# When to Strip & repaint ?



## Oldpeddler (Jun 5, 2013)

I just picked up a Schwinn Spitfire 52 thats been painted  red over (the original Red finish / pinstripes...it has rust spots on fenders & other spots not too bad though ) Im reluctant to  strip/repaint the whole frame /fenders .What is the best way to " clean-up the paint " ? Buff off the old finish & see how it looks ?My goal is to make it look nice but not a restoration .Any tips appreciated..Thanks ..Bill


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## Oldpeddler (Jun 6, 2013)

searched & Found a thread for this question guys ..still wondering if a bike loses any value because the old paint is removed & repainted..


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 6, 2013)

Oldpeddler said:


> searched & Found a thread for this question guys ..still wondering if a bike loses any value because the old paint is removed & repainted..




A re-paint is worth substantially less than very good or even just decent original paint. Some buyers only buy original paint bicycles. A good re-paint with proper patterning is worth more usually than a rust bucket or very bad condition original finish. A poor (bulk/sloppy spray-over jobs) quality re-paint is worth less than just about every other finish, including poor quality original.

My approach is to strip and do a full re-paint only if the original paint is completely wiped out and cannot be saved using any method available to me.


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## bikecrazy (Jun 6, 2013)

A beautifully re-painted bike is worth just a bit more then a rusty faded bike in need? You have got to be kidding. I know there is value to patina on older bikes and that is one thing. I enjoy restoring old bikes that are in shabby condition and no one can tell me that my finished product is worth just a bit more then what I started with.


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Jun 6, 2013)

In vintage bicycles, what's desirable is the original finish, not original LOOKING finish. The fact that half the paint is gone doesn't matter. It's not just the look of the bike that's desirable, it's the history that comes with it. Tools, coins, books, and furniture is the same way. Clean it up, repair what must be repaired, and do what ever you can to preserve the artifact that it is.


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 6, 2013)

bikecrazy said:


> A beautifully re-painted bike is worth just a bit more then a rusty faded bike in need? You have got to be kidding. I know there is value to patina on older bikes and that is one thing. I enjoy restoring old bikes that are in shabby condition and no one can tell me that my finished product is worth just a bit more then what I started with.




I never wrote that a re-painted bike is worth less than a "rusty faded" bike. The use of the word "usually" is to denote that certain original paint schemes are very rare and add to the premium commanded by keeping the original paint, even at the lower condition levels.

 Moreover, on many  (though certainly not all) bikes, the expense and labor of a full re-paint will have you in for more than the bike is worth in the end. On many bikes, it's best to go the distance to preserve the original finish.

The fact is that original paint trumps a re-paint in many cases.


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## bikecrazy (Jun 6, 2013)

I stand by what I said. Restoring a bike in need is a way of bringing that bike back to life as it was when new. Once restored, The origional beauty and sparkle is there to enjoy. This obsession with value over enjoyment is sad and bad for the hobby. Money and profit is not the end game for everyone. Enjoyment of the bicycles should be.


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Jun 6, 2013)

"Restoring a bike in need." Defining that subjective criteria is the point this entire, long running, debate hinges on.  A basket case is ready to spot. As is a bike in good, original shape. But where's the dividing line?


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## Oldpeddler (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks for your opinions on this topic ..This bike has a good amount of the original Red paint under an older  repaint ..Im' reluctant to alter any of the the original features paint etc..I was able to remove some of the over paint & the Schwinn round seat post decal is there... but not too readable..i'm new at vintage bike repairs & refurbing  have a lot to learn..


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## Intense One (Jun 6, 2013)

*When to strip and repaint*

What did you use to strip/remove some of the over paint so as to not damage the original paint? Thanks.


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## Oldpeddler (Jun 6, 2013)

Intense One said:


> What did you use to strip/remove some of the over paint so as to not damage the original paint? Thanks.



 I just used mineral spirits in one area so far ...not sure what to use on the frames & fenders  though..Any suggestions??


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## then8j (Jun 6, 2013)

I started with this bike, tried my hardest to remove the house paint off of the original paint to only be unsuccessful in all my methods . You can see the frame and forks with chunks of paint missing. A spot of red and black here and there but that's it.


Where is the value? Me like some people I really don't care about value, making money is what work is for, this is a hobby it costs money and you loose money on it......
I decided the paint on this bike was to far gone to worry about it. Sometimes it comes off easy. Remember they may have painted the bike because the original paint was bad and need a repaint, instead of just a color change. That's what I think mine was.

The best is to repaint in original colors enamel then bury the bike in the back yard for a month or two and call it patina....lol


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## Intense One (Jun 6, 2013)

*When to strip and repaint*

I'm always looking for suggestions as well.  I have a couple bikes that someone painted over the original paint and really did a crappy job!  In this case, if I couldn't get the over paint off, I'd entertain re painting one of them just to make it look nice; more concerned about making it look good to me and not so to making it more valuable.


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 6, 2013)

On my most recent bicycle, I used a combination of a Dremel tool and Acetone. This particular bicycle had several layers of house paint and spray paint on it. It originally was totally black. 

Stripping the front fender back to the original black factory paint:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2013/03/1935-hercules-3-speed-model-g.html

The rear fender and the fender set:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2013/04/removing-paint-from-bicycle-fender-and.html

The starting point is to find the least aggressive solvent that will pull the over-paint. This gives you the best chance to keep what is underneath. In my case, the Hercules paint was not bothered much by brief exposure to Acetone (longer exposure would probably pull it up). The housepaint and spray paint, on the other hand, came off with Acetone and Dremel work.


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## tommydale1950 (Jun 24, 2013)

*Original paint*

My Emblem bicycle is around 90 percent original paint. The 10 percent that not is on the lower forks. I would not even think about painting the fork to make it look "nicer" . It is a true survivor , if you dont like my patina as I ride by so be it but dont try and talk me into restoring the paint ... just saying ...


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