For many years while living as an expat in China, my main commuter bike was a vintage Chinese model. I believe it's a Yongjiu, though the branding isn't entirely clear, and I'd welcome any insights on its identity. I suspect it might be from the 1960s, though it also has some commuter stickers dating from the late 90s. Many of its parts have been changed over time due to repairs – the fixit man on the street corner had no regard for authenticity of parts.
I brought the bike back to the U.S. with me, but it was poorly stored (in a shed by the ocean) and is now very rusty. My goal this summer is to get it back into good, rideable condition.
Here's my dilemma: Should I try to salvage some of the original paint and just clean it up ("cleaning around the rust" as Bikespeeds Man says?). Or, should I totally strip everything down and do a repaint? If I go with a repaint, I'm considering a slightly non-traditional color like midnight blue or forest green.
I'm torn on the best approach. Any thoughts, experiences, or guesses on the bike's brand or era would be greatly appreciated, or on fun colors if I should give fresh paint. The first two pictures are the bike in its current condition; the third and fourth are from when it was “in service.”
by HuaFeng36