Kurmann - Swiss/Italian frame

[Cambram]

Fairly new to this forum. Hope this is in the correct place. Please move if it should be somewhere else.
I wanted a Winter Project other than my usual hobby item. I saw this bike frame on ebay and it was not getting many bids, perhaps due to collection only and location. So I put in a bid and got it. It is a frame from the shop of Xaver Kurmann - google him if like me you don't know him. After his cycling career he opened a bike shop in the South of Switzerland near the Italian border and had frames made somewhere in Italy. It is supposedly Columbus SL tubing. The front and rear fork ends are Campagnolo. Including the bottom bracket axle unit the frame weighs 6.5lbs. Seat tube length is 23".

The paintwork is a bit chipped (looks like storage rash). There is no obvious rust. I will attempt to touch up rather than replace.
The chromium front and rear forks are in good condition and after aluminium foil and lemon juice rub seem very smooth.

The frame number is 778. Does anyone know how Kurmann numbered his frames? Who made the frames?
The paint line on the lower rear forks ended with a tapered flourish and has rubbed off. I suspect chrome is a difficult surface to get paint to adhere. Any tips?

The rest of the package included Campag chainwheel shifter, Weinmann brakes, Cinelli handlebars. I aim to clean these up and retain them. Other bits to be collected.

Any tips and information will be welcomed.

 

[Cambram]

Progress report on the refurb. A bit disappointed no-one seems to know any details of Kurmann bikes.
There is a bit on the net about Xaver Kurmann during his racing days but not his bike shop.
After taking the bits off the frame I was pleased to see virtually no nasty rust - just the odd speck where
there had been some hard contact with something sharp. The chrome is good and it looks to me that the
whole frame had been subject to some good preparatory treatment before painting that has stopped rust.

It looked to me that the frame had been painted white and then a blue lacquer see-through finish had been
applied. The man in the auto paint supply shop said the same and advised sand blasting and complete respray.
It wasn't a tough finish, hence the many chips and scratches. I had to argue that I only wanted to touch up
the many areas that had the blue finish knocked off and eventually he made up a matching colour.

While I was there a nice guy with a Spray-Wrap logo on his overalls had a chat, saying that someone working
for him had had his carbon bike frame spray-wrapped with clear wrap. I had never heard of this process.
He was buying the brightest red finish that I have seen on a car. I asked him what sort of car that was for?
A black Rolls Royce Wraith he said! Must be a footballer I said. Yes, he gave the name, unknown to me, plays for M.U. Nuff said.

So I touched up the damaged areas using a brush. You can see the repairs up close but it is ok from a few steps away. A friend who does things with old cars told me about 2K (two pack) aerosol lacquer. It cures hard and can be polished after 24 hours. I got a can and sprayed the frame. The clear lacquer has brought the blue colour back to life and I am pleased with it.

I had been buying bits off ebay appropriate to the age of the frame ('78 guessing). They all needed cleaning and derusting (white vinegar and lemon juice - works quite well) and now all I have to do is put the bits together.

I haven't fitted a rear derailleur since my old Cyclo-Benelux 3 sprocket gear days so Y..t.be will come in handy.

Quite enjoying this.

 

[JhnBssll]

That looks awesome, nice job! Looking forward to seeing it built up. Great choice in preserving the original paintwork

 

[Cambram]

Bit of a hold-up, but finished at last. Ebay is a brilliant method of re-cycling. One man's rubbish is another man's treasure.
The mudguards had to be re-profiled using a heat gun (obviously bought the wrong items) and fixed using insulated "P" clips as there are no built-in fixing points.

The shifters and brakes seem to do their job correctly. It needs a bit of riding to get everything in the correct place. It now looks too good to me to get all wet and dirty. May have to source yet another bike or frame for that winter knockabout bike.

 

[biggs682]

@Cambram that looks good for sure and well done for keeping another old road bike going , now go and enjoy it