Originally Posted by
Rabid Koala
I have painted three frames in recent years. The first was a free Giant that was pink, and I had no intention of riding a pink bike. That one got rattlecanned. Not much value there to lose. Numbers two and three were Raleigh Competitions, one Japanese, one English. The English one was in really shabby condition, the Japanese one was a previous respray that was peeling. I used real automotive paint on both. They taught me that respraying frames with automotive paint was a pain in the ass. They looked beautiful when they were done, but now I try to buy bikes and/or frames in decent original shape. I do have a Gitane TdF frame that I may powdercoat or respray due to the poor condition of the paint. Surprisingly, the French chrome is still shiny.
I get most of my frames for free, or cheap - including, coincidentally a 1993 Giant Alllegre that was free and has a lumpy rattle can mix of matt black, red and army green - with plenty of chips. It's screaming to me for a strip, repaint and rebuild with all parts ready to go from my existing stock. Cost so far - zero. Build it as it is - yuck! I'm not vain but it does look tatty. Paint it in the original colour - orange fade to red? Don't really like it, the paint will be expensive and I can't find the decals in the right colour. Decision - I fancy a white bicycle, no real reason except I don't have one. I've managed to get a set of the correct decals in dark blue. Grey primer, brilliant white enamel paint and clear coat - all in stock in my garage, together with my spray guns. I'm going to spend about ten hours over three weeks stripping, spraying and lacquering it. Ten hours work and total about £10.00 in paint and decals, let it dry and harden then build up with Suntour and SR and I'll have a bike I'm going to enjoy. It's not a classic but it is a nice frame, like the OP's Nishiki. A repaint doesn't have to be expensive if you've got the kit and the time - patience is the key. I'm not sure if a 17 year old frame is C&V, seems a bit young to me but if it is I might post Before and After shots and let you guys decide if I did the right thing.
I guess what I'm saying in my usual long-winded way is I think the OP should go ahead and paint it. I won't touch my 1953 Claud Butler even though it's got a huge dose of patina but when the existing finish is awful and the bike isn't top end, you can only improve things with a good quality spray job. (My opinion)