[CR]Early Campy Bar end shifter variations, 1951 to 1955

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

From: <NortonMarg@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 22:26:30 EDT
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
cc: speedster@katamail.com
Subject: [CR]Early Campy Bar end shifter variations, 1951 to 1955

I was just comparing some Campagnolo "Gran Sport" marked bar end shifter bodies to the unmarked ones we are all pretty familiar with and was surprised to see they are quite different. If you look at the lever, the later lever has a larger diameter for cable take up than the early one. I don't have an early one to compare it to, but the late one doesn't fit the early body. Looking at the distance from the edge of the hole for the screw head to the edge that is adjacent to the handlebar, the older GS measures 5.8mm, the newer GS measures 7.3mm. They obviously moved it back to increase the cable take up. Another difference is where the lock nut goes: the late one (1955) is relieved so a Campy T wrench can be used to tighten the nut. The early one is not relieved, it is the same hex shape as the part 139/2, "Dado di perno". I don't have a parts catalogue covering the earlier parts (un-numbered 1951, 1952 or 1953 catalogue #12), but I suspect the equivalent part may be longer so the lock nut (139/1) is "proud" and not flush. The one other "visual" difference is the angle that the body has at the rear, it's raked noticeably forward from the bottom to the top, whereas the late ones are more symmetrical. So the earliest Gran Sport marked shifters had the bronze chrome plated levers and a different geometry than the later Gran Sport (unmarked) shifters with the alloy levers, that were modified to provide faster shifting/more cable take up (for 6 speed?) to go along with the "new improved" Gran Sport rear derailleur (with the 8mm spring cover) and easier adjustment with Campagnolo tools. The illustration in Catalogue #13 (1955) shows the later parts along with the introduction of the "T" wrench. The first iteration was likely produced from 1951 through 1954, at most. Was there another variation in there? Does anyone know what year the alloy shift lever was introduced on these? There was a bronze lever shifter on ebay just recently < http://ebay.com/<blah> rd=1>, that was marked "Deragliatore Centrale", so I suspect that a correct pair would be one of those, with one marked "Gran Sport". Anyone have any of the bronze/chrome levers to sell? Comments?
Stevan Thomas
Alameda, CA