Touch up paint chips or leave it alone?

[Grey Ghost]

I have a new (to me!) 1969 Schwinn Krate.

Everything is in really good shape except the paint. The chrome is really intact and the components are pretty nice still.
The paint has a lot of chips and scratches in it.

I just degreased it and am going to lightly rub out the paint to get any oxidization off.

I don’t really plan on selling it or anything. I bought it for me, to ride.

However, would touching up the nicks hurt is value terribly?
Do CABEs like the playwear and would rather see it left alone?

Compared to many unrestored Krates I see online, mine is in pretty good shape.
I have a recovered Orange Krate seat coming and an Orange line rear tire, so I am putting some money into it to make it as authentic as possible.

They call rough old cars “50 footers”
They look really good from 50’ away.
However, up close...

My bike is a 10 footer.
The frame anyway.

 

[Drosentreter]

I have a new (to me!) 1969 Schwinn Krate.

Everything is in really good shape except the paint. The chrome is really intact and the components are pretty nice still.
The paint has a lot of chips and scratches in it.

I just degreased it and am going to lightly rub out the paint to get any oxidization off.

I don’t really plan on selling it or anything. I bought it for me, to ride.

However, would touching up the nicks hurt is value terribly?
Do CABEs like the playwear and would rather see it left alone?

Compared to many unrestored Krates I see online, mine is in pretty good shape.
I have a recovered Orange Krate seat coming and an Orange line rear tire, so I am putting some money into it to make it as authentic as possible.

They call rough old cars “50 footers”
They look really good from 50’ away.
However, up close...

My bike is a 10 footer.
The frame anyway.


View attachment 1713078

View attachment 1713079

In that condition I would repaint before I ever tried touching it up. The big spots will be nearly impossible to Blend in without notice. Good looking bike for sure. On my budget I would leave as is though.

 

[Grey Ghost]

In that condition I would repaint before I ever tried touching it up. The big spots will be nearly impossible to Blend in without notice. Good looking bike for sure. On my budget I would leave as is though.

That’s kind of what I was thinking. Maybe hit the big spots like the chainstay.
I have a special formula car wax that should make it shine well after the polishing.

 

[Drosentreter]

That’s kind of what I was thinking. Maybe hit the big spots like the chainstay.
I have a special formula car wax that should make it shine well after the polishing.

I meant the big spots will be hard to hide even with touch up paint.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

In that condition I would repaint before I ever tried touching it up. The big spots will be nearly impossible to Blend in without notice. Good looking bike for sure. On my budget I would leave as is though.

Part of the beauty of that bike is the paint. I do not think it is all that bad. There is a lot going on with a 5 speed Krate to distract. If you are going to get all 9/10 parts and fresh chrome then I could see painting it. You will never match the durability of the original paint. I think a freshly painted bike with a few chips looks like junk where as an original paint it is almost expected. It is up to you and that is the real beauty. Clean it grease it and ride it. You can always break it down and have it painted later. It will not improve the ride just the smiles. Good luck

 

[volksboy57]

Are you sure it is original paint? Where the shifter is, it looks like a paint chip to bare metal. I don't know if that is right. I would think there would be red primer under there.

 

[Grey Ghost]

I believe it is original .

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Are you sure it is original paint? Where the shifter is, it looks like a paint chip to bare metal. I don't know if that is right. I would think there would be red primer under there. View attachment 1713095

The shifters were installed with some black adhesive tape there. I've seen the tape pull paint and primer with it after being bonded for so many years. Also, I've seen people get hasty with the removal of the tape....

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Orange is one of the easier colors to replicate, but I highly doubt the cost to make it happen will be equal to the value it will bring to the bike. Unless painting is just your everyday job.
"Repaint" is a talking point for negotiating a lower price typically. It's a used bike with common wear points showing. It validates authenticity to me. Like coasterbrakejunkie said, with all of the parts installed, the chips will blend in better than a bare frame....and once you repaint it, you'll have to baby it because modern solvent based paint just doesn't bond like the original baked on enamel. Closest thing to that is powder coating and that usually ends up with orange-peel, fading, and color match problems too. Not saying it's impossible to repaint it right, but I've just seen so many problems with doing it that the thought completely turns me off now. Thinking about the first time a springer fork flips around and knocks the fresh paint off of a frame pains me.

 

[Grey Ghost]

I left the tape exactly where it was on the shifter.
Funny, I saw a picture of a removed shifter just a day later and it showed the tape in the exact same position. It’s even still sticky.

You guys have pretty much convinced me not to repaint the frame. I wasn’t sure about the cost but it sounds like more than I want to put into the bike.

I appreciate the input.