Modern Vespa

Picked up this 1969 Rally 180 that had been in a shed since 2002. No real rust, just surface rust, a few stress fractures but pretty straight and very much needing to replace a dodgy paint job.

I'm feeling the airbrush job on the tool chest where the lighting turns in wrenches. Kinda next level. The scooter looks good too.

Great prep, looks like bare minimum of filler. Nice job on the cowl & frame looks dead on - paint remover, wire brush, media blast - what's been done.. ???

Bears an eerie resemblance to a slab of beef in a meat locker...

Actually no filler at all was used. Body was very straight and only a little surface rust so after soft welding a couple of stress fractures and metal filling a couple of holes that should not have been there it was good hammer work only to straighten out the dents.

Actually a couple of the shots reminded me of a big stainless steel public toilet

Thanks V oodoo. As said frame was in very good shape so banged small dents out, had to soft weld some stress fractures, then dipped to completely remove old paint. Rust proof primer applied so the frame can sit and wait for the engine rebuild. I am going to keep this pretty stock. Even after 15 years of sitting in a shed, with a little coaxing we got the engine running which was lovely to see / hear.

What hasn't been done yet and will be a little fiddly will be straightening the grill bars on the engine cowl. Plan to make some wooden templates to try to get the right edging. Couple of them had been a bit bent.

More fun!

Some engine porn

Good job buddy.
How much was hydro blasting? I own small sand blasting chamber, but every time i use it i feel like s*** and my lungs are full of dirt. You have just made me wonder if i could remodel it.

I honestly don't know. Can try and find out for you, I know not too expensive but with how i want the scoot to look when I finish it was a "must do">

Thought the cowls were going to be ok but had been distorted too much so bit the bullet and bought replacements. So happy they fit perfectly.

pfft...you gotta be kidding

seen your workshop, its sick

I'll take that as a positive comment 😂 . Really couldn't get the cowls to line up tight against the frame so didn't think I had an option other than to replace.

They can be a bit of a bastard like that. But yeah, you gotta do what you gotta do. And by all means making stuff easy can be as simple as forking out and doing that.

Stretching them out to fit...Just bully the bastards to fit flat by hand then bang at them with the wooden mallet to get the shape back...try it now if you can be arsed...a couple of layers of masking tape on the primer where you might scratch it up. Put it on, check the gap/fit, pull it off and just twist and mutton it flatter and put it back on. Takes 1/2 and hour and itll sit flat to the frame. Dinging the dings...well thats just dinging the dings, either you can do it or youre a bogger.

looks good so far...did you acid wash the bare body?

Hey Trumpy, spent some time twisting and banging but to no avail. Now that I have bought the replacement I'll leave trying to straighten the originals to a rainy day.
Acid washed the body before priming. Liking what I have got now so looking forward to getting it sprayed.

I think I might be about to fall in love. Great work so far!

In love with me or in love with my scoot 😂😂
Thanks, I am so looking forward to getting it on the road.

All the pieces looking schmick, just have to put them back together and get the carby sorted.

Nice project, that engine looks brand new - wish I had done that to mine now!

Your gorgeous scooter!

After a series of delays we have some progress

Wow!

the paint look orange wow

yep! Trying our best to match the original colour of 1969

Looks spot on to me

beautiful. great work. 8)

Hi Capsurfer. You reminded me of my own 180 Rally project. A couple of years ago I bought some Vespa bodies and engines, and among the engines was a 180 Rally engine. It took me 3 years to find a 180 body! Anyway, this is how my 1970 model looks today.

nice job Danie

That is a fantastic restoration job Danie, well done! Hope mine can look as good.

Thanks, getting close now.

Cheers

I think the end result will be the same. However, my engine was not that clean!!

As said, yours look fantastic Danie, but may i ask why you elected to put on that sort of saddle / seat rather than the original style?

I can only speak for myself, but I think the Rally seat detracts from the bike. I don't like how it hangs off the frame at the front, and looks altogether too large. I much prefer the standard Sprint dual seat, but then the bike begins to look like a Sprint. I'll probably buy a reproduction Rally seat for mine, but have toyed with the idea of going with something completely different, knowing it's not a permanent change. The advantage of Danie's choice is that it appears the original tank can be used with the saddle - a plus for quick and easy swapping.

thanks Blackbommber, that picture is a Rally frame (with a nice looking paint job) but what seat are you using there?

It's the Velocity, from The Scooter Republic (TSR) in UK

It won't work with the tall Rally tank, and even with a flat top, I have to modify one of the supports to clear the oil fill cap for my Autolube. But it fits the frame really nice. Since I've bought it, I'm having second thoughts, and might just go with the correct style Rally seat. I never received one with the pile of parts I bought, so really am only going by photos. I've never seen an assembled Rally (or even a Sprint, for that matter) in person. Classic scooters are really rare to see where I live.

Don't get me wrong - I love the way this seat looks, and knew it would need to be altered before going in. I just picture the person with the nicely restored '69 Camaro with the 18" Torque Thrust wheels on it. Restomod, they call that here in the states... I kind of like it on other people's rides, but don't know if it's for me.

Scooterwest has a stock seat for a Rally. It isn't cheap but it will work and is very comfortable. You might find a frame somewhere but shipping is going to be brutal. I think shipping would be free from scooterwest as well. I do have a line on a seat that is close to me, but again, shipping.

Thanks, Dwight. We should probably pick this back up in my thread, but $300 doesn't seem out of line for OEM quality, to me.