I just reread my post and it may have sounded harsh. Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Even with the chrome in less-than-perfect shape, you can still build a beautiful bike. I just meant that it won't look museum-quality like some people are able to do with full restorations. Looking closely at my wife's bike, the chrome is less-than-perfect. But polishing it up and waxing it helps to keep it looking great from 5 feet.

I like to ride my bikes, not hang them on the wall and look at them. I also hate putting the first chip into a paint job, that's why I prefer used bikes. I only restored my dad's old Gitane for my wife because it was so far gone that all the little paint chips could have led to serious frame issues down the line. And it looked like hell - it deserved better.

If your bike has already had a repaint, you are free to do what you want - there's no loss of "original paint job" on your hands, the PO did that for you. Do whatever suits your fancy and then get some repro decals to keep the identity of the bike. And enjoy the ride!

I may not like to hang my bike on the wall and look at it, but I do enjoy bike porn - post up some pics!