# perfect Merckx



## ciclisto (Nov 8, 2005)

While in my local LBS the owner who sells high end carbon in a boutique setting, saw my steel bike and i was asking for some old campy parts, and he suggested I follow him. Well!
He proceeds to show me the most perfect Merckx Corsa Extra; just restored and hanging on his wall. I was a 20 year old or so frame and he had Joe Bell in San Diego chrome all of it and then left the fork chrome and the rear stays 1/2 way up (all 4) and the rest of the frame which had a jet tube and braze on front derailleur tab. He painted it a racing green with checkerboard inserts and of course the right decals which were cleared over so as not to be felt with your hand. Only a headset was installed and it was hanging from a polished wood
rack like a Beretta shotgun. Perfect!! I told him it beat all the expensive carbon as an object d' art. He claims a restoration price of $1900 ( maybe an exageration,) but nice none the less.
Happy Holidays and may Santa bring you one of these.


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## brewster (Jun 15, 2004)

Probably not too much of an exaggeration on the resto price. Once you get into chrome work on top of a Joe Bell paint job, you are getting into serious cash. You can easily drop $1000 on paint work itself with him.

The "perfect Merckx" always comes with photos....sounds tasty.

brewster


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

The paint is definitely the expensive part, and the chrome not as much as you might think. I once knew a guy who just found an auto body place that did chroming and took in a frame to have dipped. They didn't have a clue what to charge him as they'd never chromed a whole bike, so he just paid them $20! 

JB's paint and decal work is sublime......not for everyone's budget, but if you have a resto you want done right, he's one of a handful who get it done right.


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

brewster said:


> The "perfect Merckx" always comes with photos
> 
> brewster


+1000

Pics are mandatory. Sheesh.


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## thedips (Mar 26, 2007)

i knew joe bell was the man and what he does is great... but wow his name is seriouly everywhere... 

i would love to have him repaint my bike as soon as i get it back from repair.


and +1 on pics with that perfect MERCKX


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