02Pilot

As some of you may have noted from this thread , I recently picked up a bike that appears to be an early 1980s Lotus Grand Prix (identity questions are left in the aforementioned thread; I will refer to it here as a Lotus from here on out for the sake of brevity) that was barely ridden, if it was at all. It needs nothing more than servicing (which I've started), cables and brakes to be up and running safely; cosmetics are not perfect due to storage wear. It fits me pretty well from what I've been able to see in very limited test riding. It's a nice bike.

The issue is that I already have a road bike - my late 1980s Bianchi Strada. It is set up for road service. I don't really need another bike that fills the same niche. Normally, I'd start thinking about converting to single speed, or building a gravel grinder, or some other sort of evolution for the Lotus, or just stripping it for parts. But I hesitate to do that to such an untouched example. It just seems blasphemous somehow. Frankly, even riding it seems wrong, sitting as it does on what look like the original tires, still with the mold flash on the center of the tread intact.

So what to do? Do I sell it to someone who wants a virtually unused early 80s Lotus? Do I fully restore it with new paint and new decals, and if so, to what end? I am not a collector, so 100% originality does not have the same value to me as it might to some. Do I just suck it up and make something out of it that's more useful to me? In the end, it's not likely to stay unused and original if it stays with me, but I haven't decided how I feel about that conclusion.

Thoughts?

arimajol

it's fun to get all into a project, but don't over think it. get it in good shape. take it for a ride. if you don't like it, pass it along. i wouldn't worry about paint or decals. it's a decent bike but it isn't anything real special. just have fun with it!

ftwelder

clean it up, service it properly, ride it or pass it on. It's not a rare bike, it's a fun one..

Snydermann

I probably shouldn't even comment, after all, I'm biased.

I'm sure if the bike was some low-end French junque or the most common gas-pipe American bike made everyone in here would be all worked up over it getting restored. Bikes they built in the millions and you can find for sale on every craigslist in the country, or do an internet search and find a days worth of reading.

It may not be a valuable bike, but it isn't a common model. The Grand Prix was only made a year or two before Lotus started importing their entry-level bikes from Taiwan. The Grand Prix really doesn't turn up all that much and is a pretty nice quality bike for a low price. Certainly way better than many bikes with a more popular name that I see restored on this site all the time.

A survivor bike has a place in my heart. To find a bike unmolested and unchanged that's 30 years old is kind of rare. It won't cost that much to restore the bike, or at least clean it up, and so what if you only ride it occasionally. I have friends with restored cars that they never drive. It's the joy of preservation and ownership.

02Pilot

Thanks for the feedback, guys. The bike is being thoroughly cleaned and serviced; once I finish reassembly, wrap the bars, and get new cables and brake pads it will be good to go. I'll certainly take it for a few rides to get a feel for it, then think about what to do in the longer term.

jimmuller 

What does that have to do with anything?

C'mon man, this is C&V you're talking to!

02Pilot

Yeah, I figured someone would take the opportunity to remind me that I clearly don't have enough bikes. It's really more an issue of storage space than anything else, plus an inborn tendency to want to use the stuff I have. Same amount of riding time/more bikes=less time per bike, which bothers me somehow. I know, I know, I'm just being silly....