Phil_gretz

First thing, change the direction of the front brake pad cartridge holders. You have them reversed, and they are unsafe. The opening that allows replacement pads to slide into the holder must be oriented toward the rear of the bike. Second, level the saddle. Third, make absolutely certain that you do not have the stem higher than the minimum insertion mark. Again, for safety. Good luck with your sale.

francophile 

brixxton , like it or not, @bikemig is right on this one, for several reasons:

1) The 531 decal on the eBay bike is a sticker - a bike of that era would use a waterslide decal, often under clearcoat. It's not a 531 frame.
2) We know the sticker isn't original to the bike because that design style of Reynolds 531 sticker didn't exist in the era that frame was made
3) eBay is full of con-jobs who do BS like that, putting fake stickers on something, in order to bilk people out of more money
4) The eBay frame, while not listed genuinely, is sadly in much better shape than yours, paint-wise, take it or leave it
5) I dug back: That frame has bene listed no less than 4 iterations, which is a red flag it's overpriced and/or most lookers realize the 531 decals aren't legit
6) eBay is also full over over-inflated garbage and you absolutely CANNOT rely on the prices of active listings; you need to click the "Advanced" link to the right of the search box and click "Sold listings' in the options

I see you've already listed yours, so maybe we'll see how accurate everyone is here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/164761776365

But, still, I've done #6 for you and it appears there are no examples within the last year. Only current examples, with a green one (repaint) nicer than yours sitting with zero bids at $150.

So let's watch the auction to the end - I don't think it'll close higher than $225 w/o a shill. I suspect it'll close in the $175-225 range, tops. I hope, for your wallet's sake, we're all wrong

juvela

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good points all

however the 3TTT Tourist model handlebar stem of this era, ~1972, bears no insertion mark


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francophile 

I was really hoping to see how this one panned out on eBay but I guess the OP got cold feet, cancelled all bids, and pulled their eBay listing prior to auction end. Darn. Guess we'll never know.

Still languishing on CL at $595, taking tidbits from the appraisal here ( @juvela you're famous! ), and keeping it super classy as expected. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik...292597698.html

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brixxton

Charliekeet

"but patience please" ... for what?

And why in the world would you put the rude response you got IN the actual sale ad for the bike?? Are you thinking that someone will see that and decide to pay your price because someone else told you it wasn't worth it???

Charliekeet

(Perhaps I should be less sarcastic and simply say I don't think that's a good idea for you if your aim is to actually sell the bike.)

brixxton

You just might be onto something.

francophile 

Oof. Hot pic, but those chrome lugs are in much worse shape than I thought.

brixxton

it comes off with a sharp blade, tin foil no good, any thoughts?

francophile 

Chrome is a metal plating. What you're seeing is the chrome coating flaking off and revealing raw steel underneath - not good. This can happen when you combine time/age with either (a) poor care and/or (b) poor coating quality, i.e. the chroming method was bad, hasty, poorly done, thin, etc.

There's nothing you can do if it's flaking that bad except take it to a professional, have the chrome stripped, and have it rechromed. Most shops would put you in the $800-900 range over here, where EPA regulations are far less stringent. It's a hell of a cost, and one more reason for the stated value everyone is giving in this thread is pretty on-point. That bike is perpetually going to rust at every bare-metal spot, it'll be a nightmare to keep up with if actually ridden.

Chrome is not a non-porous coating and the aluminum foil trick is a stop-gap measure that works for corrosion, but not full-on flaking. You need to understand rusty chrome happens when water is allowed to to penetrate a pore in the chrome, thus oxidizing the steel under, which leaves a bump in the chrome and eventually expands that pore in the chrome if not dealt with swiftly leading to full-blown rust.

The aluminum foil trick is supposed to work by scraping the rust spot off, then sloughing off some aluminum into the pore to clot it. If top-coated, this is believed to help re-seal and, because aluminum is silver in color, give a uniform flat look. I know there are plenty of folks out there who swear by this trick, especially when used with acidic agents like cola/soda, but it's not a silver bullet. The best possible solution if the chrome is not yet flaking would be a proper two-pass acid-jelly etch, followed with paint prep and clearcoat.

I feel like I have a pretty solid reputation for being fair to folks, regardless how I feel about your opinions, attitude, or actions. I'm not jiving you here. You can take it or leave it, but I've been doing this for decades with vintage cars and bikes alike. That frame isn't garbage, there's still value in it. However, it's clearly had a hard life and needs a ton of work. Most people won't invest it knowing the cost involved. As-is, it may have one owner left unless correct steps are taken, I just don't know who'd spend the money on something so low-mid range.

shelbyfv

I guess I missed out on the mo' money gene. Probably why I'm not wealthy in my old age. I'd feel ashamed if some ignoramus gave me $595 for that unremarkable rust bucket.

brixxton

Thanks for the advice.The bike isn't going anywhere. My knee jerk reaction to the $K3 Bianchi L'Eroica caused an awful lot of fuss and even some severe nastiness (eh little Alex?)
I rescue bikes that interst me.
I try not to pay more than $50
walk away if its stolen to good to be true
When I get to 10 I have to sell before I get more.
Anyway let's keep it interesting

brixxton

lovely old stamp
wa



upgraded the rear derailleur put on a newer Camp I'm not sure exactly what model it is new matching pedals which is great good score and then I think the red looks great with the blue in the warrant so not all original anymore. I'm liking it

Dylansbob 

Might want to check that rear derailleur housing setup...

brixxton

i haven't got a good rear wheel. if I wasn't chik sht id figure out how to take the original hub of the steel wheel and put it on something good
If that's possible

brixxton

With the original steel wheel back and Campagnolo Omicron front.

brixxton

Garlatti Redux



A few months back I rescued an unusual bike which turned out to be a 1970 Garlatti "pure sports machine" ,not my words.Many thanks to the folks on the forum that helped me with information on the provenance of my find.
I ended up managing to keep it all original when my balloon got popped so after stripping part of the frame to reveal chrome and upgrading the Campag derailleur it got relegated to the third division with Arsenal.
Until I found out that in Europe they are selling for over 1100 Euros!!! The last one sold for sold for 1101.87 Euros.
Here we go again..............................and thanks for all the fish

Drillium Dude 

what

DD

philpeugeot 

Not this again...

randyjawa 

If this is your Garlatti..?

oneclick 

Can't be, head lugs are totally different.

His is clearly a higher-end model.

nlerner

More Garlatti is the updated version of more cowbell.

randyjawa 

The picture I posted is a picture, taken from the thread that he (or she) started - Garlatti Completely Origional...

If he, or she, did end up buying that gem from Vintage Steel Bicycles, I will stand corrected.

bikemig 

no, read the OPs original post.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-original.html

the OP is just looking to start a fight.