Hi CR List,
I've obtained a Benotto 3000 that I'm in the process of refreshing. The paint in the fork crown cutouts has chipped and mostly disappeared, so I was wondering if some Benotto-owning list member would be willing to share a photo of a 3000 fork crown with the blue paint intact (like the crown on the bike in this photo<http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Italy/benotto/Benotto_ad.htm>), so I can figure out a good color match. Speaking of which, will Testors model enamel work sufficiently for painting on chrome? Also, the bike came to me with a cheapo OT saddle. I'd like to replace it with a period correct model- what would have been original equipment on an '82 model 3000? I've seen Cinelli Unicanitor and Volare saddles on 3000s, would either one of those be appropriate?
Finally, and I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here, but is there any sure way to identify a Italian vs. Mexican-built 3000 by frame construction? My example has no "made in" decals, and none of the cracks associated with Mexican construction. My understanding is that 1982 was a transition period, and 3000s were produced in both Mexico and Italy during that time. I looked through the archives but couldn't find anything that was helpful in this regard. If I've overlooked something in my search, please let me know offlist so as not to clutter up the server with excess traffic.
Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
Ross Young
Phoenix, AZ, USA