Classic & Vintage - Paint and Decals

Want to get my lugged Serotta repainted and new decals made/applied and then clearcoated. I had Waterford do my Paramount. They did a good job, the second time around. One slightly crooked decal, but good quality paint and done well (again, took them two tries). Expensive, slow and difficult to deal with. But good work.

I am wondering who has had first-hand experience with CyclArt or any other custom repainters. I don't want a 'fancy' paint job. Just a single color of very good quality with decals and a clearcoat (or three).

I will purchase the 'Serotta' decals from Serotta, but the others require that they be custom cut. Does anyone have experience with any decal suppliers that they can recommend? Again, CyclArt will do, but I don't know the quality of their work.

Thanks.

I have heard very good things about a painter in
North Carolina, Mary Pfieffer (or something like that)
info is on my work PC, I'll find link and post tomorrow.
Dale at Cycles D' Oro also does some really nice work.
Just curious, since the Serotta is a prototype why would
you want to paint it?

Marty

Want to get my lugged Serotta repainted and new decals made/applied and then clearcoated. I had Waterford do my Paramount. They did a good job, the second time around. One slightly crooked decal, but good quality paint and done well (again, took them two tries). Expensive, slow and difficult to deal with. But good work.

I am wondering who has had first-hand experience with CyclArt or any other custom repainters. I don't want a 'fancy' paint job. Just a single color of very good quality with decals and a clearcoat (or three).

I will purchase the 'Serotta' decals from Serotta, but the others require that they be custom cut. Does anyone have experience with any decal suppliers that they can recommend? Again, CyclArt will do, but I don't know the quality of their work.

Thanks.

Everything I've heard about CycleArt has been positive. From everything I learned about them, they have an excellent reputation when restoring, repainting and re-decaling old bikes. I was going to have them restore my 3Rensho, until I decided to sell it.

lotek - the bike was obviously ridden quite heavily. Lots of chips and scrapes and both sides of headset is worn through where the cables came off the bars and around. No damage, but a bet ragged. Like my '65 Porsche 356C sunroof coupe, when it got into a similar shape I had repainted. Lot of folks think it takes away from the value of the bike to have it repainted. It certainly didn't with my 356, so don't think it will with my Rosse.

After talking with CyclArt yesterday, I have forwarded the JPegs I posted to them to quote a complete set of original artwork on the decals. As mentioned earlier, Serotta could not be more supportive. They are looking to see if they have any original photos of the bike. They think it was originally blue and white. If so, I will will probably put it back to that color scheme. Also, as CyclArt was the consultant on Serotta putting together their in-house paint system and does custom decals for them, they should be able to match the existing decals. Based on our phone conversation, that should cost about $125, or so.

Like my Porsche, this will be come an active bike in my stable. I don't own functional items as artwork. Anyone want to buy a 54cm Scapin frameset. I have pretty much decided to sell that and move my Record group over to the Serotta. Put the Centaur on the Scapin, if anyone is interested.

Mary Pfeiffer at Kool Bikes (http://www.koolbikes.com) gets
very high marks. She is on the east coast (Central S.C.) so it isn't too
far from you. One of the services offered is decal reproduction.
Cycleart is good, albeit expensive.
When i read your other post, yeah I agree a repaint is probably in order.

Marty

Have sent off JPegs to both CyclArt and Koolbikes for quotations on the decals and painting. Waiting their replies. Thanks to all.

As it turns out, there is a bike paint shop just up the road from me that advertises in the back of Velonews. I talked to the owner and he will do a single color Emron (polyurethane) for $140. If I supply the decals he will apply for an additional $10 and do three clearcoats for another $10. he can get fancy for another $25. As he is only about 40 miles up the road I will drop by and look at his work. He was the frame painter for the Mercury team and their bikes always looked good to me. Am getting quotes of $400+ from the other sources. And another $200-300 for decals. Starting to get a bit steep.

If you haven't made a decision yet PM John E. He just had his Capo redone by CyclArt and, judging by his comments, quite happy. He could give you the direct experience info you're looking for.

I resprayed my Basso and my wife's, probably Raleigh, 531 frame and am happy but certainly ain't in the biz.

Down to $100 for the decals. So with, say $200 for paint, decal application, and clearcoat from my local guy I am only in for about $300. Not too bad. Probably stick with the orange, but that sure isn't a very pretty color. May have to go with something else. My Rosse is orange because that is the Dutch national color (remember this bike was named for Ben Serotta's mother, who is Dutch). However, this is one of two ever built, and the other one was blue and white. Thus, I don't feel to constrained to paint it stick with orange.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Do you still have that old Scapin frame?

I have an '02 Scapin frameset that I would like to sell, but nothing 'old'.

Down to $100 for the decals. So with, say $200 for paint, decal application, and clearcoat from my local guy I am only in for about $300. Not too bad.


Not bad at all.

I did the same dance as you a few months ago, and ended up going with a local fellow of some reputation, Ed Litton in Richmond CA.

I called CycleArt twice, and they never called back. I talked with a very nice and knowledgable fellow in (I believe) El Cajon - I think his shop was called Vintage Bicycles, or something like that. In the course of the conversation he asked me who else I was canvassing, and I mentioned both Cycle Art and Ed. He had high opinions of both, and said he was a personal friend of Ed's. He told me that if Ed was local, that was my best bet because Ed does excellent work.

I gave Ed a call and went to visit with my bike. He looked it over and discovered a crack in the head tube, but thought the bike would be an excellent restoration candidate. While there he let me look around and was happy to talk about my various options as well as bikes in general.

I mulled it over for a couple of months, and decided to commit. Ed is charging me $250.00 for the one-color spray with clearcoat - he usually charges $300.00 but gave me a discount as I was getting the head tube repaired at the same time (that was an additional $75.00). He had a sheet of repro decals, and that cost me another $60.00. Add another $40.00 for the pinstriping around the lugs, and I ended up at $425.00.

It is there as we speak, so I cannot speak first hand as to quality of work - but I will be able to do so soon as he promised it by 6/15. If the bikes I saw around the shop were any indication, I'm going to very pleased with my "new" Mondia Super.....

John D.

Hey Paramount/Scapin...

I have had first-hand experience with Joe Bell in San Diego. He restored and painted my first (of two) Scapin frames about 12 years ago. I have never seen such a great job. I have bought new bikes since and no factory paint job even comes close to Joe's. He puts so much paint and clear coat over the decals that you never feel the decals and the paint lasts forever. I am still riding that Scapin regularly and can tell you that the paint holds up better than any of the other (six) bikes I have.

I will be sending him another frame to "immortalize" for me.

Check him out...he's on the CampyOnly.com website.

I second Bob Gabele's recommendation. I have a Joe Bell paint job on my Gitane Team Pro. It's the best looking paint I have ever seen, even after years of use. The wrench at my LBS told it looked new just last week.

The next frame I need painted will go to Joe. Well worth the price.

Joe paints Richard Sachs bikes, if that means anything to you.

c I talked with a very nice and knowledgable fellow in (I believe) El Cajon - I think his shop was called Vintage Bicycles, or something like that.
John D.

That would be Brian Baylis, not a bad painter or framebuilder himself (and friend
of Joe Bell).
I would kill for a Wizard frame (Baylis and Howard), and his current
work is without a doubt spectacular.

Marty

I let the painter source the transfers, if they muff them, it is not on your dime.
All painters can make an error. Cycleart does nice work, just too thick for me.
What region are you in? How perfect do you want it?

That would be Brian Baylis, not a bad painter or framebuilder himself

Bingo - that's the guy, Brian Baylis. Very courteous, very patient with my unending questions, very knowledgable. He would have got the nod, but all things being more or less equal, I like to support local talent when I can.

John D.

And Brian Baylis has just set up his shop for restorations.He has a web link but I do not have it---anyone?----sam

Brian's web site is:
vintage cycle studios (http://www.vintagecyclestudios.com/index.html)

I've moved on to a Trek 2300 Al/carbon frameset for my daughter and Trek lugged 770 for myself. Will let the folks just up the road at The Color Factory (Tuckerton, NJ) do the work for me. He does a good job at a reasonable price.