Modern Vespa

Also in pic 2 it looks like the tunnel is seceding from the floor board.

Ya know aside from all the other nonsense going on there.

Ya'll saved me a drive. Thanks. Was looking for a project for my son, this is probably more than I want to deal with, especially if the narrow hips are from a '62 and the rest is a few years older, jeesh. I guess that explains why I've seen it showing up for sale for a while now.

whatever is going on there...that thing is a hot mess. Your patience will pay off.

Hi all, just received more photos of the orange one discussed earlier. Interested in your thoughts (I'm aware of the dodgy paint job but looking to do a restoration anyway so not too worried about it.)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/73see5lwqf2qkug/AADVvRuCIWG5cDu4Ab2xyPCZa?dl=0

Video to follow hopefully.

Cheers

It's much easier for everyone if you post the photos directly on this thread

No problem, there are 53 in total though so I'll add a selection.

Is it just me or is the engine cowl in the second last photo a different shape to the cowl in the last photo?

Lots more photos if there is a specific area anyone wants to see.

LOTS of weirdness going on there... ... very likely more surprises await under that peachy orange surprise. Super iffy all around IMHO

It is a Motovespa 150s, second series. Registered in Madrid, Spain in 1964.
It was the first motovespa to have the spare wheel under the cowl and front glovebox. Also the first having a rear brake light swich and trap headlight. Most parts look original to me: speedo, carburator, lights, seat frame, rounded cowls, ... Produced only from 1964 till 1966.

I would say it's a bad restoration and respray (non original color, nor the red inside the cowl), but looks pretty much original with a few extra holes here and there. If the scooter "lived" in Madrid most of these 58 years, no major rust should appear (dry climate all year round).

Should be this scooter:

Like I said...

CORRADINO bringing the knowledge to school! Thanks for that.

Superb…. Thanks chaps👍👍👍

Vespa vids…. Sorry, can't upload to the forum for some reason.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j6yaa84zt2o0sfv/AACl3jleRwJXb4IuGHHsJD2Da?dl=0

Comments welcome.

At the risk of being flamed I submit this restoration which may not be a bodge given that it probably didn't make it to the US. I don't know whether this is considered bodgy given the amount of Bondo or could just be considered mercy for bringing this back from 80% oxide

H

Doesn't look like one.

It's interesting to see a bike that was never imported to the US.

Bodgetastic!

That's totally how I imagined a bodge being done.

Still, the guy has some skills, like the light touch with the stick welder and being able to use a grinder for everything. He could turn out quality if he wanted to and it's still a functional bike.

I was waiting for the yellow feet to go on for the money shot.

oooh. that video is painful to watch.

But this made me wince.

Ohhhhh remember the red version of this? Same Guy?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/mcy/d/felton-vespa-p200e/7455299303.html

picture

What's he got against seats?

Looks like it's the same bike, with a new coat of paint.

Can't cover up upholstery holes with filler or welding rod?

100% that's the same bike.

look at the grips, the RH is still not seated all the way, same rims and tires, painted the switch housing and conspicuously left out the photo of the RH cowl.

but by no means is this a a "just needs some small things" project.

basically you're buying a headset and a fork, some rims and a question mark motor, so cases. if the spare cowls and seat are clean and sellable, 500 would be overly generous.

A VBB with a 10" conversion for $7,000

Not really a bodge, but modified heavily with a Retrospective EV kit.

I think this is the first of these I've seen for sale. The price is so high.

Interestingly, it doesn't show the engine. I guess probably bc it looks a little awkward.

The restoration otherwise looks decent. But does this increase/decrease value? It's more an oddity, and maybe something cool.

But a version that only goes 50 mph, and doesn't really follow the design cues of the bike.

https://scootnet2.net/index.php?do=showone&id=448

I wouldn't call this a bodge. not in the slightest. to me it's a retro fitted updated bike. could it be a bodge frame? could it have some bodge work? sure. but without any other leading photos, I'd say it's unlikely.

there's a lot here that I really like, and there's a lot here that I really don't care for.

price wise, that's all subjective. but based on time and materials I'd say that's the high end of the market and looking for a maximum return.

also, this bike has been up for sale several times before.

I've looked at a kit out of curiosity previously, I just looked up price on kit with two batteries $5,874.59. If you wanted one and live in U.S. price might not be to bad.Top speed for my use isn't enough.

That seems a little much for that kit unless they're trying to spread a lot of engineering effort across not a lot of production volume.

That's like $700 worth of LiFeP04 batteries, the motor is another few hundred bucks, a couple hundred bucks worth of wiring and controllers, and the rest is, I assume, engineering and assembly labor.

if this kit came in at around 2K AND could do an honest 60/60 I'd be on it like white on rice in a snow storm.

$4,486.04 for the kit and the cost of the scooter.
https://www.retrospectivescooters.com/product/large-frame-vespa-conversion-kit

JVB's VespaLectric has a reported top speed of 62 MPH on GPS, but that was a custom build, not off-the-shelf.

$2k is going to be tough unless someone starts assembling them where labor is really cheap and then importing to the US, though.

And I don't really like the wheel-motor. If I do a electric project, I'll have the motor centerline inline with the rear swingarm pivot, and a timing belt drive to the motor. The ride and handling will be noticeably improved this way. Is there a thread for EV conversions and not-so-modern chassis?

not yet. but there will be shortly...

It's not a bodge.

It looks like they don't modify the frame at all, so easy swap back.

I don't quite understand the approach or price, though.

They just fabricated a swingarm, and use sourced parts for motor, etc. So it's not especially attractive, or in keeping with the design of the bike. They make a plastic engine cover that looks like the original engine.

It's curious that they use a motor that is on the low end of the power spectrum for a Vespa. I guess you don't want it too powerful, but you could make it so it easily goes 70-75 (probably as fast as you'd ever want to go on 10" wheels).

And if they're manufacturing them at scale, could design it so it keeps the back wheel configuration. I think that's what I least like.

That price is with a single battery, add says it has two.

A museum piece!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203877537551?hash=item2f780c570f:g:qucAAOSw3UJiOI4E

I don't think they quite understand what would go in a museum. It certainly wouldn't be that monstrosity.

I'm no museum expert but pretty sure they only want originals. Of which that is not.

The Museum of Bodges, maybe. Or is that this thread?

Does it come with a house and a wife in Vietnam??

That would be a sweet deal. I'd buy it for the .... property investment...

I posted the following to the seller on fleabay: "Can you confirm that this scooter has not been restored at some point, in South East Asia?"

Chicago area gem.
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/d/big-bend-1970-vespa-sprint-150-scooter/7459167911.html