Modern Vespa

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194390888664?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

I have been watching this ad in the last couple of weeks, as I am interested exactly in this model of Vespa. I even contacted the seller to ask who/where did the restoration. Looks like it was resprayed in one of the original colors, but still shows some imperfections.
He could not provide specific details, other than an older gentleman in California had done it personally, instead of a shop.

The first auction closed at $2350, but apparently, the buyer backed out, and he relisted. But did it really sell for $8100 this time?!!?

Who knows but that is a tidy well restored looking ride. Prices been going crazy here in NZ - often from European buyers. But eBay seems to be dodgy with lack of transparency and shill bids and stuff. Probably the seller backed out - if somehow it did close at that low price.

If you are looking for a Sprint, let me know as there are 2 in the area (Charlotte)for sale.

Well, as I expected, no one was going to pay 8100, so here it is again:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194409347950?hash=item2d43b33b6e:g:NoEAAOSwjIlhT0c~

I just don't understand why e-bay lets people get away with buyers not committing to a binding contract with the seller, as I understand the system is designed to do.

Yes, I am interested in considering these 2 leads you have.

Thanks!

I wouldn't look at that ebay bike again. It is some sort of Indian restoration. It has one the very questionable headsets that are available out of India that have the 130mm headlight of a Sprint V but the clamshell speedo. The body work leaves the seems a little to hidden which is a hard no. It may be a decent bike but not for someone who is looking for a Vespa and definitely not at that asking price or even the previous closing price. Maybe at $1000-1500 that a Bajaj Chetak goes for, even then I would look for something with more proper Vespa parts or proper replacement parts used during it's "restoration".

I have 90% original USA 1976 Sprint V I would let go of for half that.

If you decide to sell it, let me know.

That thing is a mess. All the seams are hidden behind a ton of bondo.

Looks like an import bike. Why are people bidding so high on these?

FFS I didn't look hard enough. The styling tricked me.

The problem is, as soon as a bike has that much bondo/filler it can't be trusted until it's completely stripped and anything associated with that resto gone through (split cases, everything). Worthless now.

lol - maybe the floor rails aren't too small, but the bike is too long from when they connected the two halves.

Not that they can be too small. They just aren't bent on the right angles wtf. So weird.

Crude.

because the seller is also the "buyer" or someone they know is. They run the price up hoping to get someone to bid, if that doesn't happen they "sell" it to themselves or their friend. Then no one on either side opens a complaint allowing it to be relisted again and again.

There's some weird things. Like the fan and carb covers are from a random bike. I would guess this is assembled from arbitrary salvage parts.

The bondo.

This is what was hiding under bondo like that on my current project.