Brompton Paint / Polish

[JohnHughes307]

My son has given me his older Brompton (about 2010 I think) to fettle and sell for him. It is a British racing green S2L which seems fine - I've sorted the front wheel bearings and fixed the sticking front caliper so the bike now rides well. I've sourced a better (Brompton) saddle as his was very worn, so I now just need to pretty it up before selling it on the bay.

My concern is the paint - it is very dull, almost matt in finish, so I was tempted to get some T-cut or similar to try and get it to shine, but he tells me it has always been like that. What do you guys think? Just clean it well for the photos or go for something more strenuous?

All thoughts / experiences gratefully received 😁

 

[raggydoll]

If he says it's always been like that then I doubt you'd get it much shinier.
I'd just give it all a good clean.

 

[rogerzilla]

They were matt (or satin) from 2009. My 2008 bike was one of the last of the gloss ones. That was no better; the paint just flaked off and it needed a respray a year later. I have had earlier-made Bromptons with really good paint, even now.

(Dates corrected - I was out by a year. I remember seeing the new matt ones on Whites of Malmesbury in summer 2009, when I was buying parts to rebuild an ancient L3).

 

[mitchibob]

I quite like the matt finish on my 2016 and 2018 brommies... just has enough shine after cleaning by giving the final once over with a GT85 covered cloth. The annoying thing is that they still put a very glossy, solid, Brompton sticker on them, that for me, slightly cheapens the whole effect. I mean, surely everyone can tell it's a Brompton? Was the first thing I removed from mine, then found some nice dragon stickers, that while glossy, weren't a total block of gloss, and probably make it go faster! ;-)