Modern Vespa

I have posted about this before in the smallframe thread (October of 2019), but now it's GAME ON!!! A 1981 V50s we got for 200EUR and will be restored for my brother in law. Lots of nice "Go Fast" parts ordered and we decided to turn it into a "Special" since you don't see any around here. Handlebar was cheap (80EUR) and came from Italy. I had it blasted a while back, new legshield is here with lots of body parts, so as to have it dry built and ready for paint. Shortened PK front fork (one is for a friend), disc brake, etc. etc. etc. I'll keep you guys updated...

First pics...

sweet

Our "Special" project was hiding a "special" surprise. Frame was a bit off. Brought out my hydraulic press, the ruler jig I have for smallies and five minutes later it's done...

Nice work!

That's a pretty slick porta-power ram set up for straightening frames!

Amazing! thanks for sharing. J jig is genius, and the alignment visual check hole is smart. I'd like to know more about that hydraulic ram. I've got a frame or 2 that needs some tweaking... the ram would do better than a long pole and come-along

always some next lvl sh*t from you!

Love it.

How'd you make that jig? from an existing straight frame and just sitting there welding metal together?

The jig and hydraulic ram......

Basicly, now this is what I am inspired to do! Been wracking my brain trying to decide the best way to tackle this diy. II know the ong pole and bolt th frame to the ground trick. this is way more sophisticated! I have straight frames, that I know are straight because I had them checked; and could be used to dial in a jig. I got scraps, and welder action! Now I just need to drop and get a big ram.... just one small thing. Fantastic work SAfis!!!

Which is the bolt the frame to the ground / long pole trick? Interested in straightening my own frame...

The quick and dirty of it is this - bolt the bare frame down to the concrete floor. Or secure whatever best way you see fit.

Insert steel pole, long, strong, and of appropriate diameter to match the steering column.

Leverage on the pole, slowly and gently moving the frame back to position. Really only works if your frame isn't too bad out of whack, Sometimes easier said than done.

Time for a small update. After straightening the frame, we welded a brace running the center of the frame to keep it aligned. Cut off the remaining legshield / floor and today we patched up the rotten section of the tunnel. More to come...

Such beautiful work. Can't wait to see it progress!

A bit more progress. Rotten part of the tail is done. And... my asshole cat being the asshole he is. Always in our way...

Time for an update. Preparing the floor / legshield to join the frame. Made me some long reach grip clamps, cause I couldn't find any reasonably priced ones. It's not like I'll be needing them every day, to make me buy new ones, so I "ruined" some old lock grips we had around. Struts and reinforcement plates were spot welded by a friend, but I'll be plug welding the rest of the floor / legshield on the frame. Copper weld through primer is a must (thanks Graig!!). I'll also be using some self drilling screws, along with the grips, to better secure the sheet on the frame before welding...

That's nice work. The first think I did when I got my VBB was look for a legshield replacement. It's battered but not rusty so I started with some metal bumping. It went well so I decided to continue with it. Don't need to weld it just because I can.

The steel on these scooters is really nice to work with. Looks like it's nice to weld too. Nice work on the back end keeping that flange. Bodged body lines just jump out at me when I see them.

Amazing work..!

Hats off…

A bit more progress. Main "spine" and tunnel treated with rust stabilizer and welding through primer. Handlebar cut and plate welded for BMS. More to come...

Frame's ready, few minor things left to do. Handlebars nearly finished too. And the "Special" surprises keep on coming. After power washing the cases I discovered they are scrap. Someone "killed" them and then butcher-welded them. Now on the lookout for "new" cases...

Holy crap!! Any you never noticed until now? That had to be a shock.

Unfortunately no. Years of accumulated dirt on the outside and a kind of "crude" oil on the inside. They were hiding everything. A friend has some PK cases, I'll go check them out...

Handlebar's ready. Engine door got a lock...

wow I missed this the headset is looking great wow the inside of the spine great pics

Update!! Got the PK cases and it's mock-up time before paint. Fork was shortened and also "twisted" to deal with the offset the PX disc carrier brings to the PK fork. This way the wheel is centered to the fork's neck, the shock is vertical to the carrier but it gets moved a bit out. So, a new offset top mount plate is needed (fabricated our own). We had also decided for a low / high beam headlight which is aftermarket, since the "Bilux" headlights were only produced for certain markets back in the day and no NOS to be found anywhere. SIP says "For mounting only, the side plates have to be turned". Yeah, right, as if it's that easy with any scooter part. Had to fab the headset, headlight rim and also make a tab so as to be able to adjust the beam height. Lastly, we decided to go with a Primavera center mat so new holes need to be drilled...

Photos...

Safis - I am just catching up.
As a fellow butcher welder - even I was appalled by that crap. Good grief.
Glad you found some new cases.

Body work is fantastic - but in particular - the work you did on the tail was fantastic.
How did you fabricate the tail piece replacement panels?

And then there is the fork - the whole offset thing - very nice.
If I ever do a fork again - I will modify as you have to rotate it and allow the wheel to be dead nuts center on the scoot. Impressed.

Thanks! Flange was done with a crimping tool like the overpriced one in the amazon link below and spot welded by a friend. The one I got is made by Yato and it was around 25€ including shipping (drop shipped from Romania)…

https://www.amazon.com/Crimping-ALLOMN-Flanging-Thickness-Operation/dp/B07DNZ2YBT

F*ck. A Romanian crimping tool. I should have known.
Brilliant!
(Seriously - that part was amazing.)

Crazy cool stuff happening here.

Had ordered some AN3 banjos and 10m of PTFE high pressure line from Ali for 80€ total. They came in today, took only 15 days...

Oh man - you're brave.
Im scared if I make my own, I will snatch the brake handle and the banjo will come firing off (into my carb) leaving me still at top speed.

Haha! I've been using these for years, they're solid. Only difference is that I was paying too much for them before AliExpress. And of course, there's always the option for press fitted banjo ends. I have a shop close by that does it for "peanuts"…

Tiny update. Finished with the mudguard and only a few things left to do before paint...

Nice work on the mudguard. Looks clean.

Do you mind sharing the link for the banjo fittings & line? I'm working on a PX disk fork, and need new lines. TIA!

Thanks!

Line...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000181690135.html

Banjos...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000311237686.html

I always wondered how a person creates that bulge for the shock. Very nice.

So what length shock did you use and how much are you lowering the fork?

SaFiS to the rescue. Thank you sir!

This one needed cutting cause of the bigger offset. The one I did on my friend's smallie was "stretched" and formed by beating it using various hammers & dollies...

Shock is 185mm for ZIP/PK and fork was cut 25mm...

Almost there. Horn cover moved a tud downwards to deal with the gap the PK fork creates. I've also made two adapters on the lathe to add a bit of height to the center stand. Now the front wheel has an acceptable gap from the ground. All that's left is to drill for the rails and then take everything to my friend for prep...

I have been using the Aeroquip equivalent of those Allied brake line parts on my P200 for the past 16 years. Zero problems...well except for one time when a speeding Portland bicyclist clipped the front of my scooter. His pedal crank caught the brake line and tore it out of the fitting. Somehow though divine intervention he didn't crash. I was already stopped, so no skin off my back. So who was at fault? Well, there's enough bicycle specific attorneys in Portland that i was sweating bullets for a few seconds. He kept pedaling, so i went on my merry way as well...but with no front brake.

That's a pretty slick idea with the horncast Safis.