Classic road bike frame restoration/respray

For a few years I've been toying with restoring my dad's old road bike (late 1940s/early 50s), and I've just finished building Mrs F's budget rigid SS ("lovely – very light and whizzy and rather exciting" she said this morning, which is good enough for me), so it may be time to think about the road restoration a bit more while there's a bike-building hiatus.

Everything I've read and everyone I've talked to says Argos in Bristol is the place to send the frame for the restore/respray, but I just wondered if anyone on here had any experience with frame shops closer to London/Herts – I feel I'd like to be a little more involved than just picking a colour off the web and putting the frame in a box and sending it to Bristol.

Thanks,

Roberts in Croydon? http://www.robertscycles.com/

I havea friend who is very much into his bicycle restorations, I can ask him for his recommendations based on his collection.

I haveused Vaz Finishers in Hither Green. I like the guy, he does a lovely job and is very knowledgeable and going to his workshop is a brilliant little adventure. He is also quite cheap. But, as others will say, he does not produce a very durable finish. My old roadie is looking heartbreakingly bashed up after very little serious use.

Ah, yes, Roberts, good thinking – I used to lust after a White Spider back in the day, and Croydon's reasonably handy. Thanks.
aP I'd love to hear your friend's recommendations, please.
Thanks again,

I like the sound of a brilliant adventure (even to Lewisham!), but I'd like a durable finish too.

If you want involving.. try yourself… just re-sprayed my wifes frame and forks and am so chuffed with the result… like you say picking off a web or asking for a finish is not that satisfying, unless you hate DIY that is 🙂

From my friend:

Not south east, but he loves getting parcels… Neill Shankland t/a Atlantic Boulevard. Will do a peerless job but costs an arm and a leg. I use him for restorations and typically pay £300 per frameset. But that's on frames that need a lot of preparation work.
Next recommendation…Argos in Bristol. If you don't fancy shipping then Condor act as their agent. Limited choice of colours 'lo.
Also worth a mention are Fineline (via Chas Roberts) and Colortech (via Enigma Ti).
Finally Mario Vaz for a cheap but functional job that will last a year.

My effort:

Lasted a few weeks of winter before the road salt destroyed many hours of effort…..now powdercoated black….. (it's my daily commuting bike though)

Spankmonkey, I'd love to think I could do it myself and produce a result that looks as good as Paper Lawyer's pic above (coincidentally, my dad's frame is also a Claud Butler, and fixed ridden year round is its destiny), but I'm not so sure I could. I guess there'd be no harm trying – just strip and get it done properly if it didn't work out. Hmm.

aP, thanks again – that's very useful info from your friend. So, without wanting to sound stupid, what's the difference between 'a cheap but functional job that will last a year' and a more durable finish? Preparation? Choice of paint? I'm presuming we're talking stove enamel in all cases, yes? Lacquer afterwards?

Paper Lawyer, how come your beautiful job didn't last?
Spankmonkey (or anyone else) any resources for what I'd need to do to get a decent long-lasting finish?

I put a thread on here about the spray on my wife's bike!… basically i did around 5 under coats, 4 of the main colour and 3 protective coats. I used plasticoat paint, like you say if it gives up you can always send it off… it cost me about £15 in total

http://spankmonkey.pinkbike.com/album/Retro-Marin-Restoration/

My paint job didn't last because, despite several coats of undercoat, approx 7 coats of paint and several coats of lacquer, Halfords spray paints aren't tough epoxy paint, designed to last (well, at least not in the hands of the amateur spray painter). It probably cost £50-60 in materials alone – I would simply send it to Argos Cycles if I wanted a proper restoration done now.

From memory, the lacquer started to crack really quickly which is probably due to insufficient curing time or some other cock up on my part.

I rather like that, Paper Lawyer.

The choice of a pale, powder blue is becoming increasingly popular, which is making me think that my Cotic is going to have to be resprayed another colour.