Modern Vespa

This week, I'm taking off work because I'm into "use it or lose it" for vacation time coming to the end of the year. My wife asked me, "What are you going to do all week?" because she's not taking the week off.

"Y'know," I said, "I think I'm going to repaint the white scooter."

And, true to my word, it has begun. This afternoon, I went and bought paint, then came home and tore it down other than pulling the last of the wiring out of the frame and the mudguard off the fork.

Tomorrow will be car wash time to get the bulk of the schmutz off and then the work will begin in earnest. I'm going to replace the floorboard and modify the engine door to fit the Quattrini cases.

The floorboard is going to be trickier than I was expecting because of how it transitions to the legshield, but I think I'm up to the challenge.

Then I just have to hammer, paint, rebuild the fork, then put it all back together. No biggie, right?

Current considerations are if I want to install a SIP speedo (maybe? Eventually?) and whether or not I'm going to order a new wiring harness (probably).

Anyways, everybody get ready to ride along for another fun workshop adventure!

Love it! I'll be following along. Are you stripping, dipping or blasting the paint off? Still going with white? Single or two stage paint? Last but not least, brand of paint? Looking forward to your progress.

I'll be stripping the paint with a heat gun and wire wheel on my angle grinder. It sucks, but gets the job done.

Paint color will be a pale blue-gray, single stage.

I don't worry about paint brand. I'm not that good a painter. I just went to a local paint supply place with a good reputation. I did my last two scoots with Summit Racing house brand, and I expect this will be at least as good.

I've found this is the best way to go. A low-budget camping style propane torch works well as an alternative. The old paint and old bondo heats up, bubbles, and falls right off. Then there's no need for messy gel strippers or sand.

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My setback on painting right now is temp. I can't shoot till it's at least 65 degrees in the booth. Just need to spray the frame. Everything else is done.

No blasting for me. I'll be happy if I can minimize the wire wheel time, though. When I stripped the VBB, I used a heat gun and it was a definite step in the right direction. Ray8 said to use a propane torch somewhere in that thread, too.

Also, I love that fact that you're *encouraging* me to play with fire. It'll definitely be done outdoors with a respirator on, though. I'm lucky that my workshop has heat & AC, so I have good temperature control. Even so, I doubt I'll achieve your level of results. That serape gas tank you shared is far beyond my abilities and damn impressive on any level.

I caught your YouTube video this morning. Looking forward to following along.

The fiber discs on an angle grinder are the best way I've found for stripping larger areas. Wire wheel and anything goes for tight spaces. Never tried a torch but sounds promising and…decisive.

I had this idea of covering a whole frame in hand sanitizer gel and setting it on fire. Paint stripping with free performance art.

Looking forward to seeing how you do the legshield/floorboard joint. I will chime in with some FWIW advice if I'm struck with a burst of insight or just sit back and learn something.

I've been using budget paint too (PPG Shopline/Omni). When you are not a pro shop trying to get it out the door with a minimum of time and coats of paint, it works just fine. Especially on a scooter size project.

Best of luck with your project.

Chandlerman and fire!?!? Subscribed.


Seriously, looking forward to watching the scoots cosmetic transformation.

Orwell, regarding setting the whole thing on fire, I was just wondering if that would some how possible warp the metal with that much heat? I know nothing about metal, so just asking. But if you try it, get it on video. The closet pyromaniacs out there would send it to a million views on YT.

But, surely this may compromise that counter that is ticking away and send it back to zero? But, yeah, I'll be watching.

My GS is two stage gloss black. The P I inherited will have some metal flake with kandy green and solid green. I use House of Kolor for paint and Roth metal flake. Here's a shot of the GS when I started.

If it's not too late, HF has a torch generally used for weed burning.
Connect it to your bbq tank and blast it. Maybe $25.

Btw consider that paint leaded.

Are you going to use a repair sheet?
That damage at the base of the leg shield looks pretty tough to deal with otherwise.

You painted a GS 150 black?

Yep! Couldn't stand the original color and don't plan on selling it. Knew I would get some comments about it sooner or later. It also has a 221 going in. I have the original engine but needs lots of work to be a runner.

Yup. It'll all be done outdoors with PPE and a respirator. I was unable to get a torch locally, but Amazon will have one to me on Friday so work can continue. Yes, I'm replacing the floorboard and may have to fab some repair patches there, too. I'll have a better idea what's going to be required once I get some hammer and dolly work going, plus the floorboard replacement.

I used my old roofing torch to burn out a food grade drum to make into a smoker. Took the outside paint right off but the liner was a beast. Did you get a permit for your burn day? 🔥 Out here in California they get uptight about fire. Hahaha 😆 Can't wait to see your results.

I'm confident fire will work at this point.

I used my little propane torch to test the theory and even though it didn't burn the paint clear off, I hit it with a wire brush on the angle grinder where I'd heated it up and the paint fell right off, whereas where I hadn't heated it, the grinder didn't even scratch it.

Subscribed

That 26 isn't going to make 30, is it?

In the words of Niels Bohr, "Prediction is hard, especially about the future."

Youtube sent me your video.
Might need a few more sheets

About the door:
"I'd" cut the cowl along the line in this pic and extend it so any door can be used/replaced. BUNCH of clamps and mark off a 3 or so inch sheet strip at a 1" gap and cut.
Tack and hammer/shape. It'll take quite a while and risk trashing it

I thought about doing exactly that, but pulled up short of actually doing it because I wanted to make sure I didn't trash it. There are also some internal braces that will need replacement/adjustment as well.

If I try it and pull it off, it'll definitely be one for the ages, though...

Should be fun!

I did see one smallie door idea where they used standoffs to push the door out. Gap all round, so ventilation was improved as well (found my saved pic). I assume they're allen headed screws you can see in the pic.

My original (and maybe still) plan was to to cut something that basically winds up looking like a scoop and go from there. I'll have to try and mock something up to demonstrate/test in the next day or so.

This'll be fun!

More progress today. I solved the engine door issue by adding a small section to the bottom which gives it enough clearance to fit with the Quattrini motor.

Then, maybe because I was feeling saucy from that victory, I did a bunch of dent hammering, which somehow turned into removing the floorboard.

Anyways, other than one reasonably bloody cut, it was an accident-free day in the workshop and I made some good progress. Can't really argue with any of that.

Doesn't look too bad in there. Love the sealant worms around the patch in the tunnel.

sir, where is your reinforcement bar between the neck and body?

*cuts eyes*

Ummm...I thought about it?

What's the spec on that space and I'll add one tomorrow.

uhhh, about this big *holds up hands with fingers apart*

if somebody doesn't provide tonight I'll measure mine tomorrow.

I never had the stones to try this. Good man, CM!

Silly question: is the step-through spacing on the Bluebadge the same as a Primavera? I thought the Bluebadge had a shorter chassis than the other post-'66 smallframes, with the exception of the 90SS?

that is an interesting question to which I do not have the answer.

Smallframe Chassis Identification

Not totally clear, but it references a "short" and "long" chassis and says the change occurred in '67. I was surprised that the Google came up with an MV link first.

huh. TIL, thanks!

I'm sure there's a spec out there, but in this situation it's more of a preventive measure that the frame doesn't taco when CM drops it off the roof since he's welding up there "because the light is better"...

kidding, sort of.

but more so it doesn't warp up when welding is all. I mean, I know that there's a critical measurement but I'd go with "close enough" so it doesn't turn into a pretzel with metal starts melting.

Is it not easier to cut the legsheild off too? Changing the whole lot would look smoother and probably save time from this point.

Might as well go for this, your already there a few more cuts and length will be good. Also has the support bar your missing for length. I don't know why, but I get a bit of a stiffy looking at one of these.

https://www.scooter-center.com/en/conversion-kit-vespa-ss50-ss90-vespa-v50-v90-pv125-et3-76700268

I thought it was smaller…. But could be wrong.
POIDOG would know if we can find him.

*bat dog signal*

BN, you're funny!!

It is in fact smaller than a Primavera. Reason it is a fave to do the 90SS conversions.

As az_slynch pointed out with his link to swiss1939's in-depth filter and re-post about the different small frame iterations by Jasper Foehn off of FB. (gotta give credit where it is due)

My SmallState is in storage at the moment. If no one else comes up with measurement, I can go later today and take a look.

Where should the measurements be taken from/to?