I recently scored a free 1974 Deelite Apollo 10 speed. As far as I can tell, it has all original parts, but most of the stickers have faded out and there are a few places where the paint has failed completely on the tubes....
👆This.
It’s not going to affect this particular bike’s value too much in either direction. If you think the paint prep is worth the effort then go for it!
From a practical standpoint, you might want to consider at least cleaning up any exposed steel and applying a little clear coat.
Paint a vintage bike or just ride it as is?
I recently scored a free 1974 Deelite Apollo 10 speed. As far as I can tell, it has all original parts, but most of the stickers have faded out and there are a few places where the paint has failed completely on the tubes....