vintagerando

Here is a good example of not looking close enough before buying. I paid $35 for this Fuji.
Here what it has: Ukai rims, Fuji cranks with Sugino rings, Mafac Racers, Tange Headset, Suntour Power shifters, Suntour V GT derailleurs, Sakae handlebars.
The big problem is that it was re-painted. I should have caught it but didn't. I would have to put $60 into it to make it sellable: tires, tubes, cables. In my market, I don't think I could get it back. So, should I just take the parts I need and scrap the rest? Sell it as-is? What are your thoughts?
Thanks.

daf1009

The parts should easily net you the cost of the bike...yes, you will need to put them on eBay, but, it is not that much hassle. Also, you can probably sell the frame on eBay for the amount that you paid (of course, you have to ship it...). Actually, if you take a few minutes to clean everything up, and do not mind the eBay work, you might actually make a tidy little sum...

But...to answer your question, yes, I would part it out.

CliffordK

Is there damage to the right chainstay? How bad? That might direct my decision somewhat.

I'm not big on bike flipping... Either grab the parts you want, but nothing looks particularly high quality, but it was cheap enough.

Or, I would probably fix the tires as necessary, then do a quick mini-tuneup and give it away or sell it as you wish.

wrk101

I buy bikes like that routinely. I might not have paid $35, but I would have been interested in it. If the frame is straight, it goes to the co-op, I sell a few of the parts, and the rest go to my bin. Parts include: HS, seat post, wheels (if wheels are bad, hubs), crankset, bottom bracket, derailleurs, shift levers, brake levers, stem, bars, brake calipers, etc. Its potentially a long list of useful parts, some of which should go to eBay.

Its not going to be a slam dunk, but it will be OK.

I picked up a similar quality bike last Friday for $15. If I rebuilt it, I would have been upside down by the time I was finished. So its a part out. I should end up around $75 in parts via eBay, plus some decent parts into my parts bin, plus a frameset to the co-op. Not life altering money for sure, but it adds a little $$ to the bike fund.

Realize some of the parts into the bin could make some future rebuild financially feasible.

vintagerando

The tube at the chain stay is bent in..but I am not sure if that is by design.Since the paint is flaking it may be damage.
I am going hold onto the decent parts from this bike. What to do with the frame is another quesion. I begining o collect a number of steel, lower quality frames that are not worth restoring. I wonder if the scrap steel is worth saving.( I hope dont upset anyone with this comment)

mstateglfr 

Donate. Donate donate donate. Frames can go to the local coop and you could even call it a tax deduction assuming they are non-prof.
Do a mass cleaning of all the parts, keep what you like, and ebay list the rest for 'buy it now' pricing to ensure you break even financially. Keeping the parts you wanted plus donating the frames means you came out ahead!

Bianchigirll 

If your plan was to fix it up and sell it why is the repaint a deal breaker? It isn't like it is a sought after Professional or Finest.

Is the frame really bent at the BB or is the tubing crimped from the factory? If the chainwheels are rubbing maybe the spindle needs flipped.

mparker326

I am with BG, it doesn't look bad to me. Someone who buys this bike isn't going to be concerned with originality. I am not sure that it is a repaint. I would fix it up and sell it. You probably could get $120 for it. Not a lot for your time, but you knew that when you bought it.

Cougrrcj

Looks like my old orange '74 Fuji Special Tourers. It being a lower end bike isn't a total deal breaker, but probably still worth $100.

My two Special Tourers (first one was stolen at 4mos old) were F9B18529 and F9B18546, both manufactured in Feb of '74.

clasher

Around here you could easily make your money just selling any road frame with horizontal drop-outs, people are still doing fixie conversions like it's 2006.

lostarchitect 

It's fine. The derailleurs alone are worth what you paid. Put $50 into it and sell it for $150. Most people don't care if a bike's been repainted.

ramzilla

$35 is a fair price for that bike and, I really don't understand why it's called a re paint. Why would anybody go to all the trouble to re-paint an ordinary bike like that? I like Fujis a lot. They're great bikes. That one looks like it needs a lot of new parts. If it was completely restored you might get around $250 for it. But, needs about $125 in parts first.

vintagerando

Actually, all derailleurs are in working order. Wheels are ok. It needs the typical consumables: cables, housing, tires and tube.
Does anyone know what the cable clamps for the top tube would have looked like? If the components are Suntour, would there have been Suntour cable clamps? Did Suntour make cable clamps?

ramzilla

Yes, Suntour made beautiful cable clamps. Good luck finding any NOS replacements. Plenty of new "no
-name" cable clamps on Amazon & ebay

lostarchitect 

Just buy dia compe cable clamps. There is no need to go super period correct on this bike.

CliffordK

I doubt painting the headset was factory.



Plus the lines on the white paint in several photos aren't perfect.

Is it possible to tell if it is the original paint that has been touched up vs repaint?

Nonetheless, this won't be purchased by a "collector", but rather it is likely destined to be a commuter, or as mentioned, perhaps a fixie, so nobody will care as long as it is complete and working (or for the fixie rider, perhaps just a sound frame).

eschlwc

orange bikes get at least a $50 bonus where i live.

vintagerando

Whomever re-painted it appears to have just painted the little bar between the chain stays, the fork, the eyelets on the rear drops, etc. Just accents I guess.