Classic & Vintage - Do I re-create decals, reinstall head badges??

I find myself frequently rebuilding bikes rescued from trash. They usually get stripped of parts, sanded down and rattle-can'ed (but I'm now a confirmed powdercoat fan), and rebuilt with newer parts. Then I typically give them away --sometimes back to the original owner, but more often to neighborhood families or college kids.

So now I'm feeling a little guilty for having removed the identity of a couple reclamation projects (Mercian frame, Nishiki frame, Trek820 frame, and more) where I made no attempt to restore/recreate decals or reattach headbadges.

I am restoring a Mel Pinto tandem now (newly powdercoated) and may try to recreate the logos. I also have a Viscount Grand Touring frame, and a Schwinn Crosscut full bike scheduled for new paint and build ups. Part of me says to relabel everything as close as I can, so the next owner knows what he has (I do these up expecting them to last indefinitely). But it would never be a total original restoration, so is it really worth it?

I like to ride old bikes, and when I pretty them up, I don't generally relabel them factory. But as a result of seeing all the whatisit threads here, I'm having a dog tag made for my current project:

Wayland's Hammer
'85 Centurion
Tange 2 main tubes

I suppose I may put a crap of paper in the seat tube with the same message. Like a bicycle time capsule.

I have felt the same & decided to at least use a marking pen to add make & model + a bit of rebuild info onto the underside of the bottom bracket next time. The (s)crap of paper in the seat tube is also a good idea. Don

From the point of view of the future owner:
Two of the bikes I've redone came to me with no identifying marks whatever and multiple applications of paint. I would have liked at least a headbadge, but didn't let their lack of pedigree keep me from building them into something unique.
One current project is a roadster bike, the frame of which is very generic. Stripping to bare frame provided no clues to identity, so I threw a wild black-with-antique-white-lugs paintjob on it. The frame didn't even have lugs, so it's a complete pretense. I'm thinking about making a headbadge for it out of Sculpey and epoxying it to the headtube as a goof.
If a bike is something special I suppose it is better to preserve its identity, but those kinds of bikes rarely fall into my hands...

I say go with a completely new headbadge from an obscure manufacturer. This eBay seller in Belgium always has some interesting ones for sale: http://cgi.ebay.com/Headbadge-Superia_W0QQitemZ290188750753QQihZ019QQcategoryZ56197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Neal

I say go with a completely new headbadge from an obscure manufacturer. This eBay seller in Belgium always has some interesting ones for sale: http://cgi.ebay.com/Headbadge-Superia_W0QQitemZ290188750753QQihZ019QQcategoryZ56197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Neal

Thanks, that one looks great, and there may be others that would do equally well, but...wouldn't using an existing headbadge on a phoneyed-up bike like mine be a worse sin than obliterating the identification of a known bicycle?;)
Besides, I have already set my mind to what should go on the handmade fake headbadge. If anyone out there has a humorous suggestion I'd love to hear it.

Neal,

A shudder of fear just rolled through my entire being. :eek:

Vintage identification is a hard enough job as it it.:(

Here's the headbadge I stuck on my 70s St. Etienne:

http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bikes/StEtienneHeadBadge.jpg

Just trying to create some detective work for BFers 20 years down the road.

Neal

Rather than using a bicycle head badge on a non-collectable bike, I like to create my own brand with decals. Anything sounds good when spoken in Italian.

Neal,

A shudder of fear just rolled through my entire being. :eek:

Vintage identification is a hard enough job as it it.:(

I'm not able to post pics of the bike in question, but I can assure you that nobody would believe it's anything but a trashmo after a brief inspection.

I'm thinking of making a fake British headbadge with the noble "Pounds'worth" name, and a set of scales with a fat thumb pressing down on one side. Any other ideas most welcome.

...Just trying to create some detective work for BFers 20 years down the road.

:roflmao:

I do quite a bit of THAT! :rolleyes:

Such as...
http://mbent.net/cycles/paint_gallery/target0.html

Or my very early, built by Tom himself, Ritchey road frame...
http://mbent.net/

Even this one would be tricky if it weren't obvious by the rest of the frame what brand it is.
http://mbent.net/cycles/paint_gallery/target6.html