Re: [CR]Restorations

(Example: Production Builders:LeJeune)

From: <LouDeeter@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 20:21:34 EST
Subject: Re: [CR]Restorations
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


Gianni Pergolizzi wrote Fantastic quality paint job BUT UGLY!!! At least to my eyes. Magenta purple/Gumby green/white lugs with black in the heart cutouts/ yellow lettering....UGGGGHHHHHHH! So I figured I'd get her chromed. After all she fit and was flawless. But I called Peter first and we discovered she was in fact a show bike whose photos appeared in Playboy magazine with Terry Weigle (no relation) and then in Bicycling. The bike originally had Campagnolo "prototype"C-Record!!!!!! Rare and very special! This is The Playboy Wiegle Bike.

I agree with both Gianni and Sir Tom Sanders. A rare or special bike, made rare or special by either low production, age, or special history, should remain original if at all possible. But, for a bike that doesn't meet those criteria, I say paint it, restore it, whatever it takes to make the caretaker enjoy it. I like the idea of knowing that I'm the temporary caregiver to the famous Weigle bike and when it finally passes into someone else's hands, it will be as I got it (unless I can find the white wrapped leather bar attached to a 50th anniversary stem). I think she is beautiful--the only bike with even close to the magical paint was the Baylis in the Sep/Oct 83 issue of Bicycling and if you can believe it, the owner of that bike had it repainted! Lou Deeter, Orlando FL