Sedgemop 

I'm kicking the tires on this one. I'd like to pick up a classic Italian racer in the next year and am thinking about this Colnago frame. Just starting to dip my toe in the Italian waters, so I'm no kind of expert on Colnagos. Restore looks fresh and fairly well done. What do you think? Does everything look as it should? Is this a fair price for what it is? Appreciate any help in advance.

1976 Colnago Super XL/62cm $500 Madison, WI

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...rral_code=null

1976 Colnago Super. Size: Seat-tube=62cm C-C. Top ube=58.5cm C-C. Repainted and rebadged. Clear coat over decals. Columbus SL tubing. Campagnolo frame and fork drop outs. Campagnolo cable guides. Excellent threads. Priced to sell. Price FIRM, CASH.

plonz 

Looks like a ‘76 Super to me. Was expecting to see seat stay stamping but apparently that did not come until later. If you have not done so, checkout this useful timeline for identifying the Super throughout the years.

Velo-Retro: Colnago Super Timeline

This looks like it hasn’t been built since painted. The paint looks really thick around the BB shell. Maybe even a powder coat job?

As far as a price. I sold a professionally painted Super frameset on this forum a couple of years ago. We were still emerging from the shutdown and had no real feel for whether prices should have been high or low. Not too different from right now I suppose! It sold right away for $390 shipped. I had bought it 6 years earlier and in the end, lost $50 on the deal. In hindsight, probably could have held out for more and would have certainly gotten more over the last couple of years. All this to say I think the $500 price tag is a little steep but not outrageous for someone really wanting a clean Colnago project. Guessing you’ll have $60 in fuel or shipping on top of this.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...fork-58cm.html

Sedgemop 

Thanks for all the info. I'll check out the timeline. I do like the color of the repaint, but was a little put off by the thickness of the paint. Seller was responsive to a question I had. I think I'll make some additional restore questions. Be good to know who did it, at least.

Your sale experience is helpful. $500 seemed pricey to me and the most I would probably pay. I would feel a lot better around $400. I'm not in any hurry to get something that feels right to me. I'd drive over to Madison. Don't need much of an excuse to head up and ride in the area. Thanks again, Plonz.

Kabuki12

I have a 1975 ish that I bought here on the forum as a complete bike in nice condition , but needing a paint job. Mine is without braze on top tube cable guides. The decals are not correct ( for the year )on the subject bike and the fork crown has been painted over the original chrome but if that doesn’t bother you , and you like it , I would go for it ( after you check it out). I paid more than that for the paint job on mine! Mine is also 62cm and rides very nicely , even though I normally ride a 63-64cm.

Sedgemop 

Was wondering if the fork was originally chrome. Thanks for that.

Kabuki12

Most of the mid seventies Colnago Supers I have seen , it is just the fork crown.

Sedgemop 

Got it, thanks. I think i've seen slightly later Supers with a fully chromed fork.

repechage

Appears to have the threaded holes for the chainrest… 1977 intro for that, and the supplemental catalog.

I like the earlier seat tube graphics as shown, but those stopped in 1973. 1974 brought the stacked Colnago to the front of the seat tube.

crown should be chrome, fork May have been all chrome to begin with.

as a rider? Sure. As a vehicle to use and recoup the investment? Less certain.

Sedgemop 

Thanks for the info. It'll definitely be a rider. I get picky about details when there's a premium price, though. Starting to think this ain't the one, unless I could get it sub-$400. Guess I'll continue to monitor the situation.

SurferRosa

Another data point is the Portacatena dropout, introduced in '77.

JulesCW 

I would disagree with the lowball estimates here-- the paint job likely cost more than the selling price (in most cases new paint jobs are a great deal for buyers, not so much for sellers) . If you're looking for a rider and it's your size this one is very attractive. Unless you don't care about cosmetics I don't think you'll find a better deal easily -- and even a Colnago Super needing paint but otherwise in good condition is likely not going to be less than $300 unless you get lucky with the proverbial barn find. The question should be is $100 more or less over what you might pay for a cosmetically challenged frame "if" you found one worth it to you?

Robvolz 

I think its a rare size, the paint is pretty, the retro decals don't bother me at all. Most paint jobs cost more than the sellers asking price.

Are you going to ride it and enjoy it? Or are you going to enter it in contests?

BTW, many bikes with racing heritage don't have the chromed crown. With Colnago, they were available both ways.

L134 

After a couple years of riding and enjoying it is $100 one way or the other going to make a difference?

Sedgemop 

It's not so much the $100. It's that certain details are wrong and the paint is a little off. If I paid a premium price for the frame, those things would continue to bug me a little. We all got our peccadilloes, I guess.

Sedgemop 

All good points and giving me a lot to consider. I'm a cheapskate and it's the main reason I haven't made the jump to Italian bikes just yet. Appreciate the perspective.

repechage

I would ask about powder coat vs paint.

VtwinVince

My local good painters would charge more than that price of admission just for the respray.

Sedgemop 

Thanks. Yeah, I'm going to do that.

JulesCW 

I have cheapskate tendencies as well --- a bargain is always nice!

One question would be if you have a stash of suitable parts awaiting use -- if so that would add to the temptation fro me -- if you will need to buy a bike's worth of parts then maybe not...

Good luck either way!

Sedgemop 

Cheapskates unite! Thanks, man. I do have most of what I'd need to build it up. There's this too. Not bad for one stop shopping.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...available.html

JulesCW 

And those sweet groupsets are pre-cleaned, too!

repechage

riding a 62 cm or about, 172.5 or 175’s?
still needs quite a bit to complete an assembly.
on the group B- interesting b screw adjuster addition- aftermarket- in a placeholder position, not helping

Sedgemop 

Yeah, I've got most of a period-correct campy group already. Groups for sale above would complete what I'd need for a build and then some.

172.5 and 175 cranks both work fine for me. Might slightly prefer 175's.

rjhammett

The $500 asking price is definitely more than what I would pay for that frame. Not crazy about repaints and the green color does nothing for me. I have purchased a few frames with original paint and in very good condition including a Pinarello Record, Merckx Corsa Extra, De Rosa and a Billato Tommaso for quite a bit less than $500. All had a bit better steel than the SL of the Colnago. Mine were all in the same size range as the Colnago.

Sedgemop 

This is the way I'm leaning, also. Vastly prefer original paint even if it's rough. I think I can be patient and find something better. I really appreciate everyone's input on this thread. It's really helped me decide what to do.

Looks like you've done pretty well with the bikes you've been selling up there. Guessing you're not letting go of the De Rosa.