Post by mike141 on Jan 25, 2020 22:14:03 GMT
Hi all just wanted to post this, to share the reality’s of restoring a 58 year old Vespa vbb, Imported from India. Now, I know what your thinking this little Vespa has been around the block more times than your local prostitute, she’s been used as the family car transporting family’s for years abroad, being used and abused, and has done hundreds of thousands of miles and so on, and your not wrong.
After reading some awful articles online about how you shouldn’t import from Asia, Vietnam and India ( these were read after my eBay impulse purchase unfortunately ). As these bikes tend to be bodged death traps with more filler than metal, cheap paint, poor prep and engines rebuilt using bits of old tin and coke cans for spacers / packers and are often held together with pigeon s**t welds. Who would be stupid enough to Purchase such a bike!
This dickhead, it was to late I’d bought it already not even thinking I’d pressed buy it now ☹️ Oh crap.
So After getting it home, and it sitting it in the garage I found I couldn’t look at it for the fear of what if it’s all true in these articles and I’ve bought a pile of scrap.
On closer inspection she was rough around the edges just on the bits I could see. Which made me nervous of what really was beneath. So I then spent days trying to convince myself and my partner it’s going to be great it’s not going to cost to much to get her back up and running, it’s fine love it’s a project there’s always going to be work to do don’t worry love I’ve not wasted our cash, I kept saying while putting a brave face on it.
So, today I started pottering in the garage, the scooter was bought in bits anyway, so I could see the rough bodywork and bits that needed attention and replacing, this didn’t worry me to much as it was visible I can deal with that, but the motor was my worry.
So I thought I need to know what I am dealing with, can it be salvaged or is it scrap. So I dived in, I stripped the motor down bit by bit the barrel and piston, was not in good shape the piston had pieces out of it but had new rings so had been bodged to sell I think, so needs a full replacement, barrel, piston and rings. As well as barrel studs as one had been made up and and was different from the rest.
All seals and bearings and gaskets were are going to be replaced anyway, so not to bothered by that also a new crank as the one in the motor has slight play in the arm, It needs a new clutch cover it’s been bodged and welded, the clutch needs replacing as it’s very worn, the gearbox looks alright however, I will replace the gear selector cross. The flywheel fan is all broken and needs a replacement and I will replace the points, and electrical components. The carb has a piece broken off so also needs a replacement parts. The list goes on.
Also a few other bits will need to be sorted before she will run again.
However, I did not find any tin or bits of coke cans in there but I did find a well worn out motor and a ever growing parts list. Basically everything but the gearbox and cases will be replaced. Luckily the parts for Vespas are reasonable.
I know, I should expect this from a 58 year old scooter as these bikes are tools for some people, even though basically this engine is knackered down to its core, but it still ran! which astonished me. Surly that in itself is a reason why I have to complete and bring back to life this little bike. As it deserves it after such a hard life.
Does anyone know of a good parts supplier. 😂 I’m gonna need one.
Has anyone else had an experience like this?
Mike.🛵
After reading some awful articles online about how you shouldn’t import from Asia, Vietnam and India ( these were read after my eBay impulse purchase unfortunately ). As these bikes tend to be bodged death traps with more filler than metal, cheap paint, poor prep and engines rebuilt using bits of old tin and coke cans for spacers / packers and are often held together with pigeon s**t welds. Who would be stupid enough to Purchase such a bike!
This dickhead, it was to late I’d bought it already not even thinking I’d pressed buy it now ☹️ Oh crap.
So After getting it home, and it sitting it in the garage I found I couldn’t look at it for the fear of what if it’s all true in these articles and I’ve bought a pile of scrap.
On closer inspection she was rough around the edges just on the bits I could see. Which made me nervous of what really was beneath. So I then spent days trying to convince myself and my partner it’s going to be great it’s not going to cost to much to get her back up and running, it’s fine love it’s a project there’s always going to be work to do don’t worry love I’ve not wasted our cash, I kept saying while putting a brave face on it.
So, today I started pottering in the garage, the scooter was bought in bits anyway, so I could see the rough bodywork and bits that needed attention and replacing, this didn’t worry me to much as it was visible I can deal with that, but the motor was my worry.
So I thought I need to know what I am dealing with, can it be salvaged or is it scrap. So I dived in, I stripped the motor down bit by bit the barrel and piston, was not in good shape the piston had pieces out of it but had new rings so had been bodged to sell I think, so needs a full replacement, barrel, piston and rings. As well as barrel studs as one had been made up and and was different from the rest.
All seals and bearings and gaskets were are going to be replaced anyway, so not to bothered by that also a new crank as the one in the motor has slight play in the arm, It needs a new clutch cover it’s been bodged and welded, the clutch needs replacing as it’s very worn, the gearbox looks alright however, I will replace the gear selector cross. The flywheel fan is all broken and needs a replacement and I will replace the points, and electrical components. The carb has a piece broken off so also needs a replacement parts. The list goes on.
Also a few other bits will need to be sorted before she will run again.
However, I did not find any tin or bits of coke cans in there but I did find a well worn out motor and a ever growing parts list. Basically everything but the gearbox and cases will be replaced. Luckily the parts for Vespas are reasonable.
I know, I should expect this from a 58 year old scooter as these bikes are tools for some people, even though basically this engine is knackered down to its core, but it still ran! which astonished me. Surly that in itself is a reason why I have to complete and bring back to life this little bike. As it deserves it after such a hard life.
Does anyone know of a good parts supplier. 😂 I’m gonna need one.
Has anyone else had an experience like this?
Mike.🛵