1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years later!

[Fox]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Thanks, I think that last line was misleading though with hindsight. That's what I was thinking... I even started peeling the old stickers off and bought some T-cut to start getting the frame ready:

The mangled seatpost was clearly a result of the post getting stuck, as they'd mangled the top of the seat tube too. They'd obviously blow torched it to try and get it out, but I decided I could live with some discolouration/a slightly mangled top to my seat tube:

It would be part of the story and character of the frame right?!

The few small scratches on the frame had shiny silver underneath, and I soon realised that the original nickel plating was underneath and in good condition. On stripping the frame the paint around the front mech came off and I quickly realised keeping the original orange paintwork wasn't going to work, so I decided to take the frame to my local powder coaters to have it chemically stripped, the plan being to then polish up the nickel underneath and restore the frame to as it came from the shop in '96.

 

[Fox]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

The powder coaters (Armourtex, you may know them) called me the other day:

You do know the rear derailleur hanger is badly bent?

Oh yes, but I'm sure that can be sorted out, right?

You do know the top of the seat tube is mangled and there's a small hole in the back?

Yeah but I can live with that!

You do know the seat tube is actually bent, and needs replacing if you're going to use a longer post in it?

Er, no, I didn't realise that

 

[Fox]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

So it seems at the moment that the frame is a write off, as replacing the seat tube just isn't worth doing with the price of P7 frames.

I'm very sad about this due to the sentimental value of the frame, but I'm planning to carry on with the build. Once it's finished it will just be a different serial number after all

Now though I can't decide if I should pick up a nickel P7 and polish it up, or pick up any P7 in the right size and get it powder coated in the same metallic orange. It is nice and part of me feels if I am recreating the history of my (sadly dead) frame I should do it right, but the other part of me says restore it to how it was after I fitted the Pace forks but before the respray!

I need to think...

 

[avalonian]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Sad ending to a good story,good luck with the rebuild.
Chris

 

[Fox]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Thanks. It will live again!

I'm currently swinging towards the 'Team Orange' colour. Having done some research, it seems quite unusual. Most Orange orange paint was a lighter shade, I've not been able to find an image of an Orange bike in this shade, apart from this team E4 being raced in the 1999 catalogue:

Maybe someone can help with that?

You'll notice that the 'stock' E4 next to it is in the more usual lighter orange, so it does seem like it was only used on team bikes, except mine when I cheekily asked for it! But would love some extra info on this if anyone knows anything as I've not had much to go on...

 

[MiniNinjaRob]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Ok, I'm gonna talk some sense into you. This is going to be harsh, so brace yourself.

Get the seat tube repaired.

You know you want to do it, don't kid yourself that it won't be worth the money. It'll be worth it to YOU. You've been through so much to get this bike and now you won't fix it? It's not about the money, it's about having the bike back and looking after it the way it should have been done years back when you decided not to lock it up (SHAME on you!).

If you get another identical frame, it actually won't be identical, as it won't be yours. This one is yours and it deserves better. So sort yourself out and get the frame sorted out. If it's all about the money its worth afterwards then you didn't deserve to get it back. ;-) You got it back free anyway, how good is that???

I got my Kilauea back (see my sig for a link) and I would have done ANYTHING to restore it back to how I first had it. I would have saved up and spent whatever was needed to fix it up. Thankfully it was straight but it did need repainting and new decals. The tubing decal alone cost me £15 as I had to get it from the USA but my baby deserved it! I'm dressing it up with the best parts I can afford to say sorry for leaving it for so many years.

And I'll never sell it. You won't either, so the resale value isn't something you'll ever need to worry about.

 

[Retro Spud]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Ok, I'm gonna talk some sense into you. This is going to be harsh, so brace yourself.

Get the seat tube repaired.

You know you want to do it, don't kid yourself that it won't be worth the money. It'll be worth it to YOU. You've been through so much to get this bike and now you won't fix it? It's not about the money, it's about having the bike back and looking after it the way it should have been done years back when you decided not to lock it up (SHAME on you!).

If you get another identical frame, it actually won't be identical, as it won't be yours. This one is yours and it deserves better. So sort yourself out and get the frame sorted out. If it's all about the money its worth afterwards then you didn't deserve to get it back. ;-) You got it back free anyway, how good is that???

I got my Kilauea back (see my sig for a link) and I would have done ANYTHING to restore it back to how I first had it. I would have saved up and spent whatever was needed to fix it up. Thankfully it was straight but it did need repainting and new decals. The tubing decal alone cost me £15 as I had to get it from the USA but my baby deserved it! I'm dressing it up with the best parts I can afford to say sorry for leaving it for so many years.

And I'll never sell it. You won't either, so the resale value isn't something you'll ever need to worry about.

+1


Never a more truer word spoken

 

[Grockel]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Totally agree with Rob

 

[Logic.Al]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

What they said

 

[Fox]

Re: 1997 Orange P7 LX: Loved, stolen, recovered 9 years late

Hmm, I can see what you're saying. To be honest, the money isn't so much the problem - I'm in the fortunate position of having a lot more than I had when I was 16/17! And this will always be cheap compared to last year's full carbon everything audax bike build :shock:

But the tubing Orange used for the P7 was Orange's own Series 8 tubing, what would the equivalent be? Would it really be the same? If I picked up another '97 P7 I'd know that I was riding a '97 P7, just a different one...

The seat tube, according to the catalogue, was also "externally butted at clamp and ovalised at bottom bracket". Could that be recreated?

It just seems like a lot of hassle with potential pitfalls. Logically another frame would be so much easier...