Modern Vespa

I have decided that I am going to build one of these!





I saw this many years ago and have been looking for a donor bike for years. In the process I have acquired two that were a) too nice to chop and b) too expensive to chop. So the stable is growing but the donor has not shown up.

I was looking for a real project but all of those had crazy prices (more than $1K for a junker).

I recently found a donor, and despite the fact that it is too nice to chop, and too expensive to chop, I am going to chop it because I am running out of patience.





I want the back to have the roundness of the early scoots. So this 1965 Allstate Cruisaire is the deal. I have two Allstate forks (been collecting) and will have the one swapped to be left handed for the 'other' front wheel.

This is the plan:

1. I am going to strip the scoot down completely.
2. I am going to cut the frame as far forward as I can, just before it turns up. In the above fabrication they cut it closer to the back from what I can gather.
3. I am going to fabricate a floor extension and tie it back into the floor spine and floor boards.
4. I am going to fabricate a tube front end.
5. All controls remain wire. Not sure how I am going to set up the brakes, but I want all three to be functional. I also want a hand brake of sorts.
6. So, pedals for clutch, brakes and throttle using cables. Will need to make custom brackets.
7. Gear selector will be a custom box on the right hand side that will be just like a sequential shifter.
8. Going to build a custom dash board.
9. Will put in a go-cart seat and cut the area by the helmet holder back to be straight up. My seat will go higher than the one in the original picture.
10. Will build the entire scoot without the front body work.
11. For the front body work I was planning on using a sidecar shell or maybe an open wheel race car nose cone (formula V or formula Ford)
12. I will rebuild the engine with a Pinasco 177 head.
13. Instead of a steering wheel I will try to use the headset.
14. Lots and lots, and lots and lots of details to work out, but should be fun.

Right now I am 900 miles from home, and could be here for a while. So may be some time before there is an update.

Stay tuned.

No offense but killing a beautiful Allstate like this one is a crime and you should be locked behind bars

Get a freaking P, PX, Stella and chop the hell out of it...

This or buy a bodge, they're already 2 or 3 piece frames.

Yes it's an AllState, but not so scarce here and so better this than a Sprint or VBA etc. Besides if he removes the front carefully, he can sell it on to somebody that needs it. He's living his dream and already knows Vespas. I say GO!



PS not a trike! or is it?

This is so cool, this would be the perfect project for that frame that was severely abused.

I'm conflicted and I have so many questions...

Conflicted because of cutting up a relatively clean Allstate.

Questions: how in the F on those forks knuckles? And whatever that suspension is.

But I can guarantee this thing handles like a bag full of ass.

If you're gonna go with it two things:

1- do yourself a favor and use a modern ATV front suspension.

2- I have a somewhat solid indo bodge that I'll give to you (it's got an early P150 motor) Just pay the shipping. Hell, I'll even flip you a mid 80's px for a song.

-g

I love this. The concept is brilliant, but the cockpit needs help. Do it right!

Also, a few design notes:

I'd move the headlamps forward... above or almost above the front axle... like an old beach buggy. And a little windscreen a la Steve McQueen.

And the exhaust on your photo is reminiscent of the floor board tread. Should your trike have Vespa-style running boards?

You'll have room for batteries if you wanted to electric.

Go over the top and work in a modified front end of an MP3 so you can lean into the curves.

No matter how you do it, it's a great idea, I can't wait to see it turn out.

Thanks for the comments and interest. Yes, I too am conflicted about destroying what would be an easy restoration of a solid Allstate. But I have genuinely been looking for a donor bike for a long time and have not found anything in the price range I was willing to spend. Just bit the bullet on this purchase.

I have had a long time to think about how I would build the body on the trike. I love your suggestions and agree what I will do will be completely different. I like a rounder nose that will be closed. I want a dash. Finished cockpit. I was toying with the idea of welding cowls together to go over the front wheels creating fenders like a Bugatti Atlantic; and putting the headlights in there.

The front suspension is all Vespa. The frame is rigid and the suspension is simply the lower part of the fork. I love that. It is so period. But again agreeing that the handling will be rather crappy. It may be a little better than expected because of the lower center of gravity.

Greasy, I may very well take you up ion your offer and put the trike build off while I restore the this Cruisare. I just really want to get started on this trike build!

Love it! So glad you're doing it... looks like a bunch of fun.

Chopping that one up means the rest of the Allstates just got a little rarer and worth just a touch more.
I've collected a handful of 3 wheeler pictures, I'll see if there's anything useful after work.

I'm down for some custom build work when done right.

Please don't chop that Allstate. That in its current state is a dream bike for some. Hell, If I was local I'd take it off your hands. That really is too nice of a complete scooter to simply chop in half...

I understand the pressure of patience and the anxiety of wanting to get moving on something now.... practice your patiences and wait for the right donor.

Find a bodge, or take up Greasy's offer. That sounds like the right fit! with a motor no less. Flip that Allstate to someone else to ride as is or restore. Then go to town on your bodge-built trike!

That trike reminds me of these
https://vanderhallusa.com/autocycle/

Man that bike would be $5000-$6000 in that condition! where I live! I would look for a bodge since they are pieces put together anyway, but it's your bike so.

I'm actually looking forward to this as I love customs! Good luck!

following with interest and please move forward with the Allstate

Yes it's a trike. Here is another picture of the thing (best resolution I could find). I have spent hours trying to find more pics in the web. I reached out to the Vespa club that it belongs to in France a while back but have not had a response. I want more details on the whole front end.

Please please share. I am excited to see some others and get some ideas. Seems like Greasy's offer has created some new opportunities; and maybe headaches. Two builds instead of one. 7 HP vs 700 HP!

I don't want to change the topic of this thread but regarding the Allstate do I repaint or keep the patina? Can you match Patina? I want to get the rust off the floorboards.

I would suggest patina , 100%.

My suggestion would be to just touch up the floor boards.

You can bring in the rear rack to a decent paint shop and have them mix up a quart of something that matches a portion of the rack. Then clean up the scoot, and only touch up the areas that are too far gone for rust and protection, like the floor rails. I took off the floor rails on my 62 Allstate and just sprayed the floor boards, and inside the glove box cowl. Allowed me to keep the "aged scooter" look and still protected it and cleaned it nicely.

My 2 cents. I'll be following your progress!

Yep.

(Take G-man up on his P offer.)

Still... will be fun to watch either way.

It's crazy to cut up a nice Allstate for this project. I am so sad! We need to save that scoot, and give this guy a damaged frame or an abandoned P. Please don't cut it up!

Fortunately one of the pictures is one you don't have. The front suspension does look pretty agricultural... The other ones are clearly quite different but may give you some ideas.
The transverse leaf spring on the blue one is kind of nice, low COG and low complexity but probably also harder to adjust.

dude, hit me up. i've got that indo vbb with the early P150 motor-- as a plus, it's already got the round tail that you're looking for. it's also on 10's for whatever that's worth.

also have a mid 80's P150, a P2 and a stella with a 166

all are complete bikes, and i'm not looking top market for anything. so if any of that grabs ya, shoot me a PM and we can talk.

-g

that suspension is straight up old school air cooled VW front end that's been cobbled with the forks. for that matter, the metal work is probably from a VW donor as well.

bring it into the future and put ATV stuff up front.

-g

And found this one - just for interest.

okay... okay... just like, hear me out on this...

what if you started with an ape?

you've got drive train, you could narrow/shorten/modify everything up or stretch all the metal out from donors.

three wheels is still a trike.

but i'd hack it up and knock on an ATV front end and have some frankenstein situation of a ves-car

or? orrrrrr.... start with a side by side frame? add torches, welders, grinders, a dash of sawzall for good measure. then pound to fit and paint to match!

-g

I will concur with those who think butchering the Allstate is not a good idea. A Vietnamese bodge or a Stella would be the best candidate for this. The Allstate is a piece of history as well. Why ruin it?

I will say, however, that this idea seems way, way better than a sidecar project.

Anything is better than a side car project.

So what's your background experience with suspension and steering design and fabrication skills?

Remember the old bumper cars at the carnival? I think that's the look and feel that is desired here. I just noticed that the original is actually a widebody, so better an AllState than a good widebody. But it IS a nice AllState, and it would be a shame to it whack up... does NOBODY have a crunched roundtail or other older frame close by to swap here?

Looks like Elvis!

Nope sidecars are brill according to my 4 yr old granddaughter and her cousin Tiger Lilly who is 7 and I am not allowed to get rid of it

I would also consider a Stella or PX just for the engine at least. You could keep the electric start to make life a little easier.

I found another widebody version today. It looks like they peeled the legshield down to make a floor out of it.

The Taffspeed brothers built a reverse trike out of a Dodgem carnival car way back when...
https://scooternova.com/2018/04/10/the-taffspeed-interview-only-in-scooternova-magazine/

All of the fun of the fair! They look like they're having the absolute time of their lives here!!!

This is brilliant improvisation. Even the center channel has been bent up to serve as a steering column support. 👏

and without that bench seat on it, a person could fab up some huge high-rise 5 gallon fuel tank that doubles as a head rest.

That doesn't appeal to me much. It looks too much like a sit-down lawn mower, too shiny. The old funky red ones are much cooler.

whodat over here asking the real questions.

i've got some alright skills in those departments and all the equipment to tackle something like this project, but even i would be having a serious sit down with me myself and i before breaking out the sawzall.

so much of this needs to be figured out before blade touches metal or the welder is fired up.

-g

On this question I am pretty good. And I work with a buddy that is really good.

I am a mechanical engineer, and have access to all the tools and equipment I could need. But it will be a fun and difficult project. I like this as well, some good ideas.

However, this project is on hold. Going to rebuild the Allstate - will start a new thread.

I will get back to this. Its close to the top of the bucket list!!

mannn... if i had dime for every time somebody said this i'd have, like... i dunno... a lot of dimes.

-g

Found some pics from a different trike.

Oh man, that looks like a lot of fun!