In theory I agree with the 'no repaint' argument but in practice there are a few obvious obstacles. The main issue is that 'vintage' bikes in good condition with a nice 'patina' of age and original paint and decals are quite rare. Unfortunately many of us can not find or afford such fine examples, nor do we have space to store and display them. If you fall into one of these categories, like I do, the closest you will come to owning vintage Italian or British iron will be a beat up, rusted, pitted, missing decals, poorly repainted and modified version. A seasoned collector will not give such examples a second glance and the average person would put them in the trash unless it could be ridden into the ground first as a 'beater'.
Lets for arguments' sake say these frames are post WWII and structurally sound. These are the kinds of frames I have access to and can afford. I take pride in giving a bicycle like this a second life and restoring a bit of it's former glory and give it another few decades of life. I don't ride it as a beater, but it's not a display piece either. It is a machine someone can care about and a ride with pride and in the process open a whole new world of vintage bicycles to the uninitiated!!
So in a nutshell, I agree that a vintage bicycle should not be repainted due to faded paint or a few paint chips and or spots of corrosion. I don't advocate 'factory' new appearance as an aesthetic 'goal'. For extremely rare samples regardless of condition they should not be ridden anyways! But, for those classic bicycles that have taken some abuse in their day, there is nothing more 'right' that spending the time and effort to get them on the road again. Sure the paint formula is not exactly the same colour and the decals are not exactly the same - but it is still, in my eyes, superior to most of the modern frames out there.
Dean Nixon Toronto, Canada
On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 8:16 AM, <marcus.e.helman@gm.com> wrote:
> This issue of how much to restore has been taken up numerous times. There
> are different opinions, and for some, different approaches for each bike
> in the stable. My opinion is that first, the bike belongs to you, and you
> can do anything you want to it. Second, are you concerned with resale
> value or keeping them looking like newborns? These may be mutually
> exclusive. A bike in its original finish, even if banged up, is likely to
> be more valuable than a repainted one. This is particularly true for
> highly desirable big name bikes. Imagine two 1972 Cinelli SC's, one in
> original paint, and one that has been repainted. Even if the repaint has
> been done by a great painter, the original will probably command more at
> auction. It is kind of counter-intuitive, but choosing not to engage in a
> big repainting project can actually help the bike hold its value better.
>
> A beautiful repaint is often expensive. When you buy that paint job your
> cost for the bike has risen. You may or may not be able to recoup that
> cost when you sell the bike. On the other hand, you will have a lovely
> bike that may be more resistant to damage because of the quality of the
> new paint job.
>
> If you choose to repaint, I don't think it matters what kind of decals you
> use. The original paint job has some historic value. The repaint has
> only esthetic value (is it pretty?), and functional value (does it protect
> the frame?).
>
> Personally I have no great desire to keep them looking like newborns. I
> am willing to let an old bike look like an old bike.
>
>
> Best regards,
> Marcus
> Detroit, MI
>
> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 20:13:20 -0600
> From: jim abt <jamesabt@charter.net>
> Subject: [CR] Finishing Frames and forks
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Message-ID: <FD36D233844A44819FCF676DA5D6F7E8@D7YXN561>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I have the disease that a lot of us have because there is that "before"
> and "after" persona that always and forever makes my palm itch and my bank
> account scream UNCLE....I love tinkering with these beautiful pieces of
> machinery that we call bicycles but I also like to see them look like new
> even though they are a half a century old. We all know that they will
> never die....why not keep them looking like newborns? It is a steel
> "Fountain of youth".
>
> Here is what becomes a problem....When I refurbish these frames I know
> that it is important to get as close to original as possible right down to
> the color of the base. The foil decals that were so common in the
> day....are virtually impossible to clear coat and/or wet sand so that I
> can apply a bomb proof finish so that when my Grandaughter wants to ride
> this bike in 14 years (lets see....three weeks old...ahh lets say 12
> years....math....) she won't have to worry about so much as a touch
> up....a dry cloth dusting (if she can catch up to me riding it myself at
> age 68) and away she goes. Are vinyl decals a huge absolute NO in order to
> keep the value (or....with the new finish "appreciate" the value)or can I
> go with the vinyl decalds and make them exact in appearance? I suspect
> that this question is going to stir up a whole lot more value than the one
> about unisex bikes (myxed I think was the word) at least I hope it will.
> Seeya on the ride.
>
> I hope this gets in and ok by the marshal
>
> Jim Abt
> Wausau, Wi. USA
>
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