Modern Vespa

This Sears Allstate is rather special as it is the second oldest known Allstate in the world. No Sears plate on the carb door. Colloquially referred to as a "pre-100." Late 1951.

I am happy for you. That is a treasure

It's definitely in the right hands!

Solid! Yes, defo landed with the right owner.

Well done sir, I have seen fine work and advice from you in this thread. It's gone to a good home for sure.


What plans do you have for it??

Sheet metal work first. That aluminum horncast needs some deep work- i can do it. Need to source a motor with case numbers VA30M. Those are probably the biggest hurdles. A bike like this kinda goes above what you see here on MV as it gets into the collector/anorack world. To own the second known oldest USA market bike in the world is a pretty bid deal.

Speaking entirely for myself heee. I agree unreservedly with all the points you make. Which js why I for one will follow this thread with avid interest.

It may be to some "just another old scooter" but to me this is a rare and unique heritage vehicle which is unlikely to ever be seen in other circumstances, not least of all its transformation back to a whole vehicle.

I will be watching it's resurrection with keen interest.

I felt a sense of excitement and dare I say it responsibility when I discovered my own T5 was an uncommon vehicle and that changer the dynamic from a selfish rebuild doing exactly what I wanted to balancing that, between that and respecting it's scarcity. Some tradeoffs have been.made obviously as "it's my bike - my rules"

Yours is another category entirely!

Good fortune doing this one and keep every stage documented on here PLEASE

Love the scoot, where it went and the wording, being a US department store chain special you would not find many in the ROW

Back story?

No real back story other than the previous owner wanted to keep this in the USA and wanted it to be repaired correctly.

VIN is VA31T- those are pre-100 numbers.

The success of the attractively priced Allstate is striking in the prespective of the european(home market Utilitario model. The latter was a proper flop. Supposedly 6000 produced. Only 2000 sold and 3500 were sort of ´dumped´ to Iran where they were modified to postal service bikes. No info of what happened to the resting 500 or if even actually produced.
Today they are híghly sought after

Über indeed to have 2nd known of pre-100.
As observed proper ´anorak´ territory.

I know a wee bit of the history.

Justin, a cool, midwest Vespa cat found that via Craigslist or Vespa Marketplace. Came off a farm in Nebraska a few years ago. Farmer was probably the original owner.

Certainly landed with the right person in Gick.
Will be a great thing to watch it come back to life.

In known status (volunteer registry updated truly by an anorak), this would be the oldest US market bike in the US. the oldest is in Germany; simply based on VIN. so take that for what it is-known status. I will be gladly corrected.

So

I assumed that the oldest would be in the US too it being a US market scoot. Did not occur to me that one would be impoted in EU but the Germans are rather serious about collection Vespas.
I stand corrected

It's not the oldest bike in the USA, per se. Euro market bikes that have been imported by collectors; they were not USA market bikes. for example, i have a friend that owns a V98 in California.

This one, which took Best Italian Motorcycle at Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel on Saturday?

I love the way that the lack of a stand makes it look like it was just abandoned in a field!

Is this the engine you need?

No. That is a 2-port engine for a VB1.

I kinda forgot I had this engine on the shelf that will go right into this chassis. Take at look at this-

Rad.

I am wideframe illiterate... and didn't see that engine prefix on scooter help...
(Assume it is an early 50's allstate engine?)

Can you tell us more about the motor?

These very early ones just have a metal knob or such under the floorboads to lean them on no?! Über

Check out this even earlier swingarm, this would have been used in very early production- V98

The chassis VIN is VA31T, which also is not on Scooterhelp. It predates all 100 models.

swingarm used on late 40's and 1950/1951. You can see some used for V30T chassis'. The engine bolts are m10 with 14mm heads. Very small bolts.

Yep - Josh, the guy that owns it, has a little wooden stand that it sits on in his lounge.

We must have similar shops. There's been a couple times where i've been pleasantly surprised to randomly find spare P200 engines on my shelf.

Whát a cool thread

Having searched for an early serial number VA32M for 20 years, I can say a VA30M should be quite the journey...

I have two sources for the correct cases. what you would imagine those might cost is exactly what they will cost- rare as hens teeth.

I will at least have the VA32M engine in the bike and it will stand on its on for the first time in decades.

Yes...

My supplier's V98...

That right there is a bunch of money.

Tell me about the bolts for the swingarm- appears to be a giant slotted screw.

I'll ask him next time I go to his shop. I was lucky that day to see it up close. He takes out every few months for a ride around the block to keep things going...