Re: [CR] Restoration issues

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

From: <"brianbaylis@juno.com">
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:02:05 +0000
To: <euromeccanicany@yahoo.com>
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Restoration issues


Michael,

My basic rule of thumb is don't restore a bike you plan to sell. I think restoration should be done by the person planning to keep the bike and ride/enjoy it in whatever way they desire. If you plan to sell the project once completed; it's better, in my opinion, to let the new owner do the job. Turning over bikes rarely pays off, just like with cars. The new owner gets the bike the way THEY want it done if you just sell the project. If you can do all of the work yourself and do it expertly and the project didn't cost too much to start with, you might only lose a small amount. Heck, you could go into business like me; only losing a little bit on each job. That way it will take a long time to get to the poor house. ;-)

If you have to come up with parts; it's almost for sure a loss in the long run; especially if your time is worth more than $.50 per hour, which is about the hourly wage I take in, when I'm lucky.

Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Don't forget the anthem of the bicycle business: How do you make a small fortune in the bike business? Answer; start with a large fortune.


---------- Original Message ----------
From: euromeccanicany@yahoo.com
To: classic rendezvous
Subject: [CR] Restoration issues
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:30:34 -0800


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

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