Damaged De Rosa
 

I just purchased a De Rosa Primato off of Ebay and it arrived with a dent in the top tube. I am attempting to recover some of the loss through the seller and wanted to ask opinions on how much this damage devalues the bike or what the bike is now worth. I've posted some photos of the damage. The frame had several cosmetic issues (which were disclosed by the seller) with paint and decals but that is the only structural defect. The bike has full Chorus groupset with look pedals newish tires.

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/45487...hotos?h=911db7

Also, has anyone had an experience with repairing a bike like this? Who do you recommend to do this repair and what it would cost (ball park) for repair and finishing?
Thanks ahead of time!

was the dent noted by the seller? or did it occur during shipping?

there used to be a set of tools to encircle the frame to remove such dents. if you can find a bike shop in your area that has been around since the '70s and mechanic who knows the tool (and how to use it) removing the dents can be simple

Luckily, I live close to Elliot Bay Bicycles, home of Davidson Bicycles. If you've got local frame builder, that would be the establishment to hit. They'll probably roll the dent out, then fill whatever is left in with brazing. If the color of paint is common and easy to match, they might be able to touch that up. But if it's not, this would also necessitate a repaint. Too bad about the dent, pretty bike.

The seller said the dent wasn't there before shipping. He's been amiable about it and agreed to help out. I'm only looking to reclaim what it would cost to get it back to "dentless" condition. I contacted a repair place in Madison and they said the repair would be $60 but a repaint would be >= $300, and of course shipping costs. I looked up tools to roll the dent out on the internet and found what are called frame blocks from Bicycle research for $26.50. The info. I could find on these said you place a copious amount of grease around the frame and the inside of the block and gradually apply pressure with a bench vise while turning. Most had good results, but nobody said the dent would completely disappear and that the paint would be damaged. Is this the process which you are refering to bianchigirl and stalag 13? Thanks again for your comments.

Yes, frame blocks will remove most of the dent, but will cause some addtional cosmetic issues. If you want it perfect, there will probably be some filling required. The decals are already only partial and there's some bubbling around the tunnels, so you'd probably be looking at repaint in the near future anyway. IMO, anything the seller is willing to contribute is a good deal for you. But $300 is a lot for a one colour repaint.

That is not that big of dent.

It could be filled with bondo sanded and repainted!

That's not the greatest way to do it, yet it happens every day!

If you wanted to you could have a frame builder replace the TT and then repaint!

360. for a fixed repainted frame sounds like a deal. As long as the person doing it knows what he is doing.

It would be much higher if you sent it to someplace like Joe Bell or Cycleart!

Hopefully I haven't used up all my questions for the day because I've got a few more...Is it still possible to get the De Rosa decals. How about the Primato decals? Does a frame finisher clear coat over the decals or does that add to the price? Thanks again.

It's possible to still get decals. You can source them yourself, or have the person doing the repairs/restoration source them for you. They'll apply them however you want, over or under the clearcoat is up to you. If you want it to look super legit, over. if you want the decals to not get scratched/peeled/etc. do under. The price should be the same either way.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll need to wait to hear from the seller to see what I have to work with :50:

Mr Steve,

Send an email to David at Southwest Frameworks in Dallas.
http://www.southwestframeworks.com/
He routinely does this kind of repair.

Marty

Thanks Marty. I'll email them.

Steve

Generally, a dented frame will be worth roughly half of what a non-dented one would be. That, of course, is just my opinion but a dent is a big deal, to most collectors, when value is the issue.

Were I you, I would roll the dent out with the blocks. They do work well but might not, probably will not, completely remove the dent. The cosmetics, as T-Mar says, will also suffer a wee bit. Now...

If the rest of the bike is in good shape, cosmetically (paint, art and chrome), do not repaint. Just touch up the spots in need of repair and leave it at that. A bicycle's original paint, art and even patina are, often times, considered of value.

If you want to have a better understanding of the pros and cons of painting a bicycle, take some time to look through Should I Paint My Bicycle? Doing so might save you lots of cash and heart ache.

Hope this is a help.