Motors Just bought my first (now second!!!) Vespa (pics)

Don't know if there are any Vespa fans around here, but I've recently been 'enlightened' after many years of seeing the rest of my friends buying & restoring Vespas.

So here's some pics of my first Vespa (of many I'm sure!):










It's a 1978 150 Super, registered as a 125cc but has a 200cc motor installed

I'll hopefully be picking it up (from London) around mid week so more pics when it's in my garage.

I plan to strip it down and give it a new coat of paint (already bought an air compressor ) just don't know which colour yet...

 

Nice - I'm sure it'll look fantastic once you've tarted it up a little.

You should do a project log of some kind - I'd love to see the different stages of refurb.

 

Thanks man, for sure there will be a log of the restoration

 

Paint it pink.

 

you might want some indicators too...

 

that is exactly the type of thing bob would ride on.

quit your job, slack off

THE STICKER MUST STAY!

 

Right....you know when I said "the first of many" .....well....this lunchtime I bought another Vespa

Just one pic atm:



Picking it up together with the first one this Thursday evening.

This one is from 1972, 125cc GT model, imported from Italy way way back with only 2 previously registered owners. Apparently in very good mechanical condition, just looks tatty.

Plan now is to strip this one down and do a complete restoration job, transfer the 200cc motor from the first Vespa to this one, then respray the other one and sell it on to make some money back

 

Errr...no, they don't have indicators, neither do they need them legally since they are classed as a classic vehicle. (at least so I've been told...)

 

Yellow, paint it yellow!!

Base guitar wielding chicks = hotness.

I tell you what, they dont make em like that anymore. Someone should *so* make them again, but with new engines (tuned for the same sound ) and a carbon fibre body shell in exactly the old shape.

 

I've always loved the Vespa/Lambretta mopeds, they're just so sexy and retro! Sadly, they wouldn't be practical for someone who needs to take a guitar and amp with them for 80% of their trips! I agree with bindi though, go all Uma Thurman on it and paint it yellow

<A88>

 

I dunno dudes, I reckon yellow would be rad for a slightly newer model (ninety eighties) or thereabouts. I think silver would look nice on that '72 model?

 

Mmm, although I did once manage a snare, set of hihats (plus stand), cymbal (plus stand) and a small tom...but then I was only going a few miles down the road.

Yellow/black checked design? Very 'mod'...

 

vespas are cool. i had a black one, got swiped

 

Can't wait to see the project log

Hahahahaha Would love to have seen that.

 

Picked them up tonight, just got back home - pics tomorrow

 

Aris, as an aside, do you have a daily drive waiting for you whilst you spend all your spare time on these older machines?

 

I have my car...but I will be restoring 1 Vespa at a time, both of them are on the road and driveable, the 125cc GT is in better mechanical shape though, so I may start on the Super first, once that is sorted I'll use it whilst I'm then sorting the GT, then I'll sell the Super and keep the GT.

I'll see how it goes with these 2 bikes, how easy/difficult they are to restore, what I really want is a Vespa GS - or, if I am very lucky to find a Vespa 98 then one of those

 

I used to own a Vespa when I was in Italy. They are like lego mechanically so if spare part availabilty is good you should be able to restore them in no time. As for colour, go with silver, white or black, very classic colours that wont age and look wicked on a Vespa that age.

You should have hours of fun restoring them mate, and once you are stung* there's no going back.


*Godawful pun; Vespa translates to wasp in Italian.

 

Thanks Fly, especially for that translation, didn't know that

My friend who got me into Vespa's has restored a couple already, says it's pretty easy to do so looking forward to it, should be nice in the summer - restoring Vespa's/some beers/BBQ/music/sun/etc.

 

And do you know why they called it a wasp?