Colnago Master - Multiple renewal / restoration project

Got this pretty damaged (2001?) Colnago Master Xtra Light frame yesterday (a bargain) and though it looks very rusty, the tubes are still in very good condition. Since I got my '91 Master Piu, I develloped a certain "love" for the Gilco-tubing so this frame had to be saved from a cruel "corrosion death".

It will be a long-term project but I will post the results here of the "work in progress".

Some pic's:

That is a lovely paint job! Never seen this colourway before. You're not going to repaint it are you?

I think it was the colourscheme used by the Belgian Tönissteiner-Colnago continental team. It will have to be repainted because it's too much damaged to be left like this. I'm not quite sure how I will have it done but it will be a more "basic" colour-scheme. The original is just a bit too "flashy" for me. ;-)

sweet, any idea of what paint job its going to be or whos doing it? and what about the chrome?

I'm thinking of something like this ("Saronni-red"):

About the chrome: I have near my place someone who has been chromium-plating metal (including bikes and bike-stuff) for the last 4 decades and he's said to be good at it. Negative thing about the guy: he sometimes "forgets" his agreements (concerning when a job will be done) so it could only take 4 weeks but also more than 4 months...

The painting will be done by a guy here in the proximity (former Mountainbike cross-country worldchamp Filip Meirhaeghe's brother) who is an authorized Colnago painter.

sound good

Thanks. But first I have to finish another C-project... ;-)

:

First hurdle taken. Did some "paperwork" today (removing rust with sandpaper) and what I hoped for, was confirmed: the rust is only superficial:

Before sanding:

after:

duude.. sandpaper?
I would have tried scotchbrite 1st.
love that frame - have fun!

It needed more than just some scotchbrite...

WD40 and some fine grit sandpaper did the job.

If its being re chromed then sand paper isn't going to be an issue

yes, yes, yes of course. just indulging in some friendly back-seat restoration!

I do things delicately re: paint, chrome.
Will still need to be stripped, dipped + polished before a rechrome.. right?
Have fun, i'm jealous of your bargain rusty project..

You're right things have to be done delicately. My worst nightmare would be ruining it by doing something wrong. I found another company to do the re-chroming and they do a A to Z job: removing paint, old chrome, rust,... and rechroming where necessary.

Meanwhile, I added another (a 3th) Master to my collection...

3th master makes it a 'crowd' officially.
ha!
luckily it looks ready to roll already.

:-)

"Stripped" it already (was equipped with a mix of Shimano Dura Ace 7400, 600 "tricolore", Campa Record) because I like "old" steel frames but modern technologie. I am "rebuilding" it with a Sram Force groupset and lighter stuff.

Should start another topic for this last one, I know...

This is the (first) result. Some things have to be changed (don't like the ahead-stem; think of replacing it by a classic quill because like this, it doesn't feel like a racebike). Crankset is just to have an idea of how carbon would look (this is a BB30 crank). And to lower the weight, I might put a carbon Colnago fork on it. Future plans, it's winter so this one won't come out of the barn the first couple of months. ;-)

first that's a tecnos not a master, and I have one and I love it to bits, nagging things to me would be deffo no to an inline seatpost, carbon folks do look nicer but if you go for a flash remember they are about 15-20 years old so make sure you get some nice ones. The specialized s-works stem is in keeping with the size of the tubes and looks great "in my opinion". O and again in my own opinion put some light wheels in it and it will feel like a race bike.

You're wrong about it not being a Master.Tecnos has 2 round tubes, this one has the "quadrifolia" tubes on seattube, horizontal and downtube. It has the original paint and the toptube says "Master Extra Light", so I suppose it's not a false one. ;-)

The bike came with a Campa Record Carbon seatpost but it's actually not my style.

Agree on the light wheels, putted in my carbon 24 mm wheels and it looks better indeed.

Next phase in the restoratio-saga: found a company to restorate the chrome. Price: 250-300 euro. Not that cheap but there's no way back now.

Received these from Australia today:

Some "new old stock" for this bike arrived today

sorry my mistake it looks like it bulges out in the middle of the top tube must be a trick of the paint/light.

No problem, mate. It's only about bikes here. ;-)

Paint has been chemically removed. This is the result. Next thing to do is to have the seatstays and lugs rechromed.

ooooo nude photo ......

The naked truth...