Modern Vespa

I found what i think is the most amazxing barn find vespa. its a 1962 Piaggio Vespa 150 executive with side car. only 50 original kilometers. (30 miles) all original paperwork. ive been riding for 20 years, but never scooters. it was too cool and too good of a deal to pass up. it doesnt run, it doesnt roll, its like its stuck in gear. wanna restore the engine and tranny and give it to my ol lady for xmas...where do i start, where do i get parts...any advice would be awesome and appreciated.

Sorry, man. You got a big old pile of junk. See if you can get your money back. And, please, next time you set off to make a big purchase, do some research.

There is nothing original about this bike. Without question.

It does look questionable.

Photos of the engine and chassis numbers would help. Feel free to photoshop the last bits of numbers out.

Rough.

is this thing really that big of a POS...none of the manuals are in english, its been in a crate for 30 years. whats it worth and what makes it sucha POS? As i do appreciate all your critisisms, all i was asking for was a little help sourcing parts. cause my old lady loves it and thats all that matters to me. ill post everything i have on it tomorrow.

99% feel for you, but 1% is an eternal optimist(like you?) Scan & post ASAP, shitstorm heading this way...

Bar Italia knows this stuff, so if you have any recourse, do that FIRST!

what does all that mean?

It's not a criticism, it's a matter of safety. Believe us or don't, but we have seen the awful effects of such bikes on riders and their passengers time and again.

Please, please, get your money back and do a little research. The seller LIED to you every way to Sunday.

Put it this way: We would NEVER trust the life of someone we love on these bodges. We're trying to warn you; we're not being snarky or mean or anything else negative. We're just being honest and trying to save to you from a very costly and possibly dangerous scenario.

Friend...
Please return that scooter if you can.
You're going to spend a ton of money replacing everything.
You're going to get into a can of worms once you open it up.

Best of luck...

I think that speedometer says it all really. too bad man.

the reason you are getting a negative response is that it will likely take you thousands and thousands of dollars just to get it running for a couple hundred miles. then something else will need work, and then it is just on and on. sorry man.

it will just be easier to buy a good scoot, have it repainted, get another sidecar and have it painted. And then you will still come in under the same budget as getting that in a safe running condition.

sorry.

I suggest that you read all of Lynn's recent posts if you'd like some idea of the sort of battle you may be in for. You can learn on his nickel & start out asking the right questions.

Best of luck, was your wife planning on riding in or driving this? Might make a difference, there are many cool bikes available in Fla. & still a month before Christmas.

holy sh*T really...this is what i was looking to find out...it was an impulse buy, my old lady loved it! what should i sell it for if i wanna get rid of it ASAP

Fifty km on a poorly made speedometer re-popped in Thailand in the '90s does not make the bike an all original '62 Vespa.

That bike has all of the tell-tale signs of a South East Asian "restoration" and absolutely zero characteristics of an original "barn-find" Vespa.

Selling it is the real problem, because then YOU are passing on a money-pit, death-trap hot potato. Get your money back from the people who lied to you. ASAP.

You my friend, are having moment of ethical fork in the road.

Choose well.

So NO way to return it? Then I'll repeat my previous advise, read Lynn; books 1 thru 4 If you want to know WHY you might best move on & sell for parts. What did you pay, you implied you 'stole' it? You could even get most or all your money back & sleep well too.

yes. likely the cowls are just fine. I would dissasemble and see what it is not cracked, worn out, torn, bondo'd, and welded into a frankenstein pattern.

just dont pass it off as a scooter. because then you are just as bad as the people who scammed you. I would be pissed and returning it asap and demanding every single penny back. with a threat of lawyer on the side if needed.

i paid cash, no refunds...

what can i get for it whole or for parts, what is the bike worth, what is the sidecar worth...as low as i feel the price was id rather not say now. hhaha...what do you guys consider a good price for the pair?

Sell it back here:
http://www.ebay.vn

But was it MISREPRESENTED to you? You have rights. Think it over, this might not be over just cuz seller SAYS so. We now think they're liars anyway.

A lot of money?



Sell it as is for a couple hundred. Depending on if sidecar could be made be usable, could be more.

If you are mechanical, take it apart & you'll likely get a lot more AND you'll LEARN about Vespas. You should NOT let this apparent slip ruin that excitement you both felt & we could all see.

THAT was real, 100% - go for it! We are rooting for you.

there is absolutely no reason to lie to us or not tell. we are here to help.

we want another scooterist. its a small community and the more the merrier.

$1500

exclusive on the backseat, most likely Indonesian scoot

What does that mean. Being an Indonesian scoot? Sorry for the million questions. Just wanna learn as much as possible. I bought it at a rummage sale. There was 2 other guys on the phone calling buyers about it. I had cash and rolled the dice.

It was crammed in the back of the garage in a crate.

Robby!!!!!!!!!!

How are the Indo boys?!

Hope you and the family are good.

Have you heard from Ninno.

I see him on my facebook now and then.

"Do not buy Vespa from Indo"!

Like an international shipping crate?

We don't know what you have, we only know what it looks like.

READ Lynn's threads, 3 or 4 of them. Save you a LOT of time.

If you're mechanical, start looking it over, trying to find things. If we're right, you find plenty to question.

Find somebody close by that has experience with these, that will help but it's not a cure.

Could a nice Vespa WITHOUT a sidecar fill the bill? 2 up is fairly easy on most Vespas. With a sidecar they ARE more difficult to handle, & sidecars can be ADDED to most scoots. Maybe the one you already have. More pics, please.

Voodoo brings up a very good point. You may have a case depending on where in the country is was sold to you. In some states you cannot knowingly sell a vehicle that will not pass inspection or is unsafe to operate. Do some homework and you may be able to get your cash back.

That is the question that you should have researched before you parted with your money. I understand that you got caught up in the moment and the excitement of the purchase, but ten minutes worth of research on the internet before buying a vehicle could have told you exactly what it was and why it is not worth the paint that is sprayed on it.

it means you are most likely have a crappy restored scoot... but for me it doesnt mean anything cos here in indo they are dirt cheap, i can buy a considerably good super vintage frame as cheap as $20 . but if you have to buy it for $1500 something please do listen to guys here Hi Jimmy Im good thanks! Ive been busy at the office havent seen them for a while

yea Jimmy never ever buy vespa from Indo!

Just for grins, would you mind pulling the cowls off and snapping a picture or two of the engine and the underside of the frame and floorboards? There is some thick paint on there.

Also, if someone provided you fake paperwork you have recourse no matter what THEY say. Especially a signed title without an accompanied statement of facts about the mileage being possibly incorrect. Rummage sale or not, fraud could get you damages plus your investment and legal fees. I'm sure they would bend before all that hassle for $1,500 and getting an asset back that they can resell. Pay someone on here $100 to send a letter thru your attorney to them stating their obvious misrepresentation and the check will be in the mail. You have nothing to lose by sending a letter. There's probably a scooter riding attorney on here that might be able to do it pro b.

Jerry

From one Harley rider to another, SFLharleyrider its like déjà vu reading your post , I too am a 33year rider and have two 89 evo's both FL's and bought my 63 vespa just a few weeks back, and although I took my licks from these guys and in the long run alot of what they said came true as I'm one to dig in. Don't take there comments the wrong way, what you need to ask is please explain to me what your looking at and why it is as they say bodged and the answers will eventually come out, they are stubborn that way but they will warm up to you.
Start by getting your chassis and engine numbers and post them, no harm in posting entire number just like we would do in our favorute harley forums.

Ask the right questions and you will get the information you are looking for.
Some of these gents build these for a living and get big bucks for them so if you can get some professional answers your doing great.
Lynn

Haha I knew my name would come up.
Lynn

SFLharleyrider, I like your style.

All the talk about legalities and demanding your money back is why I don't like to buy and sell relatively inexpensive things any more. Especially things that travel on the road. The seller MAY have been ignorant. Maybe not.

I got rid of some stuff at the landfill a few days ago. There were small mountains of monstrous TVs, appliances, furniture, and other items that when purchased cost more than 1500 bucks, used a relatively short time, and thrown away. People are in various circumstances, but truth be known, 1500 bucks disappears quickly in a world of vacations, electronic doodads, drugs, alcohol, lottery tickets, eating out, etc. Pissing away money is a worldwide pastime. Blaming someone else for bad decisions seems to be more prevalent now than in the past.

Roadworthiness can apply to a bodged POS or a REAL barn find original treasure. Your original post said it didn't run or roll. That is not a roadworthy vehicle. That is a thing. An object. Buying an old non-running vehicle, scooter or not, ain't like taking your stuff back to Walmart because you bought it impulsively and now you don't want it.

Part of life is knowing when to take your lumps and dealing with impulsive buys. At Voodoo's ethical fork, you could pass it on, part it out, try to get it to run and live dangerously, or sell with full disclosure. Now that your wife loves it, you may have a problem.

A knowledgeable local enthusiast could sort through it and determine if there are usable parts and possibly sell for a percentage. A good mechanic, without vintage Vespa correctness hangups, could possibly get it going. You might not be able to sell it to an educated buyer, but the vast majority of people would ooh and aah and fawn over what to a select few is a real POS.

I do recognize and VERY much appreciate the historical importance of old vehicle originality that members of this forum take great pains to preserve.

It could be fun if just used to putter around the neighborhood at very slow speeds. Good luck. Rant off.

I'm sure you have figured it out, but unfortunately this scooter isn't
a barn find, but a scooter that has been restored in Asia. The crate that
you mention, is the shipping crate from Indonesia. We know, because
the members here have seen hundreds of them that have been imported
into the USA, and other countries. These scoots have many tell tale signs,
and sadly yours has almost every one of them. Under
the shiny paint, your scooter has been put together from 3-4 other
scooters.

A quick history: the scooter you have was probably imported from
Italy to Indonesia or VN in the 1960's. It was used every day for the
last 50 years(in very damp/wet conditions). The rusted body was re welded, and even the
front fork may be welded together. Parts from many scooters, and
many homemade, or poorly manufactured parts were used. There's even more
to tell about the engine(you wouldn't believe) Then they coat the
Entire scooter with a layer of bondo, and do a new paint job on it.

They sell them to unsuspecting people all over the world.
When new buyers get these scooters, they come here to this forum, or to a local
shop, and are told the truth. Most don't believe at first, but eventually
they do. Some spend thousands of dollars and time fixing them, but
some things really can't be fixed(like some Frankenstein frames)

They then sell them to other
people, and then they come here as well.

Yes this scooter can be made road worthy(and probably will be by someone), but it will take a lot
of time and money.

















Rob

http://businesslaw.uslegal.com/deceptive-trade-practices-laws/florida-deceptive-trade-practices-laws/

So I'm meeting the guy I bought it from today. I may not get $ back. But what's a fair price for this thing. Maybe he'll be ethical and give me partial back so its not such a total loss

Hi,
I realize you got a boat load of negative information (rightly so) thrown at you, for all of your good intentions. Fortunately for me, when I started getting an interest in scoots, I stumbled upon this site and was a "lurker" for awhile. Early on, I read about the "bodges". Good for me.
OK, where are you today? As mentioned, you might litigate to get your money back, or, If you are "stuck" with it, I suppose to you could try to re-sell it, in which case, you might be deemed unscrupulous.
Or, ...how handy are you in body and all things mechanical?
You could totally strip it mechanically, have it blasted to reveal the "real skin" beneath. Go from there. There are bare chassis out there to replace the Frankenstein one you might find there. Obviously, the more talented you are the less of a money pit it will be.
This is coming from someone who has a few mechanical skill sets and knows a little about body work, though.
Good Luck!

Best of luck with that. Hope it doesn't discourage you from enjoying old Vespas. They are very fun ! You can't go wrong with a P200E . For about the same price, its possible to find a solid one. It won't have the pretty 2 tone paint of an Asian bodge, may need a little tinkering, but you cant go wrong with one.

Hi,
Perhaps, without eluding to any of the "bodge" thing, you might let-on your wife is totally afraid of a scoot. Even though your heart was in the right place your mind wasn't? Good Luck! Just a try?