Re: [CR]Confente signed Masi on eBay?

(Example: Racing)

From: <freesound@comcast.net>
To: marcus.e.helman@gm.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Confente signed Masi on eBay?
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 19:21:17 +0000


I had the same thoughts, and was not successful at reading the number stampings on the BB tang. If he is just going by an "MC" stamp, we know that is not a strong indicator of a Confente build. It does LOOK like a GC, I wouldn't guess it's a bogus repaint (non-Masi frame painted as a Masi), although it could be a repaint. Depending on its vintage it could be custom, I guess. Dave Moulton told me that Kirkbride built some custom frames, and I suppose they could have been custom painted.

Ken Freeman
Ann Arbor, MI USA


-------------- Original message --------------
From: marcus.e.helman@gm.com

> eBay item 200046711616

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Seller says "The original owner of the bicycle told me that it was welded

\r?\n> at the 1979 Bicycle Dealer Tradeshow Expo (now Interbike) in California by

\r?\n> Mario Confente and painted by Jim Allen." Obviously we are not dealing

\r?\n> with an expert. The bike has an odd paint job: it is sort of metallic

\r?\n> purple on the seat stays, down, and seat tubes; then a medium metallic

\r?\n> blue elsewhere. I initially assumed that this meant it had once been a

\r?\n> purple bike, and was resprayed blue with an attempt made to save the

\r?\n> decalled areas. However the head tube is blue with a Masi decal.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> The main reason I bring this to your attention is the signature on the

\r?\n> right side of the top tube, where one would expect to see Faliero's

\r?\n> signature. On this bike it seems to say Mario Confente. The signature

\r?\n> looks as if it was made with a metallic marker. Is it possible that this

\r?\n> bike is authentic?

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Best regards,

\r?\n> Marcus Helman

\r?\n> Huntington Woods, MI