Originally Posted by
habilis
Someone tried to personalize their bike - not always such a bad thing. Is this a rare or high-end Bianchi? Do the lizards have any artistic merit? Do they seriously detract from the appearance of the bike? Are you worried about resale value, which usually is way below the purchase price when new? Factor in these considerations before deciding that the critters must go. There is always the chance of doing more harm than good.
Sometimes a priceless work of art is damaged, and conservation experts restore it to perfect or near-perfect condition. We mortals have no idea of the time, patience, skill, and technology involved.
Thanks for this comment and all the others. It is indeed a very nice frame, 1990 Bianchi Mondiale. The paint is actually in great shape and I'm making progress on the reptile removal. I feel kind of bad because it actually does seem that someone did work very hard to paint them on. Maybe I'll leave one as a tribute to the original owner. I feel like five is too many though, haha.
So far I've tried-
Goo Gone- it didn't even touch it
Fingernail polish remover with acetone (thanks dear)- it has been working very slowly
Nu Finish auto polish- it's great for after the acetone and buffs it to a crazy deep polish.
It's probably going to take hours to get them off... but the frame is worth it. Plus I have day off.
...Back to work