davei1980

I really want to repaint this frame metallic green but the original paint is almost too good to mess with (almost).

Convince me not to paint by telling me how to remove the dopey decals so I keep just the beautiful gold and oxblood red factory paint!

Also, I bought this for $20 thinking it was lo-end everything, which is mostly true, but it's Tange Infinity tubing, made in Japan. And check out that shiny crank! That's definitely getting reused!

holytrousers

The decals look great, don't take them off

_ForceD_

The paint looks good, and I like that scheme. Don't remove the decals...looks like their original. I'd just clean it up...maybe upgrade/modernize some of the components...and ride it.

Dan

squirtdad

don't bother with a painting to do it right is a ton of work and unless you use automotive paints it won't be durable at all. and to do it right costs way more than you would think

Nice centurion, frame probably made my Miyata Imho that is a nice looking paint scheme

ljsense

Looks like it's got some tire clearance.

I'd try acetone to take the decals off. If that doesn't do it, you buffing them off with a polishing compound and a cloth wheel. Or if they are even more stubbon, as in painted onw, you could use very fine sandpaper, 800 grit and above, to carefully remove the letters without removing too much paint around them. Then you'll have to sand with really fine stuff, like 2000 grit, then polish the paint. Pretty tedious.

Please post the after photos when you get it done. I love trash to treasure threads.

HillRider

Depending on the type of paint, acetone is likely to remove, or at least damage, it too. If the decals are on the surface of the paint, adhesive tape rubbed over them and stripped off may remove them. If they are under a clear coat, nothing but sanding will get to them.

As noted by you, the frame is the only reasonably high quality part on this bike and the Suguino crank is decent. Everything else is very low-line.

davei1980

Yep, everything is going on the trash heap, save for the crank and frame. I am going to replace the old BB axle setup also with a cartridge. Good bike for $20 I paid and I like the HED rims paired with it, but it's for riding and will never be a collector piece.

squirtdad

I actually don't think the rest of the components are espeically low end, more mid level to upder mid level for the period. looks like suntour power ratcheting levers....which work grreat and a stem mount can be good for a city bike. cant tell what the brakes are but would bet on diacompe....and of course the suicide levers are terrible, but period. cant quite tell what the derailler is. stem and seatpost look at least mid level

Not sure what the op has in in mind, but a bike like this makes a great city bike with just putting new bars like the velo orange postino and brake levers on.

but it should ride well centurion of this period were well made

davei1980

Thanks! The seatpost will get reused, it's some fluted thing. I don't get to hung up on those.

The brakes are alloy diacomp. They will be replaced with some dual pivot ones, probably tektro, with a little more reach for the 700c brake track.

I am thinking 700x38C Gravelkings and some VO Milan handlebars or similar. I'll take it down to 1 chainring and throw my Ultegra 6600 long cage on there and a wide range 10 speed cassette.

I would love to use my dura ace barend shifter as a thumb shifter, but I cannot locate a mount that works as such.

So what does that make it? A city-gravel-cruiser? Sounds about right. Basically will be my backup/loaner bike for when my brother is in town or my bike is down for repairs. I coudn't resist at $20

squirtdad

sounds like a fun build something like this might work https://www.cambriabike.com/products...hoCzIQQAvD_BwE

davei1980

Thanks so much, yes that may absolutely work, I have a 10 speed Ultegra casette I was hoping to use with my dura ace shifter, but I am betting I can buy this gem for $25 plus a used 9 speed cassette that will work for less than the cost of converting my existing shifter.... Then again I may just donate my SRAM 12speed drivetrain to it (the cassette uses an HG driver, not XD) and upgrade my other bike to GX or XT!!!

DECISIONS!

veganbikes

[QUOTE=davei1980;21646206
I would love to use my dura ace barend shifter as a thumb shifter, but I cannot locate a mount that works as such.
[/QUOTE]

Paul Thumbies for the win. Also some nice Paul levers and some Paul Racer Brakes and you got my vote.That could be a real sexy bike as a 1x fun machine.

davei1980

Don't threaten me with a good time! I was just LITERALLY looking up pricing info on Paul racer brakes!

Amt0571

It's too nice to paint it. Even the decals look nice to me. The color scheme is great.

BTW, tell me where you can buy such a bike for $20...

davei1980

Same place I buy everything else - FB marketplace.

The stem shifters and foam grips in lieu of bar tape indicated a cheap bike, but the price was right and a little research turned up the fact that it's made of good tubing (Tange Infinity, not top notch but a long way from plain gage hi tensile steel), and made in Japan (still has the sticker, a quick S/N search indicates may be made in same factory as Panasonic).

So yeah, I am happy with the bones, but it's not like it's a Paramount that I wouldn't dare touch, I can alter to my heart's content. I think it will cost about $400 to make a LEGIT build, which sounds like a lot but $400 gets you a pretty uninteresting bike these days, IMO

Thanks again man, I appreciate it

Retro Grouch 

What's your objective for the bike when you are finished rebuilding it?

If your objective is to flip it, leave the paint alone. Buyers would rather everything look as-original.
If you objective is to keep it for yourself, nobody else's opinion, including mine, matters.

davei1980

Wow. That's a really great point.

I am keeping it. If I were flipping I'd probably do nothing to it. I don't really buy bikes to flip - the math doesn't work out in most cases.

It will be heavily modified and probably handed down to one of my kids when I am gone!

davei1980

Thanks you obviously have good taste! I actually like this thing and plan on riding it, I am not much of a flipper, and I am skeptical my local market will fetch $300. Here's my idea

- Dork disk/reflectors - already gone. I may keep the kickstand just because this will be a practical, hack-around bike. I already own a much nicer one
- I have a saddle in the bin I'll use. It's not period but that's ok. It fits me. I'll snag a B17 down the road if I can find a smokin' deal on one
- Gonna run swept back alt bars with some mtb levers I have so that takes care of the ridiculous levers on there
- Shifter - I am working on - I may be able to use my dura ace bar end shifter if I can find a bar top mount for it that will work that's not $60
- Bars won't be wrapped since they won't be drops, but I am working on some ergonomic leather grips with a guy in portland
- For pedals I'll run some alloy MTB platform dealy. Never been a fan of toe clips
- Wheels have already been swapped out with HED Ardennes 700c rims to give me wider flexibility of tire choice and a tad more clearance. I will either run 700x38C gravelkings or some similar all-road tire in the same size.

After that I'll probably keep a look out for a slick front basket and a saddle bag, would be good on my commutes where I have to carry more than the usual amounts of stuff, like when I swap out bath towels in in the office shower or have to pack different shoes.

I really appreciate your input! I love all the ideas!

veganbikes

Oh I will threaten everyone with a good time or death. Paul makes awesome stuff. I was just planning on buying Motolites in purple then said I gotta have the levers and then I said ok I gotta have a seatpost and almost bought skewers but finally had to say enough fun. But they make really great skewers, I have them on my touring bike and they are so nice.

xiaoman1 

Good advice...but after all that I would consider keeping it.
Ben