Jeff Holt's post got me thinking again about restoration bikes vs cars. I've planned the restoration of my basket-case Cinelli as if I was restoring a show car- great paint, period-correct components, excellent reproduction parts preferred over used originals, with the goal of creating a bike that looks brand new. If I sell the bike, this approach might not be worth it, since the cost of the unused parts I need (and the value of those I already own) will cut down profit significantly and may add little to the selling price. On the other hand, there may be people who want an unridden-looking bike, so offering is as fully restored may make it more appealing than either a freshly painted frame alone or a freshly painted bike with used components. I'm curious about your thoughts on the value of restoration. To be very clear about this, I wouldn't be doing up the Cinelli this way if it hadn't already been repainted & abused, stripped of its original components and any "patina" at all. Likewise, I wouldn't bother if the frame wasn't straight & rust free, with excellent chrome. Also, I make my living doing cars, not bicycles, so the money gained is less of a factor in how I want to restore the bike than the desire to do it right. I just don't want to throw more into it than I'm likely to get out in the end, which is a major problem in restoring cars. So I turn to the collective wisdom of this extraordinary group of old bike nuts!
Michael Shiffer
EuroMeccanica, Inc.
114 Pearl Street
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
(914) 668-1300
euromeccanicany.com