Modern Vespa

Weird. This one isn't on my other rally frame either.

Someone did a number on the battery tray. They pried it out to fit a larger battery that was held with a bungee cord or something




Other frame.

All done and ready to paint.

Just one fix left. Need to weld up the holes from where I did the rails wrong.


The nose is symmetrical now.

So sad. Bad mistake. I could have the paint shop fix this, I guess.

10 Pieces, right? Frame, tank, headset (2), glovebox (2), cowls (2), fender, taillight bracket.


Last edited by hjo on Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

looks great, I agree have the paint shop fix that and keep forward motion!

ok. Saving the seat.

I found that you can order literally every piece from Mauro Pascoli in Italy. So the rest are arriving Friday or Saturday. Amazing.

I'm getting all the parts. New springs too.

Bike's ready to paint. Taking it to the shop next week!!


Exciting rubber parts. They have the US horn gasket, bc it's also used in Germany.

The seat frame looks pretty good. It was super rusty, and had it powder coated.

This patina is amazing. It was all rusty and pitted, but very heavy steel. It has a kind of cast iron texture, and is all clean and shiny.



Love the cleaned up pitting.

This latch is supposed to have a return spring, but I have no idea what it looks like or where it goes.

New feet. I guess these just sit in there? There are no clips to hold them, but they're pretty tight fit.

I bought this may, but it's too short. Luckily, there's one from Pascoli on the way.

Seat foam. I guess there's just this foam and the mat. Nothing on top?



I am in love with this stuff. Found the correct glove box screws, rivets for the number plate, seat clips.

I love watching this kind of restoration with such attention to detail. What makes it even more special is that even though you just learned some of these skills, you have done excellent work. The frame tunnel was a particularly hard project to go to school on.

Im excited for you, for when you get it in paint. It's a magical day seeing a vehicle in fresh paint for the first time. I'm looking forward to it.

Good stuff...

Where did you source the glovebox screws?

how soft is that foam?

I got a Pascoli seat for my GS and while it looks perfect and is made very well, the foam was just soft open cell and is uncomfortable as hell.

The stock seat on my GS and Rally are very comfortable even on 350 mile rides.

If the foam provided is soft it could still be used as a pattern. I'm sure a foam shop would have a close match to the original.

These were from Scooter Center.

I discovered that Pascoli had parts that Scooter Center didn't have, or I couldn't find, so bought some directly from them, too.

https://www.mauropascoli.it/

That's a good idea! I'll go that. There's an auto upholstery place on Geary/Masonic (near me).

This foam looks like the same one Pascoli sells. I got it from Scooter Center.

It's not great. It collapses to almost flat between my fingers. It doesn't look like it would be comfortable.

The original seats I've replaced the covers on, have two layers of foam. One that is pretty dense and molded so the edges are round, then a soft, thinner layer on top, and I believe a light layer of plastic film between that and the seat cover.

Plastic film is to keep water from soaking into foam in case seat gets wet.

Seat shop should be able to get you a foam you can form and trim with an electric knife like you use for cutting meat, you can also use a hot knife.

If you have an old seat cover they can trace it and stitch you a new cover.

TY. I have local specialty shop I may check with, but thats great to have a back up with the flat heads.

Soft foam is no good for a seat. If you're going to an upholstery shop, get the firmest they have. The springs supply the cushioning.

Seat parts.

Going to the upholstery shop to see if there is better foam, but the other parts look good!


The mat

Piaggio stamp. Is that what the original ones look like?



The seat cover and strap are not quite black, but a very dark blue. Just like the original ones.

There are 10 springs. This is enough for 4 of them. :( Scooterwest also has these, but I doubt they match.

I love that they have the right strap screws and the little rivet button on the back. No clue how that works, though.

Went to the upholstery shop, and they had exactly the same foam. Interesting.

Seems like there are a couple of options.

1. Something same dimension but higher density
2. A higher density, thinner piece of foam, and keeping the current one on top
3. Gel pads as a lowr layer look interesting, but they're too expensive


High density

This as a lower layer looks like it could work

These are SO expensive. They're made for motorcycle seats, but in small sizes. one big enough for 26x12" or so is like $200.

I used neoprene (wet suit material) on one of my seats. I think it was 20mm thick and fairly easy to cut.

Was neoprene comfortable?

I used half inch yoga mat

Yea it was.

More seat things.


I noticed the spring hooks are so worn, they're about to break. This bike definitely got some use.

Those aren't something you can buy, so making some out of whatever these are.

Not too bad. The old ones in the right are all rusty, too.

Shiny things you never see.

Random spring from the hardware store works for the seat latch.

These and the frame are the only original seat parts left.

New hardware. I labor over things like this. Neither is exact. The right one looks more original, but it's a SAE size. The phillips ones kind of look nicer. They're stainless and metric.

The original hardware. Looks gross. Is it worth keeping it flat head? The only one who will know it's not metric is me.

If you order these springs, be warned. You need two or three of the packs to do all the springs. I have to wait for them to come in the mail before assembling.

I ordered a 1/4" sheet of neoprene to go under the foam.

lol. This is costing more than a replacement seat. But I think it will be perfect. I like saving the original frame.

Oval head screw would look really nice there.
https://www.mcmaster.com/91790A460/

more slotted options:
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/128/3357

another foam source, but don't have prices listed:
FS4L Seat foam sheet 3/4" - long 12x26"

edit: price list is at the bottom of the page.

Last edited by oopsclunkthud on Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:20 am; edited 1 time in total

Hmm.. here I am just spraying the rusty original frame with ospho and calling it a day.

Now you got me wanting to pull it all apart, soak in some vinegar to eat the rust away and then paint and restore completely!

The one thing I'm looking for to replicate original is a stiff leather base for the stiff foam.

Thanks for these! These look really nice, but they come in packs of 50!

Do you know if there's a hardware store in SF that sells them in bins?

I'm kind of amazed at how much of this type hardware you can find at hardware stores. The ones I found were just from a corner hardware store, and drawers with things that have probably been there for decades.

Is this what you mean? I bought this from Mauro Pascoli. It was like $12.

https://www.mauropascoli.it/?lang=en#

The site is a bit hard to navigate, but they have every seat part. And they delivered from Italy in three days!

Yep, thats the part.

What's the thread (M6?) and length needed?

I'll gladly order them and create a bin for the 48 left over.

I'm not sure the M size. It's the same thread as the bolts for the seat/tank on a Rally (with 11mm bolts)

These ones look perfect. I ordered them.

Last edited by hjo on Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

get a cheapo thread guage card from home despot or amazon and attach it to your toolbox with a magnet. very handy...

https://www.amazon.com/Thread-Measure-Checker-Standard-Metric/dp/B08KSDCPTN/ref=sr_1_13?crid=B006GJTJU6UA&keywords=thread+gauge&qid=1659991850&s=industrial&sprefix=thread+gauge%2Cindustrial%2C119&sr=1-13

This looks good!

Nice! You are well beyond the level of detail I have put into projects so I am enjoying watching your progress. On my list but not there yet.

the ones at Home Depot are thinner but cost like $1

Here is the actual part:
https://www.mauropascoli.it/scheda.php?id=13025.jpg

Yes! That's the right one for a P seat. And they have all the other parts in the related section there. Molded foam and all.

The exchange rate is good right now, and shipping wasn't too bad.

I am making such a production.

Should have all the seat parts tomorrow. Just waiting on more springs.

Kind of liking the rebuild original seat.


These things arrived in one day!

Perfect.

Before. Really happy I had this photo to see how things go. Realized these hook on the second loop.

The domed screws look nice.

Neoprene. This foam is super nice.



I have enough left over to do a second sheet, and sandwich the light foam. Hopefully it's not too thick. The neoprene is just a quarter inch.

Ran out of springs. :) This is what one pack gets. It's just 9 of 19. So I need three packs.

Really great work on the seat. Nice attention to detail

This is how parts dragon hoards happen. Embrace the dark side!

when we are both done with our builds and we finally go for a ride, my rally will be the ratty cousin! I actually have to redo my seat too so great to have this thread as reference

I'm happy I saved the seat!

This one looks nice, if you're looking for a complete one.

All the parts added up to maybe half this much.

This thing is such an ordeal.

Finally dropped off the bike to paint, though.

Seat.


Sprung.

This rubber piece doesn't cover all the springs.

The screws look nice, but have to remove them and trim the length. when the seat is pushed down, they touch.

ok. That looks wrong. Luckily I have enough spring to redo the two outer ones in front. They're too tight.

This bar thing. I know it goes around here. I think to push out these springs. This look right?

Looking good hjo.

I wouldn't worry that all the springs are not covered, that piece is held in place by some wire 'staples' into the springs themselves so you can position it for best cover.

That 'bar' I think is to stop springs spreading rather than keeping apart I think. I can't remember where it went but I think it would need to go in the middle of the main rider seat section.