Modern Vespa

A bodge is in my Garage. (Think Dr. Seuss story) Haha!

Long story short, I'm looking at a bodge for a friend of my wife's. It is labeled as a 1966 Sport 150. I had . . . let's call him Don, yeah, Don. I had Don bring it over to the house so he could see what a 1962 Allstate and a 1979 P200 looks like. Then I could point out subtle and not so subtle differences between what he owns and authentic Vespas.

To be clear, I'm not saying anything negative about it, just pointing out differences and explained to Don I am not even close to an expert - just observing.

Don said it seemed like fuel to him cause it'd run for about a mile, then die. I shook his hand and told Don I'd get back with him after I checked it out.

So I open the tank and cannot see through the fuel to the bottom of the tank. Too rich a mix? Probably. So I siphon out the gas and pull the tank. OMG!

The hole for the fuel tap has been welded and an output has been installed. This home made fuel tap has been installed, and a fuel filter in the line also.

For grins, I proceed to clear out the lines, and to my suprise everything is pretty clear, except for the carburetor. In fact fuel was all the way to the top of the little cap above the float bowl. So tomorrow I'll pull the carb and give it a quick clean.

While I was in there I looked at the bodywork. It looks like some work has been done inside the cavity...

Tank-welds, and fuel taps, and bondo, oh my!

I done that
but TEMPORARY only, old '58 VBA came w/ stock tank & hole in bottom is smaller than normal & most taps too big. Needs this $55 outa stock little beauty: http://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Fuel-Taps-and-Parts/Fuel-Tap-VNA-VBA-VNB1

Anybody holding?

pics of mine coming...

While there's soooo much wrong with that bike that happened before it went into the container in Vietnam, that fuel tap seems like American Bodgery to me. No self-respecting Asian Bodger would use brass fittings like that. Those things are fairly expensive, not to mention the ball valve that tap is built on top of.

Plus, if it'd been done at the time of build, the solder on the tank would have been painted, too.

I like that someone did an American bodge to a Vietbodge.

Bodgery knows neither borders nor boundaries.

I had a bike show up recently with one of those shut off valves. It's a fuel shut off for a car from Summit racing.

Which position is "reserve"?

Ahhhhhh

When closed, detach the hose from the carburetor and do the test: closed ---> open ---> reserve.
Easy.

Well, at least it's a quality bodge, then. Summit Racing usually sells decent stuff.

No reserve. Just Open or Closed. I'm concerned about the gravity fed system and fuel not getting delivered properly. That's neither here nor there though, until I pull the carb and clean it. I was just asked to look at it. I'd like to get it running, check all the nuts and bolts, then get it out of my garage!

I wouldn't worry about the flow if I were you. So long as the line isn't kinked, the head pressure will be the same, so flow will be the same, too. Besides, on a bodge like that, I doubt it will hold together at WOT long enough to get fuel starved.

I wouldn't worry about the fuel filter, either. Also Summit Racing, if I were going to guess. Cheapest one they sell.

Thanks for that Chandler. I figured I'd just do the minimum necessary - besides checking it over for anything glaring that might fall off.

He told me he payed a lot to local guy to get it running, and it did for about 5 minutes. I'm pretty sure he's the one that put together the new fuel delivery system. Obviously didn't know about Vespas in general or he could've gone a much easier and cheaper route.

Getting it out of your garage pronto is probably the best plan ... with a signed waiver from Don ... considering the many possible liabilities downstream (brakes, hubs, pins, shafts, etc.)

Ohhh, thanks for that SoCal. I'd like to think this world wasn't that way, but it is, so waiver it is. I probably should've had him sign one when he dropped it off. Something to think about also if this comes up in the future....

Best advice of all this & priority one unless Don's your family, you gotta cover your ASS! Maybe there's stock forms online, better go look. Nice when a knowledgeable guy has your back here. One of the bennies of paid up membership in good standing.

Buckle up, here's mine & yours sux next to it. No race car swag here, ~8 bux @ home depot :

This 150 VL3T (Struzzo) was worse:



I posted the photo to push you to beautifully restore the one in the topic

... oh my God ..! Who did the piping again? Super Mario Bros?

Piping? You mean plumbing I think, It was American Valve and NAPA store for the fuel grade rubber push-on no leak size hoses plus grade A truck tire valve stem in stainless. Only FIRST class AMERIBODGE here! 8)

I like the way you OWN that plumbing, too, V oodoo!

Heck, when you bodge it that aggressively, it's no longer bodged, but rather straight up Steampunk.

... excuse me ... my command of the English language is just enough to support a conversation, a few words come out inaccurate.

+1

Your English is fine. V oodoo was laughing at himself (I think)

holly smoke, the inside revealed lot of weldings.

Hmmm, I thought that my AmeriBodge SteamPunk solution was legit & purely American. Imagine my humiliation on discovering that my domestic "AMERICAN VALVE" was probably only designed in the U.S.A. (or copied by the actual owner of the rights to stamp that on valves sourced elsewhere and sold here).

Short term: laff it off & remember to assume nothing

Medium term: replace w/ better from the Mother country

Permanent solution: again, looking for original factory stock(Ican re build) or decent aftermarket for tiny hole in bottom of ancient '58 original tank. And no thanx, not gonna ream it out . So who's holding? I got $$$ or trade goods.

Simple enough.

I thought so too. I'm going to check the underneath closely and get pictures to the owner, so he understands what he owns...

At this point, I almost wish you could split the cases and see how many beer can shim's, cardboard box gaskets, and who knows what other garbage is inside it.

I think he's now getting the carb ready.
So next will be seeing if it starts & keeps running.
By now he's checking tires & brakes, maybe they're good enough.
May be helmet & gloves to see if the clutch & gears work, down the driveway slowly & back safe at home again.

FORK IN THE ROAD, CAUTION:

Safe choice is waiver in hand, call Don & report your brief opinion while arranging safe exit & discussing details you can share. Sign here please, Don, then do as you wish and good luck.

Or find your tuffest safety gear, get all kevlared up and run it hard around the block couple times, get up to temp, see what she'll do.

Best case: damn, not so bad -it seems to work.

More likely is Candler gets his wish.
.

Let me understand ... you are not interested in restoring the "bodge-vespa" in the picture but only making it walk regardless of the type of spare taps included; well a Klinger valve would be good, or not?
On the steampunk style I agree ... the bodgevespa has already been thoroughly martyred.

Exactly Attila. I'm just helping out a friend get it running. No more, no less. I was asked: "Could you please just take a look at it and see if you can get it running?". I live in a small town and I've known these folks for over 12 years. I couldn't say no. Well, I could've, but it's OK, I'll take a look.

It also gives me an opportunity to explain to them what they actually own, and I have, to an extent. It's sad really - people see a shiny scooter and see themselves riding around on it, without really doing any research. And then they end up with something like the "Bodge in my Garage".....

So the plan is to get it running, give it the once over, and get it back to the owners. Oh, and get a waiver signed. I need to look for a generic form online. Thanks for that guys!

My first interaction with a bodge (about 15 years ago)...

I also live in a fairly rural area. One day my friend's dad said there was an auction down in the town, and that there would be a Vespa there. He wanted me to look at it. There was some AMAZING bodgery going on with it. Sure, it was a shiny black, but under the cowls told a different story. The box exhaust was actually welded DIRECTLY to the cylinder exhaust stub! Since i showed up on my scooter to the auction, most of the people there guessed that the scooter was worth a fair amount of money for some reason. I was willing to pay up to about $150 for the turd, but the winning bid went for well over $1k (on a non-running scooter). I had really hoped to get it because my friend had just bought a video camera. We'd figure we would make a short video blowing up, or ghost riding the thing off the cliff over at the local rock quarry. Gasoline surely would have been utilized as well in the video...oh, and guns too.

... i found this 1951 Moto Guzzi 250 in a garage:



But it wasn't bodge ... Bought, i'm waiting to restore it
There were also three Mercedes SEL 280s but he wanted too much money.

The video, I woulda kicked in $500 to help crowdsource the bid for the movie version production.
Ok, maybe match your 150, my thanks still.... but now I can only imagine it. So, machine guns?

Shotgun incendiary rounds are the most dramatic (very similar display as Nintendo's Contra when you have the rapid fire laser gun), but one of the neighbors complained about making really, really loud explosive noises after 11pm at night.

I'm with Voodoo HhoDat - I'd kick down some cash to see that go down!

So I got it running. I pulled the carb and cleaned it, replaced the float and needle. The old needle actually had play at the end where it sets in the float. I'm sure this was the original reason it wouldn't run. The float looked ancient and while the needle was red-tipped, that play in it is a deal breaker for it to even work.

So someone changed out the whole fuel delivery mechanism, and still couldn't get it running reliably. All because of a float needle... Just a guess...

I'm nervous to drive it around. The front fender was missing a nut so the fender was loose. Also there is play in the steering column. Groan. I'll see if I can just lift the headset a touch and tighten things down. If not, I'll tell him and he can take it to the guy that updated his fuel delivery mechanism

Either way, he's coming by Monday morning to pick it up, and that'll give me time to find a generic waiver.

That inspection report is honest wasnt asked for frame inspection or bodge inspection

There was a point where Slashy's Bodge probably would have probably passed ol' Kevin's inspection, too.

Also, I found page two from Kevin's inspection report.

Oh man, what a trip! I like ole Kevin's - Electrical: Works well with the exception of 2 burnt out lights. Bwahahahaha!!

I like Page 2 Chandler - right on point!