mrv 

Howdy
Trying to get a feel for what this bike should cost.
Tange steel. 1980s. Don't know the brand, probably Nashbar or Performance.
The serial number on the seat tube is FF64749. The original color was some kind of purple, pink. You can see it under the yellow. I've spayed it matte black (one coat of primer, two cans of black, one can of clear matte).

I'm selling it with a vintage Shimano 600 group, but 8-speed bar end shifters. The wheels will be Shimano 600 hubs (1990s vintage with new balls, cones, grease). Mavic REFLEX rims, used.
It's a smallish frame: 53cm I think.

I think it's worth $1,000,000. But I doubt I can get that much.
Let me know what y'all think I should be able to get.

If you click the photo link, there is some verbiage / text on the side of the photos if you click the photos.

Photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/11838...65798816508529

Thumpic

That's a nice build and great looking bike. My market demands a pedigree for anything without brifters and priced over $3-400. Here, an unbadged, unknown bike won't bring $1000; not even half that. Even if it looks as good as yours. I hope you get what you want; but I wouldn't price it over 350 and be happy to get 250. Maybe if you put it on consignment in a LBS you could expect more.

Edit.....you may be better rebuilding that frame as a SS and save the good stuff for a known frame. You'll sell for about the same.

bikemig 

I don't know where in MI you live but I'd be surprised if that bike went for $350 in IA. Clean build and looks good but it has no cachet. I like the bike but $250 sounds about right, maybe a bit more.

zazenzach

^^^ very generous and strange estimates.

as is, a no name bike with rattle can paint job is $100 imo. youll get more by parting it out.

you didnt specify what series 600 it has. are they all 6200? how do you know it has tange tubing? and what type of tange is it? where onn the seat tube is the serial located?

It has some interesting features so maybe someone on the forums here might be able to determine what it is for you.

zazenzach

With all due respect to the OP, look closer at the finished pictures. the paint is pretty rough in some areas (particularly near BB and drive side fork end). and thats just what i can see based on the pictures.

i also dont know whats going on with the dropouts and the forkends: if that is just clear coated raw steel or what. if thats the case it will wear out soon and become a rust bucket.

I dont mean to be hard on OP, ive enjoyed painting my own frame and building it up from scratch too. but this type of nitpicky stuff does hurt resale value.

oddjob2

L+1 maybe $150 on a good day, for a "no name" frame, but the market is tight and there are plenty of good enough bikes for around the $100-$120 mark around the D. I laid out less than $50 for this ST400 the other day.

OldsCOOL

Ok, where did you find that for less than 50.00??

oddjob2

It was on CL for two days, seller was a homeowner in Plymouth.

OldsCOOL

Congrats on a sweet score!

Bianchigirll 

I would have to agree. You would likely be better off selling it as a FG or frame/fork only and use the parts for something else.

Did you go through the effort to paint this just to sell it? You should always ride a bike for a few weeks before starting a huge project like this.



Your joking about this being worth a 1,000,000.00? You would be hard pressed to get that for NOS '86 De Rosa or Colnago with SLX tubing and C-Record group w/ Cobalto brakes.

mrv 

yes - $1,000,000 was me kidding - i'm really after $100 billion dollars!

I was hoping the guestimates would clock in around $350 complete bike as a fair price, especially with the Shimano components. I will have to check on the Shimano 600 version, but I think it's early 1980s 600 (not Ultegra).
I was thinking the plethora of Schwinns on C.L. always have an asking price of $100 or so. I was thinking this was about 3 times as good.

I've kicked around the idea of keeping the components for a personal build. I really like the 'style' of them (or lack of maybe...), so that's definitely on my mind as an option.

As far as why 'rattle can' the frame, if you look at the photos, you can see the brushed on yellow that was on it, so my stripping and spray bombing was big improvement.
I did it for two reasons: 1. the yellow was wretched; 2. I wanted to learn about stripping and painting; 3. I was setting it up for my son who quickly out grew it.

The the drop outs came out "silvered" (dunno if that's a real thing) when all the paint was off. It looked like some one put a braze coating on the dropouts intentionally. I did spray clear over them, but with the understanding it would not be durable.

The fork head tube says "tange"; the serial number is on the drive train side of the seat tube, right where the front derailleur clamp would go.

Did I hit all the questions?

mrv 

An additional question: If I powder coat the frame/fork, would that make it a $100 frame/fork? What's a popular color?
I have access to a Tech Shop with a booth and oven. So for the cost of a pound of powder (about $15), I could coat it.
Of course the prep work is about 2 hours, at least...

Thumpic

If you want to put more into this bike; spend your efforts on rebuilding it to a SS. Personally I wouldn't spend anymore money and as little time as possible on this bike. Powder coat won't add value, but maybe curb appeal.

oddjob2

It's mid 1980's componentry. I have bought Shimano 600 equipped bikes such as 1986 Raleigh Comp Reynolds 531, Serotta Nuvo Special Columbus SP, Schwinn Super Sport and a few others I can't recall for $50-$225, fair to good paint and decals. The've needed overhauls, but I do my own work. I could not get $300 for the Raleigh, so I sold the frame and fork.

Orange, it's almost Halloween. PC will not likely add material value to the frame. Without provenance, who knows what's under the PC? Certainly the original condition doesn't convince any knowledgeable buyer that it was a worthy frame to paint.

daf1009

STOP! putting money into this frame...take the parts off, sell them through eBay (or put on a worthier frame)...and take what you can get for the frame as it stands. As others have said, with no provenance, there is very little value to the frame...

zukahn1 

+1 With no provenance spray painted Japanese frame the most your get in most markets is $200. I would seriously consider parting it out or keeping it as a rider. Spending addition money on this bike doesn't really make sense.

velocity

Its a Centurion Dave Scott Ironman
V

mrv 

Excellent! I mean, just knowing. At least now when I ask $1,000,000 for it I can ID it.
- Thanks for all the replies.
I get the jist - don't spend anymore money on it; probably better off selling the frame/fork and using the components or selling them individually.
If I try to sell as a complete bike, at least I have a reference point for valuing the thing.

zazenzach

how did you come to this conclusion???

As far as i know, Centurions should have serial numbers on the underside of the bottom bracket. and the ironman serials ive seen all start with an Nxxxxxx.

oddjob2

FYI, if it is an Ironman, you should know a super clean Ironman won't bring $300 in Detroit. Very little name recognition.

But upon looking at mine, there are no eyelets on the rear dropouts, and it has the adjustment screw for the rear axle, so velocity may have erred in his judgement.

KonAaron Snake 

What you have paid isn't the same as what others can sell a bike for.

zukahn1 

+1 The tenative Centurion Ironman ID won't help price a lot. Excellent condition examples with mid level components like the 600 stuff , and nice original paint and very nice wheelset only bring $300-400 on the high end. This is a realy nice build so I would say $400-450 which is on the top end price wise.

velocity

Right I was comparing it with one of my two DSIM centurions. Where ther is remarkable simularities there are some things that are different. So I digress my guess.
V

oddjob2

I realize that, but when clean Cannondales and Bianchis, maybe needing a tuneup, with Shimano 600 languish for months at $200-$250 on Detroit CL, the OP needs to know his undocumented bike would unlikely sell for anywhere close to his target price, which is well above well regarded makes.

mrv 

nuts.
how 'bout a FUJI? Fuji Bicycle Serial Number Formats - 1971 through 1991
I can't make my s/n work though... FF64749.

need the History Detectives....