Modern Vespa

Just picked up this unmolested smallframe with only 1000 miles on it!

It's getting the Voodoo treatment... spit shine, wax, carb rebuild and new fuel lines. Get it running and leave it as is!

Only a few things needing replace... mainly the gas tank was rusted out pretty bad. The original owner bought a replacement gas tank from Scooterworks but didn't grab a new fuel tap or tool to remove the rusted old one... so he decided to sell the whole thing instead of dealing with it. $500 for the smallframe, $100 for the new gas tank. Other than that, the left light switch plastic knob is broken, and the left bar end turn signal lens is broken. Got the left light switch ordered and hopefully I'll track down a bar end turn signal lens. If not I can try making a cast and duplicate of the right turn signal lens.

Pictures for your enjoyment!


what is this in the bed of my truck?

fun new toy to work on!















km speedo.

















need a new lens

could cast and duplicate this one.

more photos...

Found an original sticker on inside of frame below the tank. I'm thinking its a paint code sticker or something?

Also the choke cable adjuster screwed into the 19/19 carb is damaged. I can't seem to find the part number anywhere or the size of replacement. I compared it to my spare rear brake cable adjuster and a clutch cable adjuster. Neither are the same size or length. Anyone know where to get one of these? I can't find them on Scooter Mercato or SIP.

Also can't find the carb filter in the USA. Don't want to order it from SIP with shipping costs and tariffs. Not worth it.

Owner didn't have the steering lock key.. so I'll have to find a replacement lock and rivets to swap that out.






found this original sticker on the inside frame. Im guessing its a paint code?



19.19 carb

this cable adjuster I can't find part number or size. Need to replace it.

thats a dirty carb!



oh boy this thing has layers of dried fuel!





this is the air filter in the airbox. Anyone know where I can get new?

Dont have it running yet to figure out what each of the switches do.



the clutch cable adjuster.. looking for it if anyone knows what size or where to get?

Love it, love it, love it! I'm surprised they were still using the older style wheels in '76(?) when other smallies had moved on. I DO love old ratty Vespas and have just taken up again with my old AllState, adding a ratty front rack and nice spare tire mount JUST LIKE YOURS!

Love your km speedo and the bar end turns! Are they original do you know, a German bike when new? And is it by chance a four speed? Now get some Ospho and get cracking! You are gonna love fiddling w/ the carb.

Take it to an experienced lock smith, not a key cutter. I've had keys made for $50.00 when I delivered a motorcycle to the lock smith. Ask about key blanks and if they have them or if you should track some down.

They will be able to cut a new key for the existing lock with no key to copy?

I'm wondering if it's the same steering lock for old p series large frames. If so then i can get new and swap it.

It's a 79 and im not positive but i believe the bar end signals are original to them. I thought it was a uk bike but now i don't know. Would be interesting if it was a German sold bike. Any way to figure this out?

Btw love your allstate and the spare wheel mount!

As others have said, a skilled locksmith can cut a key blank by using the existing lock. New reproduction locks are junk, junk, and more junk.

On the switch, the small round button is horn, lower toggle switch is lights on/off, upper toggle switch is high/low beam, and small square button on the right is the engine shut off (kill switch).

Awesome. I'll have to get it running first and then try taking it to a locksmith. Not a critical feature at the moment.

Btw it's a 3 speed. The later 100 sports in the us i believe were 4 speed.

Nice find on the smallie!
I have a few ruined 19/19 carbs PM me your address and I'll mail a choke adjuster to you. As for the carb filter I just spray carb cleaner through it and reuse. Although to be honest I usually don't run a filter, if I'm sure the intake manifold rubber is sound.
J.

Welcome to Smallie World. You’re in for some fun and scraped knuckles.
I have a box with some 100 sport parts sitting in the garage ... they were mixed in with my PV ... let me know if you need anything, if I have it, it’s yours.

1. Great tip by Christopher. You may need to bring them the blank - and the lock out of the scoot.
2. Call David at Mercato and have him add your filter to his next order - no shipping... It doesn't have to be on his site.
3. Why is a guy named Swiss sporting a bumper sticker for Ireland? Constant mystery.

Love it!
-CM

Already emailed Dave to see if he has the filter to add to my smallie parts order!

Zero percent swiss. Just a screen name I've had for 25+ years.

This song is about me:
https://youtu.be/cTouKoOV80g

I've had one or two keys cut, without having the original. Really depends on the smith and skills. Seems scooter keys get lost and forgotten about when people move.

Great specimen Swiss

That is all kinds of BAD ASS!!!

Thanks guys. I'm excited to do a basic clean and get er running. No tuning and messing with it!

Carb has been in the ultrasonic cleaner for a few hours. I couldn't get the old fuel tap out of the old tank without trying to soak it yet. Luckily i planned ahead and brought my old lml fuel tap that i removed out of the Stella for a fast flow. Did a full disassembly and clean on it last night. Nice and shiny new now! Just waiting on my mercato order to replace the rubber in the tap and rebuild the carb.

Next i need to drain the gearbox oil and see if anything comes out, then put some fresh oil in and reconnect everything and see if she runs!

Any of you 19/19 carb guys know if this rubber gasket is replaceable and where to order it?

I ordered this carb gasket kit from mercato and can't see any rubber gasket listed which would replace this one pictured.

http://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Carb-Gasket-Kits/CG19

Congrats!! Looks like a nice unmolested smallie. I see that Piaggio silver still holds its reputation of the crappiest color of the line. My blue P was the exact same crappy silver. I loved the pics, check the fork, cause it gives the impression of being bent (I think I caught a dent on the legshield??). Maybe it's just the angle but it looks closer to the shock at the bottom. As for the carb, there's a complete overhaul gasket set...

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/gasket-set-carburettor-dell-orto-carburettor-shb-1816-1919_92068000

OK, now I've seen your link, the set you ordered is exactly the same. The round o-ring is for the float bowl. You just shape it into place...

There is a small dent on the leg shield but its really minor. I'll have to get a closer look at the fork. I don't think its bent, but I could be wrong. I just took a look at the headset in relation to the front wheel and saw it was straight so figured it was good. You are talking about this image?

The fork being closer to the shock at the bottom and further from it at the top near the fender? I'm gonna have to get a closer look at that.

I thought that round gasket was for the other side of the carb, the round mouth attaching to the airbox. And I thought the long gasket was for the airbox lid.
Who knows.. I'll figure it out when the stuff comes in the mail, but I think you might be right.. the long gasket is for the round mouth that connects to the airbox, the small circle is the one you mentioned.. and I gotta find new rubber gasket for the airbox lid cause I threw the old one out as it was rock hard.

Maybe I'm wrong with the fork. I'm used on P series forks where the shock is parallel to the leg. I've seen a few pics online and most look like yours on the stand, so it's probably OK. About the gaskets, o-ring is for the bowl, cork "string" is for the mouth as you said. For the airbox, I use the rubber that goes on the non-autolube carb cases on largeframes...

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/gasket-cover-carburettor-casing_92250000

Thanks for the suggestion on air box rubber gasket. I'll try finding that in the US first before going SIP route.

I got under and took closer photos. Inspected the front leg shield closely. There is no sign of warping/pinching below the horncast or anywhere on the curve of the front leg shield where you would expect front end damage. There is definitely a dent on the right leg shield, and a scrape on the fork swingarm cover so it probably took a spill at one point which caused the dent to the leg shield, but I don't see any scrapes on the levers and that side's turn signal lens is undamaged. So I don't think the spill was enough to really cause that type of fork damage. I doubt any of this stuff has been replaced at any point so I don't see there being damage that was replaced. Everything looks equally aged/original to bike.

Fork appears straight at least on the lower arm below the fender, but it would take removal to make sure the curved part of the fork isn't what is bent.. to check the lower straight part is parallel with the main fork tube. I think its just an old shock cover and or the shock mount top plate or the bottom shock swingarm is slightly off. But in all honesty I think its just an old shock and shock cover cause the plastic cover is decaying pitted plastic. I can't see there being enough force to bend the fork while not also creating some sort of pinching or warping below the horncast.

Lots of closeup photos attached.














The dent visible from this angle. Not that bad.

Close up photos make it look OK. It was the photo angle and the shock's hat. Carry on!!!

Just realized looking at pics that it says where it was sold on the leg shield sticker. Imported to Canada. So this is a Canuck!

Interesting that the 100 sold in Canada shared more in common with it's European counterparts. Headlights that turn off. Blinkers on handlebars and a euro style tail light. Guess it makes sense Canada shares similar transportation laws to the UK.

Also just searched for the importer and it appears the company was created specifically to import these 100/100 sport models to Canada. The company was created a month before this bike was made (shortly after the first year run started), and the company dissolved in 1984 at the end of the 100 model run.

https://www.can1business.com/company/Dissolved/New-Line-Motors-Canada-Ltd

Less than 5 bhp eh? Going to stay that way?

If it were me, I would lacquer coat the patina and O tune the engine. Basically keep it exactly as it is but with 10bhp.

In the distant future, but not right now for the tuning. I need something to run with minimal effort. But yep on the lacquer coat!

In a couple years when I've got multiple scoots running long term I'll revisit the idea.

Last edited by swiss1939 on Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:46 am; edited 1 time in total

Congrats on your find. Looks as if its only surface rust too so suspect its been kept away from the wet and not near the sea where the salt air rusts things to bits. To find a v100 in the UK like that is pretty tricky. Normally the floor boards are rotted through. The v100 was one of my first scooters owned. I had a fresco exhaust on it and considering its low HP it was pretty quick off the mark and went off the clock (50mph) all day, every day with only 3 gears too. Nice find and look forward to seeing its progress on here.

It was actually kept for at least the last 20 yrs of is life right along the coast in Florida. The sellers father owned it before he passed. And he lived in a small housing community right off route 1 along the Florida coast, probably about a quarter to a mile from the ocean. But he kept it stopped well clearly. He used it to get around the community to go to the community center and the pool etc.

It is only surface rust and surprisingly not much underneath. The inside of fender and underside of floor board is nearly spotless!

The thing is a proper mess, clean that pile of crap UP, please....

Instead of clear coat, maybe Ospho a good lite cut n buff, then lots of Carnuba wax? And see what happens? What could go wrong? But Yeah, you should clearcoat the hell out of the bottom for more protection, I did the same on the Super I am still unpainting.

I left my big jug of ospho up in NYC. Don't feel like purchasing another bottle of it just for this. Also left my can of owatrol up there. So instead I just ordered a can of ACF-50. For now I'm just gonna hit the rust spots with some light 0000 wool and then spray the rust spots and coat the undersides with acf-50. After that like you said, I'll just wax it and leave it as is. At some point in the future I hope to clear coat it, but a.) not set up for that down here.. b.) don't feel like going to look for someone to do it just yet.

I know it's hard to believe, but this one I really do have minimal plans to touch. It's good the way it is! And I do love the color even though some might not! Its too nice in its original state to tune it or mess with it! Literally the only thing I was thinking of possibly considering was replacing the exhaust if it is dead. Other than that, I would like to get in and clean/re-grease the throttle tube as its a bit stiff, and swap some new cables in. So that is the most I want to crack it open!

I'll wait for a more beat up smallie to attempt to tune a smallframe.

Sweet Smallie Swiss - what a find! I'm with you on just clean it up and go. There is always time down the line to tune.

And it's amazing how clean underneath the fender is.

I'm glad to see you using restraint and just getting it running. But we all know the first time you run out of throttle, it'll be tune time.

Again, great find!

Nice find, and yes if u stay stock on a 100cc u have to be a very patience guy, its not that slow but of we ride in group setimes i just wish i have a 4rd gears in mine as my friend on a large frame dust me behind when they hit 4rd, but a good brake will make us catch their tail in a traffic nor in cornering

Keep the bike running and clean, cheer mate

I got my tuned LML with malossi kit in it that does 70+mph for those types of trips. This one is just for local fun!


Spent all morning dealing with the frame rust. Laid it down in grass and hit the engine and front hub with engine degreaser and scrubbed it mostly clean with a steel brush. Then gave the whole thing a bath. After that, spent about an hour or so knocking the rust back on everything using 0000 steel wool. Another bath after that, then once it air dried, I sprayed the whole frame with ACF-50 and wiped it all down. Hoping the ACF-50 is enough to keep the rust at bay for now. Next week I'll give it a full wax and buff with mcguires. I'm wondering how the acf-50 will affect the wax job.

I've also been trying to figure out how to get the hubs off to check the brake pads. 4 stud stamped metal hubs are a bit different than the 5 stud cast hubs i'm used to. I'm assuming I might have to remove the nut holding the axle on to get the whole hub and axle out? Cause I've got the wheels off and the little locator pin out and the hub cover doesn't want to come off by hand. Don't want to take a mallet to anything as I am guessing there is some other fasteners or steps I need to do first before it will come off easy.

More pics for viewing pleasure:


dirty start to the job.

Look at the years of cake.

nice and clean engine cases now.

First bath of the day. Cleaned the years of grime off.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

0000 steel wool sanding rust down.

frame number cleaned up nicely. Now I can get a tracing to get it registered.

ACF-50 rust prevention coating.

ACF-50 rust prevention coating.

ACF-50 rust prevention coating.

ACF-50 rust prevention coating.

Besides the hub removal mystery.. I'm assembling the new tank and just want to make sure the fuel tap is same as a largeframe fuel tap. SIP and other websites list one fuel tap for all tanks so I'm pretty positive its the same, but just checking the breather tube is not a different length on the smallframe tanks.

I've got my old stella fuel tap cleaned up and gonna install. The larger breather tube basically makes contact with the top of the smallframe gas tank. This is normal correct? I've stuck my finger in the old tank and felt around for the breather tube in that seized fuel tap and it seems like that one comes just below the top of the gas tank.

Voodoo with the knowledge again! Hub removal tips for 4 lug smallframes:
http://modernvespa.com/forum/post1818860#1818860

Also cracked the breather tube long ways down on my lml fuel tap trying to bend it down slightly to fit below the gas tank top. So a new one is on order!

Don't people remove that tube to help with fuel flow?

Catching up on this, a dream to get a small frame.

Looks like its gonna be fun to get it back on the road and with some upgrades...

No upgrades. Bone stock!

The rear hub cover came off easy and the rear brake pads were basically new, so i assume the front brakes are equally new. The front hub cover is seized on so I'll leave it on for the time being as it will be a while before i need to deal with replacing those brake pads.

Took the rear wheel off and the spare wheel to remove the old rock hard tires and tubes off. Those two split rims were way rustier on the inside than the first one i did the other day. So i used a 32 grit them 120 grit flap wheel to remove all the rust on the inside of the split rims. Didn't have any paint so i just sprayed with acf-50 for now to stop the rust. Eventually I'll respray the inside of the split rims with silver paint. But I'm going to leave the outside of the rims in their 41 yr old patina so that it matches the rest of the bike. Nice shiny silver rims would clash with the freckled frame.

Also got to clean the years of cake off clutch side of the engine while i had the rear wheel off.








Brand new michelin s83. Outside of rims with patina to match frame.

Gearbox had oil in it and it looks like it is relatively clean oil so I think this engine's internals are probably in really good shape!

Just waiting on fuel tap and I'll try to start it up this weekend!

The carb gasket kits i ordered didn't have the air box gasket pictured, so i made my own from gasket sheets from auto zone. We'll see how it works.


Tried cutting as a circle. Didn't work well

So i cut a straight strip like it comes in the kit

Jammed it in there and screwed the air box down tight. Pray for the best!