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@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
Last year I did a load of rust treatment and prevention work on the inner legshields, inner floorpan and underside of my 2009 GTS at the start of its 5th year. The UK climate isn't kind to the scantily painted GTS and rust grumbles are regular conversation for owners and riders here, so doing something practical about it was a good move (old thread here - Recommendations/Experiences with Rust Prevention Wax? (UK) I planned to go back to it and finish the full rust treatment by doing the rear engine bay, and did that over the last few weeks. Here's the work and photos from doing it.

There were two issues that triggered the work - 1) I could see rust in the rear bay and 2) I could see a rust bubble coming up in the outer paint above the brake light.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
⚠️ Last edited by brown_beret7 on UTC; edited 1 time
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@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
With the rear stripped down and the plastic rear mudguard removed, the number plate bracket is visible. Its a seperate part fixed to the rear frame with two pop rivets. It has just a light paint coating and no top coat or lacquer, so no great surprise that its heavily rusted after 5 years. The rust is cosmetic, gives no structural risk and could be cleaned up and repainted, but at £12 ex VAT as a spare part, I decided to get a new one with some other spares and replace it. The new one is supplied the same as the original would have been fitted - light black spray coat, that already had a few scratches in it back to metal. I primed it, gave it two coats of top coat and some ACF50 before refitting it. I like that the replacement is better than the original
Number plate bracket after 5 years UK riding
Number plate bracket after 5 years UK riding
New and old brackets
New and old brackets
Bracket paint and refitting with pop rivets before ends snipped with a rivet gun
Bracket paint and refitting with pop rivets before ends snipped with a rivet gun
⚠️ Last edited by brown_beret7 on UTC; edited 1 time
OP
@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
There was some rust on the two frame holes where the lower side panel skirts fix to the frame, so I dremeled these back to bright metal and repainted them while everything was stripped out. I also cut back the rust bubble to metal and dropped in a small bit of filler. With the indicators off and the bulb units taped out, I could get on with the inner frame. I removed the exhaust, bracket and rear wheel to get clear access.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
⚠️ Last edited by brown_beret7 on UTC; edited 1 time
OP
@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
The inner bay stripped but before any work. It would have been good to have a complete strip but the upper plastic moulding in the photo is the fuel tank which would have needed a much bigger and time consuming strip down, and inspecting the higher inner frame didn't show any real rust or issues.

The second pic shows the rear frame after some light rubbing with some wire wool by hand. You can see that it's quickly gone through the white top coat to the black sub coat = very thin paint coating.

I treated the whole area with some spray on Dinitrol RC900 Rust Convertor left over from the previous job.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
Very thin top coat rubbed through to primer with just a few rubs of steel wool
Very thin top coat rubbed through to primer with just a few rubs of steel wool
⚠️ Last edited by brown_beret7 on UTC; edited 1 time
OP
@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
Before on the left, After on the right. The inner bay was treated with Dinitrol stonechip applied over the rust convertor coat. The stone chip treatment dries to a mottled semi elastic finish with more long term durability than one of the wax products. After this photo was taken, I applied more stone chip in the upper void and a coat on the number plate bracket.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
⚠️ Last edited by brown_beret7 on UTC; edited 1 time
OP
@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
The exhaust was looking rather rough after a year and 2000+ miles to Italy and back last summer, so I completely stripped the outside to bare metal and repainted it with the best product I've found over the years - Thermacure Stove Paint.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
⬆️    About 2 months elapsed    ⬇️
OP
@brown_beret7 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@brown_beret7 avatar
1975 Vespa GTR 125, 1976 Vespa V90 (Resto), 2001 Vespa ET4 125 (Sold), 2009 Vespa GTS300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 6064
Location: Northants UK
UTC quote
Hopefully what doing the work has prevented - this pic from a 2004 GTS posted on the UK GTS Owners Club forum...
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
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