shrtdstncrdr

I bought a Trek 510... Shimano 600 (arabesque). Dark blue. The right size and with a leather saddle made by a defunct company from Colorado. Has a cut out. Rides on 700c Continentals and stops well. But the bike could really use a repaint. Worth it? It seems really hard to find bikes in my size I take em when I find em. Meaning I may have overpaid. This one has no dents but some wear spots in the paint. Surface discoloration. A well loved (ridden) bike because the frame seems to show it. The guy redid all the mechanicals and everything works like oiled glass. I read Retrogrouch's extremely well written and informative take on the various steels and decided to just buy it. I'm pretty sure it's more than anyone here would likely pay for one of these. I'm thinking about getting it repainted (same color) over winter.

No pics yet but maybe soon.

no67el

If you like the bike and you're happy riding it, then it's worth it. Almost certain that whatever you paid, it's a lot less than a new steel frame would cost. Sounds like it's been well-used and well-maintained, so probably ready to give you decades more riding.

As far as repainting? I've come to love the wear and tear marks on my old bikes---- something about the lived history of the bike being visible. But again, it's up to your personal taste--- some people like things shiny and new-looking.

So ride on and smile! Enjoy your bike---- steel bikes feel great.

N

seedsbelize 

I over pay, frequently, for bikes, due to my location, and my size and desires. I personally don't care about paint but if you do, by all means have it painted.

wrk101

Depending on the overall paint, I prefer bikes that show their age. Like this World Voyageur that had been left in the woods for ten years. I've had five World Voyageurs, three were pristine, one was really nice, and then I had this one. This was my favorite, I let it go to another forum member. It was a real sleeper. None of the parts are original, as living out in the woods did them in.



1973 Schwinn World Voyageur - 3 by wrk101, on Flickr



1973 Schwinn World Voyageur - 2 by wrk101, on Flickr

Goofball

Paint is for losers

Trakhak

Now laughing friends deride
Tears I cannot hide
So I smile and say
When a lovely flame dies
Smoke gets in your eyes.

shrtdstncrdr

Feel much better now. Thank you.

Going to readjust that funky saddle. See if it loses that "ain't right" feeling...

qcpmsame 

Nothing to deride at all, its a personal preference thing whether to paint a C&V frameset. As long as you don't expect the value to increase from a paint job, just make you own decision and stick with it.

After reading a number of threads here, and articles elsewhere, about just letting the patina speak for itself, I have become proponent of getting the mechanics working correctly and smoothly. If its been cleaned up and good as I can, and the steel and lugs/welds/brazing et al, are I good nick, I have stopped trying to make things "as new".

Keep it riding smoothly, mechanically sound and safe, and maintained properly, and enjoy the miles and smiles it gives me.

Bill

easyupbug 

The derision is with you, it is a personal preference.
To me it depends on the character of the bike. My show pieces would look terrible in my eyes with chips, but my Zurich looks purposeful and has added character with some chips. It is the same with our C&V truck and antique furniture. None of this is a tea set the queen gave us, it all gets miles and use but some just seems to need the extra care and keeping.

mechanicmatt

I'm assuming it is built with 501 Reynolds? I had a 501 Reynolds trek 500 once, it was one of the best riders I had.

You can leave it, deal with the patina, or you find someone to touch it up (I have a buddy that touches up almost back to new using nothing but Testors hobby paint and skill), or get the whole thing painted.

I've chosen all three of the options and not regretted it. The nice thing if you get it repainted, you can get things like down tubes braze-ons for shift cables or touring racks mounts if you wanted.

I'd always tune it up and ride it awhile first to make sure you want to go all in.

Classtime 

We need pictures. Then we can decide to deride or not.

Hudson308 

REPAINT A TREK?!?!? Who would do such a thing?!?!?

I would.



Well, actually it's powdercoat. If you're interested in that, contact Doug the Powdercoat Man in Maple Grove. He's currently on a street rod road trip, and he'll be touring Europe on a '61 Paramount in July or August. But when he comes back, he'll be gearing up for another winter coating frames. Blasting and coating a frame and fork costs a very reasonable $120.

fishboy316

I like to let my bikes tell their story. I only repaint when they are totally trashed, but that's me. Whatever blows your dress up is the way to go!

Slightspeed

My first build was a lesson in over paying. I found a mostly bare frame in a scrap metal pile. I suppose the paint was livable, but I just couldn't abide the color. The frame felt light, had great looking lugs, and after research, I found out that it was a 1973 Raleigh Super Course. I went into it slowly, stripped the paint, didn't spend much on components (with help lurking here on BF). I built it up as a stripped rat rod. I enjoyed the ride so much that I decided to go for it on paint and decals, and a couple of frame repairs (cracked seat stay brazing at seat post junction). Some demented past rider had removed all the braze on cable guides, and I decided to add a bottle boss (should have added two). Bottom line is that I have around $1000 (mostly paint and frame upgrades/repair) in a bike that might be worth $400 on a good day. Except to me. I love this bike, and its worth every $$$ to me.


Frame as found, stuck seat post, missing cable guides, ugly paint.


Folliwing paint strip.

Capella lugs.

Trial build as rat rod. I fixed the seat angle, and the pedals and bottle holder were temporary, but I loved the ride.

Finished frame, non stock Toyota Spruce Mica paint, repro decals, NOS fork.

Finished ride. Too much spent, but worth it to me.

markwesti

Here is a blast from the past . Also IMO Shimano Arabesque is one of the prettiest grupo's out there . OK this is just me , re paint and lose the fender mounts .

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...rek-510-a.html

shrtdstncrdr

This is like mine. Ishawata 022. I was thinking going with the original color but after seeing what you've done, just wow. Thank you I'm going to pursue this.

shrtdstncrdr

As it stands, the fellow from whom I bought the bike did an amazing job with the componentry. Everything is buttery smooth. Feels right. Reacts right. Looks great. It's as though the paint, the frame itself is the last thing on the agenda. It's the visual contrast of detail; mechanically unmolested. Unmarred. Yet the paint looks like she was ridden hard and put away wet. And maybe she was.

ironnerd

Stunning. Just a beautiful bike.

shrtdstncrdr

Man you guys have some beautiful bikes.

Just when you think you favor a certain thing, someone here puts up another showstopper. Weird thing is, I've learned that pristine can mean restored or it can mean original and full of interesting stories, like a dog eared book.

PatTheSlat 

Is the paint chipped and sc****d away or just faded and discolored? You'd be surprised what an hour with a polishing rag and some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound followed by some carnuba wax can do.

EDIT: this site has, hands down, the absolute stupidest word filter I have ever seen in my life

The Golden Boy 

Funny thing about bike builds- some of the builds that I've thought were... not so cool... have become inspirational to me a little later.

shrtdstncrdr

Chipped and s-c-u-f-f-e-d away. A dark red discoloration which means get it solved sooner than later.

shrtdstncrdr

A part of me wants to go candy yellow with white accents. Something blindingly bright.

thumpism 

A Trek 510 would have had Ishiwata 022 tubing throughout. I found a blue one with decent paint but wanted lots of braze-ons so sandblasted it clean and then rattlecanned it after the brazing was done.

The Golden Boy 

Something happened and the stupidest letter combinations got filtered. Like university.

Edit- the just fixed uni.

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