Dilemma: Help me decide.

[CRASH]

You may have seen my Fair Lady restore: http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/72-schwinn-fair-lady-restoration.85597/

The frame has some chipping issues. I was thinking of just touching up the original paint. But after talking to Pete of Hyper-formance, he believes with the amount of small chips I have in it, it will end up looking like it has chicken pox, so recommends a repaint. I could do that pretty easy and cheap, but here's the dilemma:

My daughter's favorite color isn't yellow. I thought restoring it to original would be cool. But if I strip the paint, then the sky is the limit for colors. If I match the yellow to make it look original, would I be forcing the color on my daughter?

Part of me wants to just clean up the OG paint, but it will have glaring blemishes. If I touch-up it may be worse. But if I repaint a different color I will be straying from "correctness" which is blasphemy in some circles.

what to do... what to do...

 

[rfeagleye]

As we have talked about before through email, I think leave it the way it is, just clean it up with one of your detail jobs and let her ride. I remember when you got that bike, I think it is pretty clean, I would leave it as is and let her ride.

Also, leaving it as is keeps the value higher I think. A Schwinn Fair Lady isn't a big dollar bike on resale, but a nice original like that one, with a nice detail, would have some decent value when she moves on to something bigger.

I would not touch it up, I agree with Pete, it will look like it has the pox!

Just detail it, you'll be happy. That bike is very clean!

 

[CRASH]

But what of the rust? Lay some Evaporust-soaked rags over them... then what? Will they look black instead of rust-brown?

 

[rfeagleye]

Maybe soak that part in Evapo Rust? Like a small tub for dishes or something? Meaning just soak the bottom bracket, not the whole frame.

 

[kingfish254]

I can't speak to the collector value of the Fair Lady, but my gut reaction is to paint the bike the way that your daughter would like it.

 

[rfeagleye]

True Kingfish, ultimately it is what his daughter wants that counts!

 

[Mr. Kool]

Don't touch it and build another one to your daughter's specs. This way everybody is happy.

Seriously it doesn't looks that bad like this, but if it was mine i will do what my daughter wants. Value in her eyes is more important to me. You will be forever a super dad.

 

[Chad T]

Doesn't sound like you're going to be happy with the touch up scenario but I've had them come out pretty decent.

I would go with what your daughter wants on the color if you respray it.

 

[CRASH]

Pulled the frame down and asked her what she thought of it. "I love it!" she said.

So it's settled. Staying original. Next step will be to un-rust the spots. Then I'll see. The touch up paint is $30. So... I may skip that. It's such bright paint that blending isn't really going to be an option.

 

[kingfish254]

Don't you love it when things just work out?!!!!

 

[Irocit]

My favorite kind of bike to collect are clean originals like your Fair Lady...And mine. The kind of bike that has blemishes but not too bad, thats for me. I like them better than repainted ones.

 

[Chad T]

Pulled the frame down and asked her what she thought of it. "I love it!" she said.

There you go. I'd just grab some yellow rustoleum for the chips. I usually try to pick a color that's just a bit lighter for touch up. Seems to blend better than if the touch ups are darker.

 

[ZygoteLittle]

Pulled the frame down and asked her what she thought of it. "I love it!" she said.

So it's settled.

As parents, there is no better feeling then having done something that puts a smile on our children’s faces.

You’re a good dad, CRASH!

 

[kleinbike]

I'm glad she likes it as it is! I was going to suggest finding another frame with really bad paint to repaint whatever color she wanted and keeping this frame as it is.

 

[CRASH]

I'm glad she likes it as it is! I was going to suggest finding another frame with really bad paint to repaint whatever color she wanted and keeping this frame as it is.

That's a really good suggestion! But part of the appeal of this whole bike for me is that I pulled it out of the barn and bought it from the woman who was the original owner. So I wanted to keep it together. And it's a '72 which is my and my wife's birth year, which is pretty cool.

 

[kleinbike]

And it's a '72 which is my and my wife's birth year, which is pretty cool.

That's the year I was made as well, so I can understand that! It was a good year.

 

[Ziggyboy]

Say, Crash. Why can't you just sand it where the rust is, making it fairly smooth and then retouch the paint there? How about a little bondo after sanding to make the bad areas smoother before touch-up?

 

[CRASH]

I may try some touch up in some inconspicuous places. I want to find a cheaper paint though.