Modern Vespa

I have been meaning to put a bit of a thread together for a while, so here goes.
Some background first. The New Zealand 180SS story has been told many times on the forum but basically it is like this. In the 1960s we lived in a heavily protected economy so if we wanted something from overseas then the best thing to do for motor vehicles etc. was to bring it in CKD (completely knocked down) and get about 20% local input, including the assembly labour. So these arrived as kit sets and they were assembled using NZ wiring looms, NZ tyres and NZ seats primarily.
Gina is one of these, assembled and sold here in 1965.
How I come to have her is another of those funny tales that life lets us be part of occasionally. In this case I have reached a stage in life where the Government has just started returning some of my taxes in the form of NZ Superannuation and I thought a "retirement" project for when that actually happens would be fun and productive. I had gone to the point of making an arrangement to buy a Lambretta that needed extensive work from a friend. However, before that transaction took place I got a text message from a friend who supplies me parts asking if I was serious about wanting a 180SS. When I was at secondary school these were the scooter of my dreams, only money separated my dream scooter and I becoming one. Having casually answered of course he gave me a contact and a deal was struck.
The first challenge was getting the scooter from where it was to where I live. Below is a map of our little country, I live in Hamilton in the North Island, it was in Invercargill in the South Island, and not just in the South Island, as far south as you can go south almost - it feels like the South Pole is closer to Invercargill than Hamilton is. Keep in mind also that we had severe earthquakes in the Kaikoura region last year and State Highway 1 was, and remains, blocked around the Kaikoura township. I priced trucking her north, and I work for a company with trucking interests throughout NZ, but it was cheaper to drive down and back because I have full private use of my company car and the fuel is free. So that was arranged.
More to follow.

Looking forward to some photos.

So a plan was hatched. I would take a week of annual leave and do The Journey. Hamilton to Wellington is 525km, 325 miles in old money and that would be the first leg starting on Saturday and staying with my son and daughter-in-law. Next is an Inter Island Ferry ride crossing Cook Strait, an innocuous looking stretch of water that can cut up as rough as anywhere. I have seen pictures of the passenger/car/freight ferries with their propellors clear of the water as the bow dips into the next big green one. That is a trip of about 3 hours and goes from Wellington to Picton, a town that thrives on the constant ferry traffic. I had a booking for 8:30am which meant being at the terminal at 7:30am. From there it would normally be a run down the east coast of the South Island to Christchurch, but due to the previously mentioned earthquakes the trip was considerably slower. Google Maps has it at 477km (300 miles) and 6 hours. That assumes a reasonable run but as it is the main truck route currently the trip takes longer. The plan was to go to just south of Christchurch and spend a night in a B&B before heading south to Gore, another 500km and 6 hours of driving to stay with motorsport friends overnight. Then the short run to Invercargill, only 70km and an hour of easy driving. There I would meet the seller and do the deal before loading Gina into the Ford Kuga (Escape in some markets) and doing the sights of Invercargill, in particular the Richardson Transport Museum, the largest collection of trucks in the Southern Hemisphere (owned by the parent company of my employer) and Motorcycle Mecca, also under the same ownership but in a separate building in the middle of the city. Invercargill also has the original Indian used by Burt Munro to set an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967. This record still stands; Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record. This city is all about petrolheads!
The return journey was to be similar, but staying with friends in Christchurch on the way home. Those plans were thrown into disarray when a close family member died and the funeral was during the week I was to be away. I contacted my hosts to let them know and before I knew it a plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel had been hatched and I could go to Christchurch and back and Gina would be waiting for me there and I would not have to rearrange leave etc. You find out who your real mates are when these thing happen.
And so it was, I went to Christchurch, packed what looked like more than would fit into the Kuga, and headed home again. What great people.

great report sorry about your family member and Gina looks beautiful

Thanks for your kind thoughts, sometimes these outcomes are better for everyone as it was in this case where my brother-in-law had always been a keen thinker and great to be around, then was hit with a series of brain bleeds that robbed him of his vitality. RIP.
Gina is undergoing her transformation back to the way she once was, more reports to follow.

Nice scooter!

Thanks Ginch.
Once home I put my mind to "how far will I take this"? That answer was "all the way" so I proceeded to take her apart - completely. The body/forks/engine removal is all pretty easy if you have been there before, and those tricks you learn from harsh experience become useful second time around.The engine and gearbox however were a new area for me, the furthest had been was a head off on Bella. But I knew she had to come completely apart as the gearbox had casing damage where the kick start shaft exited, and we knew nothing of the internal condition of the motive power. Even to a first timer some was straight forward and I got to the point there I was well advanced but the clutch wasn't going to just quietly come free. I organised to visit my friend Paul who has the clutch pulling tool and we spent an unpleasant time watching the grass grow as the clutch was very determined. He was worried about causing damage so we stood back and reassessed. I came home and spoke to the local Vespa dealer and they were confident they could do the job so long as I wasn't desperate to have it back the next day. So that was the plan, leave it with them and get it back when they had succeeded. And succeed they did. I had dropped in at lunchtime one day to discuss progress and they had only just remade a clutch pulling tool as they could not find their factory one; just after getting back to my office the text came through to pick it up in pieces.
Next was to get the casing fixed, below is a before photo and my next post will cover the repair.

I have been a little lax about continuing the story, so here we go again.
While talking to my local Vespa dealer I asked about repairs to alloy casings. They told me about a local company that they recommended highly, nothing they can't fix! That's a big call so off I went with my damaged casing and a sacrificial Super casing so at the least they had a similar alloy to use to build up the damaged area. I soon found the place and was greeted by someone I knew, a guy who has been around motorbikes all his life, even having ridden a 1926 Rudge on the Isle of Man in the classic class. We chatted and I showed him the damaged part and I was able to honestly say I didn't break it. He felt they could do something appropriate and at a realistic cost; all I had to do was leave it to them.
Less than a week and under $100 later she was all fixed. So then I thought I should ask if they could fix something I did damage, the little shoulder on the front suspension link that stops the round flat stop from coming right through. I had retained the damaged bit, and that fell into the same boat, leave it here and we will fix it. Both jobs done brilliantly.
More to come.

So some basic repairs done and the scooter in a million pieces, all photographed as it was dismantled.
I thought before I got too far into this I should get the correct matching paint so went off to the place that supplied the green and white on Bella, the green having been concocted between my wife and the paint guy. I think they did a great job so I went back. The owner of the business is a motorsport competitor who I have had quite a bit to do with over the years and he greeted me when I arrived. He told me who to see out the back, his motorcycle specialist who is into old Ducatis - he can't be all bad with taste like that. All he wanted was the body for a day so long as it has some original paint on it. I dropped the body in on a Friday afternoon and he confounded me with what paint/primer/thinners etc. that I would need. I casually said okay, but remember it was painted here in NZ in 1965 by a company that specialised in refrigerators so I want to match that colour and have it last well. Came back on the Monday and he had everything made up, including the bill, and I left with a lighter wallet and all the paint needed to finish it once the body was the correct shape.
With the casing repaired and the paint bought I took the body and all the associated bits to my local panel beater of choice to see what he could do. The short answer was not much! He had been under the knife for a rotator cuff repair on his left shoulder so holding a dolly and beating with the other hand was off the agenda for a while. He did say to get all the paint off and we could work from there. I HATE stripping paint! It is a thankless slow task, did I mention I hate it? A casual conversation over a Vespa or two and the occasional Aprillia pointed me to a local guy who strips all sorts of stuff. I was warned that he had the personality of a dull brick but did a great job. So Gina was presented for his perusal and quote. Most of her stayed there apart from the main frame - it wouldn't fit into his tank. Bugger!!. So the pods and glovebox etc were left and picked up a week later. He then enquired about whether to body was all steel. Yes said I, Are you sure he said. Absolutely. Okay, bring her back, she will fit in the caustic bath. Whoopee!!! Another week and I had her back with an apology from him for the tiny bit of paint left up under the rear mudguard area where he thinks he got an airlock. So little I was surprised he mentioned it. By this time he was my mate, and I think the description of his personality was really unfair, we had several great chats. All I have to do now is take her back for him to see when she is finished.

Well told story. Not the usual build thread. Keep it coming.

Thanks bluecloud, I think if I had my time again I would consider training in journalism. I enjoy the challenge of telling a story that is not only factual but actually interesting to at least one other person.
So, Gina and I visited Craig (panel beater of choice) again and he was pleased but still incapacitated. He was especially pleased about the body having been dipped but suggested I take her to get the joints all completely cleaned out of caustic and a coat of etch primer applied so that when he is able he can get on with hitting, welding, stretching and whatever other magic they perform to get her completely ready for final paint. He recommended I go and see Warren at Flamin' Body Shop. "He's great, been around hot rods for ages and has built a couple for himself". It fascinates me how the human mind works as I immediately had a ZZ Top beard and muscle shirt in my head and a scruffy workshop as well. How wrong could I be. "Hi, I'm Warren" says this quietly spoken man with mild manners. I explained why I was there and who had sent me, all the while castigating myself for prejudging what I was about to see. We chatted and he was more than happy to take on the job, and then he talked about a couple of Vespas he had done. He mentioned a blue small frame that I was aware of and has to be one of the best restorations I have seen, then he showed me a large frame photo and I was won over. A bit over a week later I had her back all etch primed to await Craig's rehabilitation.
In the meantime I will start getting some parts vapour blasted. This has to be one of the best ways of tidying up alloy pieces; they come out in their natural colour and beautifully smooth. I intend to start with the fork and the headset, although the headset will end up being painted but needs some tidying to prepare it.
Photos of the primed body and parts to follow - I have been slack and not taken them yet!

So, some photos of the etch primed body will follow this post.
I took the headset and fork to the vapour blaster, who doubles as the Vespa dealer, and we had a chat about what to do next. The headset is still there and I will pick it up next week then get that etch primed as well to protect it.
As for the fork, it needs some more work to get rid of paint then I need to get the stops in the body sorted out before I get that all primed as well. The good news is that it appears that the stops on the fork itself are in generally good condition so won't need any material added. So looks like I will be spending a night or two in the garage working out how to get the body stop corrected. Heat is good I'm told.

This is before getting any bodywork done? Looks almost perfect!

Don't let anyone tell you that the camera never lies!
The scooter appears to have been dropped by an equal opportunity owner, both sides of the leg shield have too much shape in them. Offering up the glovebox leaves a gaping hole between it and the inner leg shield and the spine. The left hand floor area towards the front is a bit knocked around but salvageable by my man Craig. The front guard is not a bad shape but there is a dent on the top right that you can see in the photo and the support bracket inside is support in name only. Also you can see that the trim clips have pulled through.
Fortunately the pods are pretty good, not perfect but really solid starting points. Like most SS right hand pods the grill has taken a pounding but it's complete. A look at the back shows she has been hit from behind so the top of the number plate area needs hitting out.
The stop area on the body is great on one side and bent on the other, see the photo below.
However, I am very lucky. She is pretty good and is very sound. A fascinating project for me as all I had done in the past was admire them when I couldn't afford one. On Friday I finally get to meet the man who I bought her off. We will be spending some time at the Motorcycle Mecca in Invercargill and hopefully take a moment to see the World's Fastest Indian in the flesh.

Thanks for posting this. I enjoy seeing the these old classic vespas come back to life.

The steering stops you mention needing repair: are they the ones on the frame or the ones on the fork? My SS had been dropped or was in an accident before I got it. I was able to just bend the tabs on the frame back into place so that it made contact with the fork as was intended. I just put a large adjustable jaw wrench on it and bent it back into place.

I'm thoroughly enjoying your thread. I love project posts. Especially restorations. Thanks for sharing.

I am talking about the tabs in the frame up under the bottom of the horn cast. Mine is pretty thick, but I haven't tried putting a large spanner on it. I do have some vice grips that are worth a try.
The project is slightly stalled currently, the panel beater remains incapacitated. I have the headset being vapour blasted so it can be etch primed. Next will be the engine/crankcase housings to really tidy them up before I learn how to put those millions of pieces back in there correctly. As there is no deadline - except a publicly declared intention of taking her on a fund raising run for a friend with Multiple Sclerosis, I can basically go at my own pace.
So, I need to keep focussed as she will need some short runs to iron out the teething challenges before the 185km (115 miles) run to the coast and back over some great curvy roads.

Excellent thread pp. We're following with interest and looking forward to updates.

So, a fragment of progress today. I got the text message from the dealer that my headset was ready to pick up after vapour blasting. I dropped in this afternoon and they presented it to me and I was blown away. $65 and it is beautiful, almost too good to paint. It looks like a clear coat would really make it an interesting talking point, but I am looking for originality and body colour is the correct thing to do.
To say I am satisfied is a massive understatement, so happy with the outcome.

Some more progress. Work got in the way, this is a busy time of year for me, and as well some problems were thrown in that are still not resolved. I keep reminding myself that those problems are the reason I go out to the garage and play with the scooters; there is no pressure to finish any jobs, and I do things when I feel the inclination.
I spent a couple of evenings stripping the fork completely of paint and really tidying it up. Having done that I took that and the headset to my new friend Warren the painter. During that visit he had a Dodge Challenger Hellcat in to have the bonnet (hood) repainted because it came out of the factory with the optional matte black and the new NZ owners wanted body colour. He saw no issues at all, just ready to get on with it. I left the bits with him and a few days later got them back all primed. He agreed that it was almost a shame to paint the headset because it looked so good. Photos below.
Then I gathered together the crankcase and associated bits for vapour blasting. This included both brake drums, the clutch cover and the gear change support casing. They like the parts to be blasted to arrive without any extras hanging off them, but I took the crankcase with 2 bearings that needed removal, and was attempting to get the gear change support sorted out at home when disaster (of the minor sort) struck. I had successfully removed the spring that holds the stirrup (Vespa's name for it, I would call it a pawl) and was working on removing the roll pin that holds the gear selector assembly when the support casing slipped in the vice - breaking the part of the casting where the threaded pivot goes through the stirrup. Goodness! I thought. Blast, that is jolly inconvenient! But then I remembered I had access to the man who can perform magic on alloy, and just about anything metallic, so there was a good chance that a repair was possible.
I took the bits along with me to work the following day, a Friday, and at lunchtime zipped out to see the vapour blaster and my friend of a thousand tricks. I explained my stupidity to the Vespa dealer/vapour blaster and he smiled knowingly, providing reassurance that I wasn't the first to have had similar experiences, and that our man was almost certainly able to fix it. So I headed his way, with what was the rear brake drum as well as it had a broken cooling fin and the one next to it was slightly bent. My man wasn't there, but his offsider took the bits, the sorry story, and the request for repair. Early the following week I got the message that things were all fixed and ready to pick up. So again, a quick lunchtime trip, and after chewing the fat and looking at the latest Aermacchi project I was about to deliver them back to the Vespa dealer when Mrs Vespa dealer walked in to see if my bits were ready. That saved fighting the traffic back to the shop, and I headed back to work.
During the week just gone I got the text to say all the vapour blasting was done. Again, a great job all round. They admitted there were bits they could have spent a lot more time on, but doubted they would actually get any better. We suspect the flywheel was sand cast originally so was never perfectly smooth. The casings however are mint! See below.
What next? Probably the air box and carburettor.

wow the case looks so clean. Interesting there are no case transfers on that engine design.

Carb sits directly on cylinder, so transfer ports are pretty much, useless...

Maybe that one at 8 o'clock? Really nice work - welding, vapour blasting and painting.

Are they useless on the GS 150?

I'm thinking it's this one below. Whichever one, great job!
Go to love those nice old castings.

Those cases look clean enough to eat off of them!

That's the one, and the one above it was bent. All I need now is to find replacement studs, one was damaged during removal, and none of the existing ones are flash. However, removing them from the other hub is awkward, looks like they need a 3.5mm Allen key and I haven't been able to locate one yet. It was suggested a ⅛ inch would do but it feels nasty. When I get them replaced I will take the wheels to another local business renowned for fixing just about any wheel that is still complete.

Spent a pleasant hour and a bit in the garage this evening putting the gear change casing back together. The stars must have been pretty much in line as the spring only escaped once and was good enough to remain within sight. Another small job done. Will add photos of finished piece later.

And the result of last night's endeavours.

Cool story Bro ! Looking forward to the next installment. Thinking I might take the PX down to the Burt Munroe challenge this year. Be a cool scoot from Timaru to Invers.

I got a call from the vapour blasters yesterday to let me know they had finished the carburettor and filter housings. They almost finished them pre Christmas but weren't happy so did a bit more work. Pretty happy with the outcome, need to get a gasket set so I can fully reassemble it. I did a bit of a dry build last evening and need to check a few of the disassembly photos regarding fit.

Vapour blasting seems cool aye. We have a dude set up shop down here doing it. Non abrassive non invassive type scenario. Ideal for the likes of your carby.

It is certainly a great system. The guys who are doing mine specialise in race preparation of bikes, in particular Aprilia, with some success. He is sooo meticulous about it that he will do a little extra just to make sure he is happy with the outcome. It isn't cheap, that lot above including the fuel enrichment device, the carb cap and the end cap for the slide cost $140. But it is value for the money.

The old story about remembering the quality long after the price has faded from memory.

I haven't added much lately because progress has been a bit slow. I rang the guys doing the wheels about a week ago and they didn't have them back from the media blaster. Got the call yesterday to say they were ready so I spent an hour in the garage sorting through some more pieces and organised my morning to include a visit to the town where the wheels and media blaster are; Cambridge about 20km away from home. I did the work I needed to, then picked up the wheels. While they were an ugly black single pot etch primed finish, they are straight and round, 2 important considerations. The media blaster is just over the river (the Waikato River, the longest in NZ) so I went to find him to drop off the cylinder barrel, engine shroud, flywheel cover, rear brake backing plate and clutch area shield. His premises isn't obvious and I ended up at a friend's workshop and he was working on the car he is getting ready for my wife, a 2006 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA. It's looking good but I wanted the blaster guy and got pointed in the right direction. I left him the bits and he estimated about $50 for all of them. He is into hot rods and does heaps of wheels so is an enthusiast. On the way back to the office I dropped the head and gear change tube off for vapour blasting and that should about do it. The wheels are at the painters to get the same 2 pot primer as everything else. Then to reassembly!
🤔🛵👏👏👏

And today, Friday, I took a day of leave and had a few little tasks to do. The most pressing was to get Bella a Warrant of Fitness so I set off to the WOF station and went through the process. It is pretty pain free for an old scoot, the inspector wanted to see the indicators so I pointed in each direction and commented that the indicators are self cancelling!
I decided to head home via the Vespa dealer as they hadn't met Bella. Well that was a great idea. Firstly, the workshop came to a halt and they pored over the scoot, even asking to take her for a ride. But more importantly, they had finished the vapour blasting I dropped in yesterday and it was still hot from being dried. The head has come out beautifully and the gearshift tube looks the part too. I also gave them the pod latches and the correct, original speedo drive plug. I'm pretty pleased with all that work so I'm at the point where I need to get organised for some final paint to go on and for reassembly to begin. That will really fall together once the wheels are back from etch priming and I get all the bits from the media blaster and have them etch primed. I will start with the silver bits then protect them in bubble wrap or other appropriate material then get the panel beating done prior to having the colour put on the body and everything the same colour.
BTW, the guys at the shop felt Bella went pretty well and didn't need the cables tightening as I thought.

Love your reports. Great project.

What a totally awesome thread. I see lots of challenges and a wonderful ending for the scooter and owner/rider. We should all have a retirement challenge like this.

Thank you for sharing.

Jerry

So, over a month and nothing added by me. The project is at that stage of making sure I have got everything (that I can think of) ready for the next stage. The wheels etc. came back black so they ended up at Warren (Flamin' Body Shop) to have a suitable etch primer applied. The cylinder has been painted by me with black heat resistant paint and I have spent a couple of evenings trying to get overspray - not mine - off the mating/gasket surfaces. Having hands that require the biggest gloves that the motorcycle shop sells makes working around exhaust studs difficult. I have also ordered a bunch of bits that will probably be sourced through SIP including the important engine gasket set. I was thinking I would reassemble the engine/gearbox myself, but I have let better sense prevail and my friends at the local Vespa dealers will get the work. I have too much invested in all areas; money, time and emotion, to risk damaging bits as I put it back together. They have all the necessary drifts, tools and passion to make this a great job.
Right now I will be getting the bits together to take to the panel beater for him to decide what he needs for the work he needs to do, then I will ensure he starts with things that are going to end up silver so I can take all that to the painter at once for that to happen concurrently with the bodywork being sorted out. I am impatient for progress, but very aware that hurrying things is the worst thing I can do. I feel I probably started with high hopes of doing so much myself, but am realistic enough to know that if I want a job I will be happy with then others are going to have to play a larger role than I originally thought.
As an aside, I dropped into the scooter shop for a social visit and there was a V4 Aprillia motor on an engine stand being worked on. Typically Italian it is beautiful to look at as well as being an engineering masterpiece. We chatted and they just happened to be preparing it to send to the Isle of Man for someone this year! Could an engine travel further to get there?
Oh, and in amongst this we updated my wife's car, photos attached.

Things moved again this weekend, I got a call that my parts order from SIP had arrived. The weather wasn't very friendly so I took the hour and a half drive to pick up the parcel. Obviously when a couple of scooter guys get together it isn't a 5 second transaction and we shared coffee, talked rubbish and scooters, looked at Paul's projects and the car he just bought for his wife - it's catching obviously - and eventually got to picking up the parts. Then there was a little surprise, an original Douglas 180 Super Sport Owners' Handbook. While it isn't perfect, it's way better than not having one.
So here we are in New Zealand, and 14 days ago I emailed my order. It arrived on the 26th (and the 25th was a holiday here) so less than 14 days to get from Germany to New Zealand, half way around the world. It takes longer to get a tradesman to turn up and do work for you.
Below are a few photos of the goodies; and who doesn't like getting parcels? Now I will give the engine/gearbox etc. to my Vespa shop for them to put it back together. They have finished their big project of preparing and packing up an Aprillia RV4 bike for the Isle of Man TT so should be able to concentrate on my toy.