Repair or Replace?

My custom Bob Jackson took a tumble in the garage, and acquired a rather nasty dent in the top tube.

It has slightly affected the quality of the ride, as the integrity of the tube is compromised, but not too noticeably.

I took it to Bob Jackson's for their verdict, and it wasn't good.
The top tube would have to be replaced.
I could keep riding it as it is, but eventually the tube would start to split, and any knock the bike gets would weaken it further.

The cost of the repair, with a paint job equal to the one it has now, is at least £270.
Ouch!

The frame is pretty large, (64cm seat tube, 58cm top tube) but I wanted original gauge tubing because of the rare lugs used. The thin tubing does give a bit of a whippy ride though, and I've pondered going for outsized tubing for my next build.

So the question is, do I repair or replace?
A fat tubed replacement, full custom, would be about £520, although I'd probably upgrade the tubing to something stronger than 631. We're probably talking £600 for a new frame.

Or do I fix it for £270, even though the frame is a couple of years old?

Thoughts?

Vaz will charge you heaps less...

Lucy

For the cost involved I'd get a new frame.

The current one could be sold off cheaply as damaged, the next owner could make the decision to repair or run into the ground as a polo bike.

^^good advice DJ, almost exactly what BJ told me to do.

I'd probably get BJ to do any work on the bike, Teenslain, because I get shop discount and I live about 3 miles away. If I decide to repair though I'll look to him for a quote.

it depends which way you're leaning....
if you want to get a new one, do it!!!
I'm sure it'll be pretty.