Modern Vespa

edit

Shit! Almost doesn't even need a front wheel.

Looked like a struggle to keep that front end down on gear changes alright

2 WORKING smallframes tucked up nice and snug in the garage

^^^That's hot!

I like it! Everyone needs two smallie!

Im new to Vespa's and picked up a '70 Primavera to rebuild

Paid $200 for her and the motor runs which is nice.

Some comments from those in the know?

Now that one is special! Too bad you're not closer, I'd trade nearly any of mine for yours.
Please have no serious rust!!!

What are your plans for it & can we get a few more shots, including the motor before you start fixing it up?

Oh yeah, I was gonna tell you about he patina thread but I see you found it

All my early scooter projects were re-paints, until V oodoo talked me into leaving the oem paint on a forlorn P200 project I picked up. From then on I have really developed an affinity for buffing out original paint.

The smallframe side door in the pic below had been oversprayed with a "color matched" paint that left it looking dull and splotchy. A little Finesse-it, meguiars #7 and # 26, and a little elbow grease and the original paint came thru and looks brighter and has a good gloss.

Thanks V oodoo.

That's a beauty Len... and your elbow grease is working! Looking great..

Thanks Vader.

On another note, the fuel in the Primavera gas tank had turned to a syrupy varnish, so I set about cleaning out the tank. After emptying it of it's contents, I flushed it out with water and turned it upside down to drain it. The water was having a hard time escaping the tank, and when I looked, there was a skin blocking the hole! Apparently someone had coated the tank in the past...most of the coating just pulled away from the tank. There are still a few pieces I will need to get out of there.

Just as a point of interest, yes, rust can still form under the tank coating. Soaking the tank inside with Naval Jelly overnight and hopefully can complete the cleanup tomorrow.

dude you already know my opinion on this little beast you have bought... patina for me is a win as for major rust if it's from the high veld. (Johannesburg and surrounds) rust shouldn't be an issue other than surface rust. which an good wire brushing will sort out.

When are we going to see you out man the vesparados need another smallframe

hi guys, been trying to figure out why the exhaust manifold gets really hot.

just swapped out a new carb running on 19/19 stock exhaust

the black paint on the mainfold has cracked off just after its first ride after the new carb was changed. about 20-30mins of 70km/h cruising.

pulled out the plug after five/ten minutes of idling and some steam was coming out of the top block.

is this normal? could it be a tuning issue? running too thin?
would love to hear any theories.

freddier, I think you need a CHT if you're worried about too hot, but your exhaust manifold getting really hot is normal. Also pretty sure there's no steam coming out of your motor unless you just rode thru a puddle.


Me, I'm mixing up an old topless smallie motor I had laying around with a long stroke crank from ScootNet & the 90/100 top end from this one, which will be getting the 125 top end from my Primmy. I do love cheap hand-me-down upgrades!



Did a little porting work while I was in there.




This brown one had a 70 DR & gets the 90/100 upgrade(? got to measure the bore so I know what it is!) . Currently has the 125 top on the motor for testing after I put the big crank in it. The old motor is in the box & runs fine, leaks a bit of oil though - good to have a spare anyway!

One of my ET3s

And the other one.

If the exhaust is new, the heat of the manifold will make it smell a bit, its just the coating burning off some. So if the paint cracked, you could take some sandpaper to the pipe and re-spray it with some high temp exhaust paint. Your plug is too wet/oily looking and will eventually foul. The fuel mix screw should be set at 1.5 turns out from fully seated and I would use a NGK B7HS plug.

At least your safe and on the rich side of the break in period. After a few heat cycles on the new top end, recheck the cylinder head and exhaust nuts. Steam out of the spark plug hole? I would think its just left over combustion of fuel that didn't have a chance to leave the cylinder.

------------------------

cmc3502: Nice looking pair of ET3's.
Voodoo: Awesome recover on the floor pan and the mono leg stand is unique.

-As a side note, I've fitted a kickstart rubber boot, similar to the lardies. For the amount of force and contact this poor kickstart lever gets it will start to wear away eventually, but ya this little thing saves...

wow awesome replies!

thanks voodoo and mr.j

will adjust the fuel mixture screw and see how it runs.

cool et3s you guys have!

First, a big THANKS to SDJohn for donating his old Primavera rear hub so I no longer have to deal w/ different rims front & back after I installed a PK fork.


before


and after

Other changes since the earlier pic : Swapped in the Leo Vince PK pipe, installed lower profile side stand, added grocery basket behind legshield, deleted goofy mirrors and most recently port matched the cases & the got my old Primavera 125cc top end on there & working well.

While testing, I ran mostly full throttle up a very long and fairly steep hill, maybe a 3 or 4 kilometers run. Indicated 75 KMPH uphill all the way(getting off the throttle periodically)and buried the speedo deep(the poor old needle misses the peg, so 'pegged' plus) coming back down, maybe 85 or 90 when I chickened out.


That's 90,830 KM original to the scoot, not rebuilt & still works like a champ. OK, the accuracy is debatable, but still...


Yeah, it did get kinda warm, but not quite dangerous. Any hotter & I'd consider more upjetting.

Voodoo! Nice to see my hub lives again. How did you get those studs to move??? Good work.

2 of the studs were OK, 2 were backed in enough that they were too short and one was marginal.

I first put some penetrant where they're screwed into the hub, then double nutted them and backed the 2 shorter ones out. Couldn't get the marginal one to budge & didn't wanna break it, so just used a thin washer there under one of the nice nyloc nuts you sent with the hub.

Incidentally, the Primmy hub takes a wider shoe, so I got better brakes in the deal too, so thanks again for that! NOTICEABLY better brakes, another Vespa guy here was surprised & commented on it.

Yeah those nylocs were how the previous owner "solved" the issue. 8)

HELP!
We acquired a near complete 1964 Vespa 90.
We are ding-dongs. Did not know the rear brake backing plate was missing. Did not know it was next to impossible to find either! AHHHH
anyone holding?

Call Fabio (I'll PM you his #) There's usually a good change he has something like that..

I love this bike! Now the snow needs to go away and summer needs to come back! Oh and updated the signature of shame. 15 bikes. Someone buy the Lambretta!

nobody needs 5....

well, define NEED smallies are addictive.

Anybody have any tips on getting the carb to mount up easily? I'm jetting in a new exhaust and it seems every time I've had to remove and re-install the carb I have a hard time getting it to be airtight at the neck.

Best advice I have is to sit on the gas tank and then the carb will move just enough to make it easier to remove.

That design just sucks. I replaced mine with a Polini CP21 clamp on carb, fits right onto the stock manifold but you get to throw away that crappy aluminum sleeve that causes all the air leaks!

That pk is nice. Nutmeg. I love those things. Look like a t5s like brother. They areone of the best vespa to ride too. Handling is really fun

Thanks! It has been a pill since I bought it. Finally got it working. Can't wait for the icy conditions and the darkness to clear so I can get it out on the road. I have been told it will quickly become my favorite bike.

Aw c'mon, Megan! You still get a bit of daylight around mid day up there don't you? Just get the right tires & you'll be fine...

Voodoo the daylight is during my work hours. Sadly. I'm not very cold tolerant either.

Here is my 82 50 special together with the 65 50s

Nice ^^^^^^^^!

Running out of gas and pushing uphill can be so much fun. It seems that the smallframe kickstart lever is strategically placed for maximum discomfort. Or perhaps I failed the idiot test. One time wasn't enough before I switched sides.

Kickstart rubber. It's on all my smallies. Oh and you need one of my stickers.

Thanks to people on this thread for helping me to locate a rare part! The 1964 smallie we acquired last month was missing the rear brake plate. I thought I was doomed. Hopefully the stator will work. We did not have luck with the stator on my 1952 after painstakingly rebuilding it. So our track record is not great with stators.

Early 50/90 have 7mm backplate studs. Be sure to get the early <25000 gasket set.

That picture of the cases looks like larger backplate holes...been drilled and tapped for 8mm?

And you should have a 5 wire stator with internal HT coil and the small fin flywheel.

I've had several early 90s...