Chuck Schmidt wrote-
The difference between the old, unridden Confente and the repainted years ago but not reassembled Confente is going to be very hard to document... maybe impossible is the better word here.
Too many experiences with less than scrupulous vintage bike sellers makes me a very skeptical buyer nowadays, especially when there is extreme rarity and value in the item being offered for sale. I could give you the name of a collector that could produce "one true unridden one" for you; I think you knew him too <grin>.
I got to build a few of these Confente's decades ago when new and for me to get closer to believing it was never assembled, it should have a fork steerer that needs to be cut down to complete the headset installation. Not fool proof, but a reasonable requirement.
Paint on these were quite variable, Chuck's may have Imron and clear over the transfers, but I have seen others that may have been Imron, but I doubt they had clear over the transfers. I would but Matt Gorski's in the thin if any clearcoat category.
I do have a never ridden, never worn Confente cap however.
John Jorgensen
Palos Verdes Ca