> Here's a lovely '66 Paramount from the original owner. The bike has
> been repainted by Schwinn:
> http://ebay.com/
>
>
a better argument for *never* repainting a frame probably doesn't exist. I know what those mid-60s yellow Paramounts looked like. I've coveted at least two of them, neither of which I managed to get my hands on. Not for lack of trying, either.
To repaint one of those yellow-chromed-pinstriped beauties is a crime. I realize the seller in this case had the best of intentions...but, a tragedy. That bike is my size too...but I have no interest whatever. If it was original? I'd be all over it.
Increasingly I'm of the opinion that one should never repaint an original finish, unless it's hopelessly compromised.
I have a nice Allegro frame in house now, in the famous tiger-smoked version...with lovely pin-stripes and graphics. Probably late 60s. It's a mess, but you can get a good sense of the spirit of the original paint. Rust is minor (except on the chrome, where it's pretty bad) the paint's been damaged in many places (mainly the top-tube, per the usual).
I was going to have it repainted, then it was pointed out to me that the frame is far more interesting as it is, than as a repaint, no matter how authentic that repaint would be (restoring as original would have been far beyond my budget for the job, so I was going to go with one color, no chrome, original graphics)...I decided to keep it as is, and build it up as a classy beater. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I will *not* repaint it. It really does have far more mojo just as it is.
Charle "original or die!" Andrews
SoCal