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Bicycle vs Automobile restorations

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I enjoy car restorations. I look at the so called patina cars ... rat rods. ...They look used. Nice but Doesn’t do anything for me.. if the car is in excellent original condition it should be saved just as bikes. Steve McQueen bullet brought 3.5 million.. to me it’s a historically important car and I agree with the price..but it was a pice of junk without Steve’s name.....half restored cars....People Seem to call them originals.. they are not. They are partial restored.. new paint means new paint not old. custom cars / bikes are amazing.. tons of work and looks like art when done.. I enjoy them but not doing them. Too much work / money and not enough appreciation. I lucked into original and restored bikes I buy what shows up not anything specific. Original Patina seems to be the norm for bikes.. I have them as some restored. I freak when a restored bike /car gets scratched but not a original.. funny to think that way because scratches is a form of giving patina and years from now it will be patina..lol
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@redline1968 , That firebird turned out gorgeous. And that looks like a lot of work. I know why I'm not a car guy, Not because I don't like cars, but because I don't have the skills, money or the patiencs to complete an undertaking of that magnitude. I appreciate your view as a car restorer. I don't think that your firebird would be nearly as appreciated if you were driving it around looking like the top photo...Maybe cars don't hold up as well as @Aaron65 talked about in the earlier post as people drive them into the ground and they rust through, so you end up having to do major body work to make it sound. And once you start the major body work, you aren't left with the option to keep it original. Often times there isn't much left to appreciate by the time a car ends up in someones garage ready for restoration.
 
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I'd say one big difference between cars and bikes would be that most old cars are worth more modified until we get to the muscle car era or certain rarities, but general use cars are worth way more as Hot Rods. Model A is a shining example, where people will buy older restorations and slip a whole new chassis under them.

my 61 Dodge is a good example of the differences between cars and bikes. it has 80% original paint, and a worn but original interior. has some rust in the rockers. it would be worth more with a repaint and new interior. no one knowledgeable about old bikes would redo a bike in this condition.
 
The thing I don't like about high end restorations is it seems to be more of a "paint show". Like it's been said, "restorations" will wear the wrong wheels, wrong interior etc, but everybody drools over the ten coats of rubbed lacquer. How many times on Barrett Jackson have your heard them say, wow look at that paint ! A properly restored vehicle is preservation as is an original untouched vehicle. If a item speaks to you as is, leave it. If it needs some restoration it will let you know. Don't just "restore" it because you want the shiniest one on your block.
 
I agree with all of the above comments, but as I said the spectators who like the looks of a restored bike at a parade aren't into the hobby and they're usually just looking at bright shiny things. The people who are into the hobby view things differently. I've been restoring most of the bikes that I have because when I bought them, they had already been abused, painted with house paint, and were nowhere complete; there was no patina to begin with. I can make more profit on a restored bike than trying to resell one in patina (if it'snot one that I want to keep.) Different strokes.

(Sure wish I could buy new fenders, floor plans, quarter panels etc. for my Rivieras. Lots of difference between putting on a reproduction and getting out the welder and the English wheel. Like rolling out an old fender or buying a repo.)
 
As a collector and a restorer....I prefer NICE original well preserved bikes. No patience for rust and patina unless there is
something rare an unique about the bike (IE rare bike showing most graphics etc through rust and wear and tear)...
I thoroughly enjoy restoring deluxe and collectible models but have no desire to own one.
Restoring bikes is laborious and time consuming but I really enjoy recreating show room new looking with as much
original equipment including tires as possible... I believe the restored stuff, if done right, will last for generations...
and who knows...in 200 years if we're all still here... right up there with rare art. Same goes for the nice originals
and rare examples.
As far as bike restorations go...there are only a handful of people I know who do this at high levels.
Sad thing is...the majority of "restored" bikes are mediocre at best attempts... Perusing Ebay gives
you an eyeful...
Then you have the unknowing buyers...believing they are buying a 'museum piece' only to find
out later (hopefully) from more astute collectors they bought a hack job.
A far greater % of restored bicycle are grossly misrepresented....than honest restorations out there.
Wish it was the other way around but I've seen too much of the reality.
 
The reason the reality TV shows show complete "restorations" on cars is because people like watching the work. Not much interest staring at a car for an hour that is already nice. None of these are really restorations, mainly because very few people know how to apply single stage paint. In my opinion, old cars look stupid with clear coat finishes. But it is cheap and fast to get a car to look shiny with clear coat. Not much skill required compared to a proper single coat finish. I have been collecting 60s era cars for a long time. Nice, original condition cars are still in garages waiting to be recommissioned. Here are a few of mine, all original cars, after recommissioning. Lots of work went into all of these cars, but they are original cars.

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But it is cheap and fast to get a car to look shiny with clear coat. Not much skill required compared to a proper single coat finish.

single stage paint will be cheaper than a base/clear just about every time. the needed skill is the same regardless of the paint.

people get nutty with "restorations" I ran across a guy who thought if you did not use NOS or good original clips for the chrome trim it was a not a proper restoration.

this is why I like Hot Rods and custom cars
 
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