Guerc 

Warning - This thread contains considerable patina. If you require nicely polished components and freshly waxed paint, turn back now. You've been warned!

I happened to come across a great old road bike poking out of a corner at an estate sale. We've all heard stories of "barn finds" but this one really is it. It appears to be an all (or mostly) original 1970's Italian-made Masi, with (almost) full Campagnolo Nuovo Record components. It was thick with grime and cobwebs when I found it, but has since cleaned up well enough to post pictures. Please help me identify the bike and figure out what to do next.

Brian Hovey's website has been invaluable and helped me identify it as most likely an Italian-made Masi from 1972-1974. My cycling era is from about 1987 and later, so please school me on what you know.
Apologies for the extra large pics, but more details are better than too few. Dial-up warning, for anyone still using an AOL.Com connection.
On with the pics!

What's this? A double-plate fork? Campy Nuovo Record brakes?


Could it be an old, red, Masi covered in grime?
It is a 60cm ST x 58cm TT, both c-c. It is way too big for me but I couldn’t just leave it there.

Guerc 

I cleaned off the grime to get to the bike underneath. Here are some key money shots, with more to come later

Guerc 

Seems to be full Campagnolo Nuovo Record, with a Patent 72 date on the rear derailleur.
The only non-original parts are an ‘80s 6spd Ultra wheelset, with Japanese hubs.
The steel parts have lots of flash rust, but everything works. Cables pull and derailleurs seemed to move through the gears.



Front derailleur, before the CPSC-mandated "lip". It has Campy pedals.



Campy 2-bolt 27.2 seatpost. No "zigzag" marks on the back, it'll polish up nicely.
Once I untighted the bolt, it extracted easily... not stuck!

The Brooks saddle unfortunately is perished. The leather is zip-tied to the seat carriage.

Mad Honk 

Congrats on a great find! The little bits of rust should clean up nicely with a bit of Oxalic acid solution and be touched ua to prevent further rusting but over all a great bike and probably a keeper. Smiles, MH

Guerc 

Thanks to Brian Hovey's "Masi Bits" page this seems to be an Italian-made Masi from 1972. The Fleur-de-Lis/Serpent with black border (not white) seems to identify it, and the “Patent 72” on RD seems to confirm it.

seagrade 

That is quite an incredible find and a fantastic piece of cycling history.

Coincidentally a c. 1971 Masi GC in the same size and colour and very similar condition passed through eBay just a few weeks ago. The auction was pretty hotly contested.

Not a frame/bicycle I'd let go were I to fortuitously come across one. Look forward to seeing its progress now it has be debarned.

Doug Fattic 

I got my twin plate Italian Masi almost exactly 50 years ago. I'm wondering if your wheels are original? I can't tell from the pictures but it looks like they may be clinchers now. My Masi has the month it was made stamped on the steerer. Of course you would have to take the fork off to find out. I'm guessing yours and mine were made about the same time. I vaguely remember that Bob Hovey thought mine was about the earliest town plate Masi he knew about.

Fairlane63

We all dream of finding something like that the way you did.
I would get her working good mechanimechanically and leave all that patina.

Guerc 

The wheel set and the brake hoods are only items that don’t look original. The wheels are clinchers with Japanese hubs (and ‘80s tires). The brake hoods are gum Weinmann replacements.

satbuilder 

Nice find! As Doug Fattic mentioned, if you remove the fork, the month/year date code should be stamped into the steerer tube.

I’m just now starting to build a ‘71.

52telecaster

In case you're wondering, it is my size... Anyway what a beautiful find. I love a gentle resto on bikes like this. The scratches tell stories!

Bad Lag

It's my size, too. Is it for sale? :-)

stardognine

Just a bit small for me, but I can't afford it anyways. 😟

Great find, congrats! 👍

​

MasiMoe

That is amazing, what a find. Wouldn't you love to know its history. I wonder how many people looked at it without a clue what it is.
my wife and I go to a lot of "estate sales" ( a term being overused these days) and all we see are Huffys and Walmart junk.

Doug Fattic 

Here is a picture of my 1972 Italian Masi. Yours and mine must have been made about the same time. I placed it on my Ukrainian laser cut and etched fixture I use for building frames but it also shows me a frame's exact dimensions. I documented mine for my framebuilding colleague Rich Gangl that wanted to duplicate the Masi he 1st raced on back in the 70's. If you look close you can read what the dimensions are on the fixture. One of the interesting features Faliero did was mark the size of the frame on the down tube socket of the BB shell. He measured his frames center to top so they are marked about a cm bigger than if they are measured c to c. Mine is marked V 58. As I have heard but not confirmed, the Roman letter (in my case a V) is a code for where the frame was made. Apparently faliero used subcontractors to make his Masis in different cities. They weren't all made under the vigorelli in Milan.

By the way my top tube slopes uphill by 6mm. A group of us Masi owners got to measuring how level our top tubes were and discovered variation. Before I went to England to learn how to build frames, I very carefully measured my seat tube to top tube angle at 73.5ş and my head tube at 74ş. I didn't realize the top tube wasn't level so in fact the 1st frame I made wasn't an exact copy of my Masi since it really has a 72.5ş seat angle to the ground with a 73ş head tube.

You might want to check with the estate to see if the original wheels are still around. Mine were 32 hole 3 cross tied and soldered.


Decoding the dimensions of my 1972 Italian Masi on my Ukrainian fixture.


Where the frame size and code for where the frame was made located on the down tube socket.

aceves 

Great find Guerc! Looking forward to more pics of the gentle restoration. Awesome bike!

aceves

Kabuki12

Nice bike. I look forward to updates. If it were me , I would get it road worthy and ride it . If it is any consolation , it is in way better shape than my ItalVega was when I found
it . It took me a year to get it road worthy (off and on). When I am pedaling along , I think about how it was worth it. Of course it is not the same level of value of your Masi , but still......


This is how I found it . Outside in a field in Moro Bay California

smd4

Beautiful!

AdventureManCO 

Incredible! Awesome find!!! I'm excited for you!

AdventureManCO 

Wow, excellent work and should be inspirational to the OP!

OP, can you show a closeup of that big rust spot on the top tube? I'd want to do a strip and re-paint simply to make sure I'm not missing hidden rust.

AdventureManCO 

Wow, excellent work and should be inspirational to the OP!

OP, can you show a closeup of that big rust spot on the top tube? I'd want to do a strip and re-paint simply to make sure I'm not missing hidden rust.

Yune_Garage 

Holimoli!!! This is awesome

repechage

When Carlsbad started the product sheet called the color Orange-Red. Color got darker later in the 80's. and moved again, closer to Red, but still with yellow and black mixed in.

This should be a good project. I vote early 1972 or very late 1971. The fork steerer should tell the tale.

John E

Holy "Breaking Away," Batman, although his was late, instead of early, 1970s.

Bianchigirll 

Its too bad bike and component manufacturers were too cheap to use quality chrome plating or better yet stainless steel