Modern Vespa

I found another old p. I'm sure I need it like I need another hole in my head. But then again I already have a couple holes for eyes and a few more for a nose and this isn't even considering the ears and mouth so really what's one more. Anyhow, the scoot is complete. Put away running I was told owner then passed away and it's been sitting unloved for 10 plus years. Motor is now locked up. Seat is destroyed, paint has somehow become more surface rust than paint. Key is broke off in ignition. She can't locate the title. It's cheap thou. It may be worth buying just for parts? Then again if it was running when parked it may just need the top end freed up due to moisture maybe a hone drawn thou her and a set of rings and the fuel system cleaned out.

You seem more bored than anything else. So yeah, you should get another scooter. Nothing says, "I've got twelve kids and nothing else to do" quite as well as collecting busted shit you won't ever get around to fixing.

A spare P200 drive train would be a nice thing to have- you could always find a good Vespa/Stella body and put a good engine in, one you get the engine diagnosed and running.

How big a pain is it to get a title in Iowa? We don't use them for vehicles older than '85 here, so it's a non issue.

If it was running when put away I wonder why the key is broken off...maybe a curious relative played with it....

Should you get? I do not know. If you going to fix it up and get it running, then I would say yeah. If not, maybe let people on here know about it so some other scooterbum can have a crack at it.

semi-on track question: is it possible for an engine to seize itself by sitting (inside) for a bunch of years? i'm assuming by 'put away' it wasn't leaned against the side of a garage/exposed to the elements.

Shit that took 15 seconds to find
http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/for/4221911090.html

If you happen to have fewer than 3 scooters and 12 kids, I'd do it in your situation except the price seem too high. I know it can vary by area, but maybe 500 & be willing to go a little higher, like maybe 750? it's a good time of year to buy & the market seems kinda soft anyway.

That's IF there's no serious rust in the frame(did/can you look underneath carefully?) and no other serious body damage. Look carefully at the rear wheel alignment to see if you'll need to replace the motor mounts. It's not too hard to do & should allow to you bargain a little harder. What kinda miles are on it? The title thing is a concern too if rough to fix in your state

I just went through the unstick, hone & new rings on a P200 motor & it runs OK now.. If you do get it, pull the carb & exhaust pipe off and tell us what you see in through those holes.You can use a mirror for the exhaust.

If you get it running well, I'm afraid you'll find your P125X a lot less exciting unless maybe you've kitted it. Because they haul ass w/ a decent motor, I usually choose my '79 P200 cause over my Cosa, unless I'm going on the freeway for any distance.

Good luck and let your conscience be your guide.

Sheeeeuht. I could strip that thing down and sell the bits off of it and make $1000 easy money.

seconded. people are always looking for parts. but its a pain to box/ship.

Engine worth 600- 800$
No brainer. Does a junkie need smack?
250 for 600 plus$ worth of I NEED TO HAVE Vespa P200 parts.

Alright you guys talked me into it. Called the guy and are trying to get a time to work to go look at it, moreover bring it home. Guy claims to have bought it at a garage sale 15 years ago when his neighbors dad passed away. He ran it around on his farm for a few years, then let it sit in a shed. He moved about 5 months ago and discovered it was stuck then. Thinks maybe there's walnuts wedged in the flywheel but easily could just be plain old rust. I'm assuming it's had a rough life and is more than likely not much more than a pile of parts. My biggest fear in buying it is I haven't had time to work on stuff with all the kids. I have nine of them not 12. Somedays it feels like 12. Over the summer I did finish a ton of projects and sold off a few I thought I would never get to. I'm stuck at the point where I need to paint the vbb before I go any farther on it. The shop is clean enough to paint right now if I can heat it up enough. I would like to thank everyone for listening to me gripe about my life, kids, mess.

its cool. for some of us our scooters are our life, kids, and mess.

How could anybody have to be talked into spending 250 bones on a bike that's in your area, straight body, rolling chassis w/motor, and 250 bucks.....oh yea, I already said 250.

Now I regret not buying a totaled (really totaled) vbb (or similar.. hard to tell) from the swap meet yesterday.. it was $60 the whole bike.. most would need to go in the garbage, but I know I could have had more than 60 bucks worth of useable stuff to keep.. trashed the trash, and sold the rest..

Hey Kara! if you still have it next week, I may come scoop it up!

Any trash pic's,I mean bad off vbb,lol

318 get it running n give the kids a can of paint n sell it.Be a flipper lol

I'm hoping to piece her back together and use her as the daily scoot. Kinda depends if I can get title for it. I dont really have extra parts sitting around so if worse comes to worse might be nice to have a parts bike.

318, I have a few P parts sitting around. If you need something , say something. I'm sure there are others on here that will help out as well. But yeah, get the VBB finished. And good luck.

Vader has a parts tree!

It's winter.. slim pickin's on the tree.. I forgot to tell you.. it's seasonal!

Thanks tierney. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated with what transpires on both the vbb and the p200 front. The owner of the p works construction and may not have time to show it till the weekend. I'm excited to figure out why it's stuck and see if I can at least fire it up once before the snow flies. As for Vaders parts tree that's a grand idea. Could I get a few seeds off of that? Just a nut or bolt or two to replant out back of the shop. I tried going the other route by planting a money tree. I dug a nice hole dropped in a fresh ten dollar bill covered it up and watered it twice a week. It never grow. I suspect one of my kids dug it up and bought soda and bubble gum with it.

I would have bought it before posting here! Oh yeah...I already did that with a 79 P200 for $480.

It's honest people who make the world a better place. Why should it even cross my mind that someone here would do anything 'dirty'. I guess someone could go buy it out from under me. I wouldn't think a rusty scooter with out a title and a locked up motor would be worth the hard feelings it would cause.

lurkers. they are watching!

I fully agree with you but as said...there be lurkers here!

Then you run into situations like I did. Vader asked me to check out a local scooter. It was a good scooter at a good price....so what does Vader do?

"I'm gonna pass on it" of course the scooter slut I am thinks...."it's up for grabs now....I better go score it!"

Wiser minds...a part of mine I did not know I possessed...prevailed and I also passed! Then I called Vader a bad name for doing that to me!


And that P200 I bought I cleaned up the shifter tube stuck in a fly side seal and a half hour after getting it home was riding it around the neighborhood.

I looked at the p. Had to walk away there just wasnt anything useful or savable left of her. Body was rusted out in the floor and by rear shock. Crowls were junk. Fender was junk. Airbox on the motor was even rusted out. You couldnt move the throddle or choke or shift it. If anyone else is interested its still there. I just can't think of anything savable on it.

So the motor was frozen up too? If so, you probably did the right thing. If not, hmmmmm, can't say... With the rest of the bike trashed, who knows what problems may be lurking inside the motor?

Body was rusted beyond use in my eyes. And yes the motor was froze. I assumed with the amount of corrosion that chances are the bearings were locked up from rust . the steering bearings were bad so why wouldn't the engine bearings. I'm disappointed but hey nothing lost by looking.

At the very least you took a look at it. Pity the engine wasn't salvageable.

Looks like someone thought it was worth it to flip

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VESPA-SCOOTER-P200E-1980-PROJECT-/301041284028?pt=Other_Vehicle_Parts&hash=item46177573bc&vxp=mtr

I would have paid that $250 all day, even in that condition

yo that engine is tight sonn

That is almost to funny. Can someone please tell me what I am missing? I guess on ebay you really can't tell how bad something is. I went to look at it thinking of it as a project. But by the time you rebuild the motor and it appeared it was a complete rebuild crank and all. So basicly replace the motor. And the frame is rusted out by the shock and bottom side of floor board, including a crack by by brake peddle. Note top broke off of brake peddle. It would be cheaper to find another frame then repair. But there's not a title for it anyways. Anyways I thought by the time I replaced the motor and the frame I might as well have not of bought it. But maybe someone else is seeing something I'm not. I however am over it. May have found something cooler. A peel micro car. I truly know nothing about them, just it's small and has a 50cc motor. I'm not sure if it's considered a car or a moped, but I want it.