Barn Find?
 

Looking for some suggestions on how to value an old bike. Friend asked me to sell her old bike for her, turns out to be a 1981 Eddie Merckx race bike. Think it's a Professional series, serial E2324, with all of the original Campy Nuevo Record components. Been in storage for 20-30 years, pretty good condition, 55 cm frame.

Pic assist:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0b9f5024d2.png
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...73d10a0fcb.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4853881b1a.jpg

Don't think flat black is a factory finish.

I’ve never seen an Merckx frame with such a plain paint job. Is it stock?

The photo of the bottom bracket shows the lock ring with paint on it. Someone probably rattle canned it at some point.

yep. See it now. Looks like they painted the cables too.

Why would anyone rattle can paint a Merckx?

Theft deterrent?

Or after theft deterrent. ;)

Does that fork crown look like Merckx? Can't really tell from the angle, but the drive side almost looks like it says Moser to me.

Probably 1981? E= 1st series, though it has the EM seat stay caps, rather than the script caps from the very first batch.

"Eddy" on the non-drive side, "Merckx" on the other. I love OP's version of it his first name :D

Anyway, paint could be theft deterrent, could be a thief obscurant, or another possibility is it's not a Merckx, just a Merckx fork on a decent frame, and the bike was repainted one color to make the fork and frame match.

Given the amount of rust on the calipers, we can assume everything steel is rusted, all the mech's springs, spokes/nipples, all that jazz, and potentially the stem and/or seat post are stuck in the tubes, which could result in damaging the frame on removal if not handled carefully. Not to mention, replacing all those little rusty bits cost a pretty penny, so anyone who knows how quickly that adds up isn't going to want to pay more than $200-300 for the bike as it sits.

So, short version - assuming the frame is all-Merckx, with non-original rattle-can paint job, rusty everything, everything rubber rotten, and potentially siezed parts, I can't see this fetching more than $200-300 as it sits.

When I see a bike that's been painted like that, I assume the bike is stolen.
Something odd about it.
That's not the original seatpost or saddle. OP claiming all original Campy NR
Wheels? Should be tubular tires?

Recently, an EM bike was for sale locally for about a year. Same color scheme, high asking price. Was finally taken down during the COVID bike boom... I always wonder if someone bought it.

Owner claims the black paint was original. It looked exactly like OPs. I wish I had the serial number information to compare.

e: Some details I remember about the local EM... Same fork crown as OP, same lifeless matte black finish, same stickers with just a EM head tube sticker, same bottom bracket shell. Just a few tidbits I can recall.

I'm guessing it's early 80s, maybe late 70s based on the braze-ons but I don't know EM much. No way that paint is original. Wouldn't have overspray on the lockring.

Here's one with the same fork crown, but I'm assuming it's higher prestige based on the chrome and pantographing: Early E Merckx 1980

Likewise here's one with a serial that's not far off, about 200 frames if serials went in sequence: Merckx #E2534

Actually, one more example from CR, this is a nice looking bike!:

E5306 @ Merckx bike, 1980s, gray with chrome lugs

Value depends on the contents of the seat bag.

Straight block freewheel usually indicates serious rider. So clinchers probably mean these were training wheels.

Oh, one last observation: If it's been in storage for 25-30 years, there's no way that rear bag and those hoods are in such pristine condition unless this bike got a 1-2 hour deep clean already :D

I've gotten bar finds, porch finds, shed finds with bags on them and those only sat for 3-4 years and the bags along were so far gone they wouldn't come near that clean. :D

Thread moved from C&V forum to C&V Appraisals forum.

True version of a barn find
 

Truly amazing what is out there for a patient but knowledgeable seeker of two wheeled vehicles. Recently caught a guy tossing a Schwinn Cimarron into the scrap metal pile at my local recycle center. Needless to say it's well on it's way to riding single track again.

:thumb:

Nice job, detective. We’ll need to give you a raise... Some red flags here. In whos barn was this found exactly? :foo:

Merckx frame, judging by seatstay caps and BB:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...61fd434e81.png

Nice modern LED-looking rear light for something that's been in storage for 20-30 years :lol:

OP is in his 70’s, lives in flat Florida. Perhaps his GF also lives there. Hence, possibly, the straight block freewheel.
Definitely a Merckx frameset, late 82 or early 83. Likely Columbus SL and a Pro, DS BB markings would tell us more.
Agreed, this is a total basket case in terms of making it into a presentable Merckx.
Probably a fine street level rider as is, but toss in a $500+ paint job and a ton spent on component cosmetics and agree with others as posted above- that’s a $200 bike as is.
Should also note that in current condition as pictured it’s impossible to determine what the actual metal surgace looks like. Matte hides many sins.

Thanks for all of the informative discussion. Felt I needed to go back to my friend to get some additional information. Probably not quite as much of a barn find as I had thought. She bought the bike in the early 1980's from an Italian bike racer in South Florida who owned a bike shop. She had them change out the wheels for the clinchers when she bought it. She rode it regularly in some competitive amateur races up until about year 2000, then stored it and only rode it infrequently up until about 3 years ago, hadn't ridden it since. It was always stored in their air conditioned space. The bag was actually put on in the late 1980's, but the LED light and seat were added about 6 years ago. She doesn't know if her previous husband repainted it, unfortunately, but from all indications he or someone did a decent job of it. It seems to ride well, gears shift smoothly after a little lube, seat post adjusts easily, tires hold pressure but I'm sure need replacement due to their age.

Paging @CyclesMakaron