. I found plenty of examples of Colnagos with very similar drop outs and and stay style, where they meets the the drop outs.
This one has campy stamped dropouts: but stay details look the same?
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f77a071a78.jpg
https://cicli-berlinetta.com/product...red-road-bike/

What I did not see were any Colnagos where the stays partially wrapped when they met the seatpost like posted one does.

Assuming this is a Colnago, they did do that partial wrapping style at the seatpost at some point, also similar looking dropouts? might not be a match but does seem in the family?

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9d28342ad6.jpg
https://buycycle.com/en/bike/columbus-slx

as I love to say here, cause it's true, "I only know enough to get my self I trouble" - might be worth looking this, but I may be way off base, someone far more knowledgeable will likely chime in with a more definitive answer - first few posters were leaning the other way, so I am probably wrong

Does the G346 on the rear DO mean anything?

I would say pass also note the seller states in description only to Europe but has the frame listed on US Ebay. There is just a bunch of stuff that doesn't seem right on this one.

IIRC, the seatstay top ends on my 89 Bottechia kinda wraps around the top tube like that......

The Super Pista has the same seat stay cluster.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8fdc3a3727.jpg

hummm, If I don't see a Colnago-Club cutout in the BB shell and lugs, and the name engraved on the seatstay tips, I assume it's a fake. The fork is genuine and while there is a cutout on the headtube lug, it appears to be either a decal or something crudely added later with a dremel.

Colnago understood the value of their frames and took pains to ensure they could not be easily counterfeited, even before counterfeit frames were a thing. Because they command a premium price, even a decent quality frame is worth the effort to sacrifice and fake, and Colnago's are one of the most commonly faked classics because the name is so well known.

I would not buy this as a genuine Colnago without seeing the original bill of sale and confirming it's non-standard features in a catalogue. Short of that, it's just a nice Italian (probably) frame with a Colnago fork.