We get lots of bikes coming through the Bike Exchange. I have been averaging a restoration a week for some time now. What I look for is a good brand with good paint, usually unrecognizable after a lifetime of neglect, hopefully in a back corner of the garage. I often change out stems and bars and other bits but it is the paint that makes the biggest difference. Black is easy to touch up as there is only one shade. I usually have good results with red as well. Metallic and pearls are mostly impossible to match. After stripping the frame and scrupulously cleaning it and all the shiny bits I touch up then give the frame a clear coat of Rustoleum Automotive grade Clear enamel. This dries pretty fast and since it is only a topcoat over the existing finish it doesn't have much tendency to chip like is often the case when starting with a sand blasted frame with primer, color and clear coats. Then I try to let the frame hang outside in the sun for a few weeks to dry thoroughly.

So here is the bike as received and complete, with a clear coat.