Originally Posted by
obrentharris
This is a peculiar conundrum. I think that a large percentage of the people out there acquiring vintage bikes are building them up piece by piece rather than buying complete bikes. I have thought of a few reasons for this:
1. They are on a budget and buy the parts as they can afford them.
2. They are hoping to score a deals on the parts if they are patient.
3. They enjoy the process of building up the bike and thus gaining some deeper sense of ownership of the bike.
...
So I'm wondering just how many bikes get torn down into their component parts, sold, and then built back up again from a different set of near-identical parts. How many bikes have gone through this process more than once?
I've certainly built up bikes piece by piece. Bought only one complete bike, my UO-8 new a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. None of my builds have been with completely original-type components though they are mostly faithful either to their original appearance or to how an owner might have upgraded a rider. Were I building a restoration it would have to be as you suggest, a bike taken apart then rebuilt with different but identical components. Isn't that how any restoration would work by definition?
