Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 7,723
Likes: 4,174
From: Berkeley, CA
Bikes: 72 Cilo Pacer, 72 Gitane GT, 72 Peugeot PX10, 73 Speedwell Ti,l, 75 Peugeot PR-10L, 80 Colnago Super, 81 Zinn, 85 ALAN Cross, 85 De Rosa Pro, 86 Look 753, 86 Look KG86, 89 Parkpre Team, 90 Parkpre Team MTB, 90 Merlin
I find it suspicious when a bike falls into possession free and it still has a lock attached. (That is a lock on the rear end of the Raleigh, right?) Not making any accusations, but the vague acquisition history does make me wonder if there's more to the story. That said, assuming my suspicions are unfounded...
I've fixed worse, but I didn't expect to make much of a profit and I enjoy rescuing neglected old bikes. I also have all the required tools. At a minimum, both should get new tires, tubes/tires, cables, brake pads, so likely $100-$150 investment, plus all the time for cleaning and repacking all the bearings with fresh grease. Whether it is worth it depends on how much you value your time. In the end, you'll end up with bikes that are worth about what it will take to fix them--if you fix them well and no other major issues arise.
The replacement fork on the Raleigh is a red flag, as it's often a sign the bike was damaged in a front-end collision. Check for bulges on the top and down tube. Also, is the non-drive-side seat stay bent near the top?
I am not familiar with the BRC model. Looks to be a lower end model with significant rust issues on the front fork.
Might be better off to keep looking for other projects before investing further in those.
Last edited by gaucho777; 07-12-16 at 03:37 PM.
Reason: typo (suspicion --> suspicious)