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@ninemeister avatar
UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
Hooked
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
As promised, this thread is a follow up to the restoration of the LX50 that I built with my daughter for her 16th birthday (LX50 2T detail restoration - from "Mod" to Modern). To cut a long story short, this build had been my first experience of building any sort of two wheeler and from the moment I first rode it around our estate I became hooked on the whole scooter experience; hence it should come as no surprise that I decided to buy another one for myself and the wife to use.

After scouring the ads I managed to find a 2006 GT in Edinburgh that definitely needed a whole load of TLC and looked a likely candidate for the Ninemeister treatment. It was a one-owner black 125 which had suffered an unsuccessful theft attempt, & after smashing the lock off the column and failing to get past the immobiliser the yobs decided to throw the poor Vespa down an embankment into a river. Fortunately the bike did not manage to make it all the way and it ended up in the hands of the recovery driver.

It was also fortunate for me that the recovery guy (& his auto electrician friend) could also not get past said immobiliser to get it started, so following a brief (!) trip up the M6, I handed over £500 and the non-running GT was in the back of the van and on it's way back home for a whole lot of loving. Bargain!
Left side damage
Left side damage
Right side damage
Right side damage
Ouch.
Ouch.
Not too bad on the right
Not too bad on the right
Panel damage around the lock
Panel damage around the lock
Horn grille missing
Horn grille missing
Mudguard & side panel damage as well
Mudguard & side panel damage as well
One careful owner....
One careful owner....
⚠️ Last edited by Ninemeister on UTC; edited 3 times
OP
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125GT-S
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Once the bike was back at the unit, me and business partner Marc first had a look to see if we could get the bike started so we could evaluate the engine and chassis. Turns out that although the steering lock had been smashed off the column, once the key was introduced to the immobiliser transducer ring it worked as expected, so by taping the key to the ring and hot wiring the ignition switch we were soon riding it around the place. No smoke on start up, plenty of go, rides in a straight line, stops on both brakes. Result!!

Now, originally I did think of simply running the Vespa as it was through the summer, but as ever with mine & Marc's projects one thing soon leads to another, so rather than mess around the decision was made to completely strip the GT to a bare chassis for another complete paint job.
Engine still warm.....
Engine still warm.....
..... but no point in wasting time.
..... but no point in wasting time.
OP
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UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Two hours later.....
Big bit in front, little bit behind.
Big bit in front, little bit behind.
@spud_murphy avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
2003 Vespa GT 125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 62
Location: Down Town Birchington, Thanet, Kent, England
 
Enthusiast
@spud_murphy avatar
2003 Vespa GT 125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 62
Location: Down Town Birchington, Thanet, Kent, England
UTC quote
im loving it already! be good to see one of these often seen crashed/nicked GT's being done up and put back on the road! good luck to ya mate!
OP
@ninemeister avatar
UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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UTC quote
If you look closely at the stripped shell you should be able to make out the broken steering lock on the top of the column and the usual rust bleeding through on the inside of the legshield and panel joints. I suppose the GT has suffered somewhat by weathering the winter up on Scotland's well salted roads as we also noted a lot of corrosion on the chassis components as the bike came apart.

Experience with the LX told me that there was no point in messing around hand-preparing the shell, so Marc took it down to a friend of his for grit blasting & a clean, paint & rust free frame came back for the princely sum of just £40. And to think I spent 5 hours locally blasting the LX and another 5 hours orbital sanding off the rest.....
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Spud Murphy wrote:
im loving it already! be good to see one of these often seen crashed/nicked GT's being done up and put back on the road! good luck to ya mate!
Cheers Spud. The good news with this one is that it is not recorded, so I'm happy to put the effort in to get exactly what I want.
OP
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
With the Vespa frame away for blasting I had some time to think about what I wanted to build, in the end the photos of this GTS on MV are the ones that inspired me the most:
Simply stunning.
Simply stunning.
From every angle.
From every angle.
Especially the back. I love that fat a**e!
Especially the back. I love that fat a**e!
OP
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125GT-S
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
So, I definitely knew what I wanted it to look like but it did not seem right to simply copy a standard Vespa colour combination even though it is quite rare, therefore I came up with something a little different - orange. The exact shade of topcoat took me a long time after to decide, however at least it allowed us to lay down a neutral orange primer which would be a good basis for whatever colour I eventually picked.
Looking good
Looking good
front
front
base
base
inside
inside
back
back
bottom
bottom
That's Marc, business partner & bodywork expert, admiring his own work.
That's Marc, business partner & bodywork expert, admiring his own work.
@60yomod avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
2009 LXV125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1566
Location: Baildon, Yorkshire, England
 
Molto Verboso
@60yomod avatar
2009 LXV125
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Location: Baildon, Yorkshire, England
UTC quote
Another great "bringing it back to life" writeup Ninemeister.

It's great to see them back to the gubbins and seeing the stages.

Look forward to seeing the "Tango" done
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UTC quote
I knew this would happen by working from two computers. I've just found all the photos of the frame when it came back from sand blasting on my work laptop, so even though they will now be posted out of sequence I guess that you would like to see them anyway?

Here you go:
No paint in sight.
No paint in sight.
Damage to lock housing
Damage to lock housing
Front looks good
Front looks good
now that the bubbling paint & rust have been removed from the seam
now that the bubbling paint & rust have been removed from the seam
Inside had a lot of surface corrosion on the seams as well
Inside had a lot of surface corrosion on the seams as well
Engine bay was solid, note that the dents in the sides were knocked out before blasting
Engine bay was solid, note that the dents in the sides were knocked out before blasting
The lock hook in the floor was knocked back into position leaving a minor split which was welded up & fettled
The lock hook in the floor was knocked back into position leaving a minor split which was welded up & fettled
The only place the sand blaster could not access due to the size of the nozzle was on the inside of the legshield. We cleaned this up by hand.
The only place the sand blaster could not access due to the size of the nozzle was on the inside of the legshield. We cleaned this up by hand.
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Me and Marc debated for some time about what colour to paint the GT(S) before finally deciding on orange; but which orange was it to be?

Our business specialises in Porsche cars which is why the initial idea for the bike was to paint it the same colour as the new 997 GT3RS (first pic) which is Signal Orange. We mixed a sample of the colour and did a spray out on an old panel - boy was it bright! This colour had been used by Porsche in the past, however because it was now used on the new model RS it came across as a very modern shade which did not exactly fit in the retro look that I was looking for.

I then contemplated another Porsche colour of Blood Orange which is almost red. That did not work for me either. With a business trip to the USA looming, Marc pressed me for a decision so after an abortive attempt to mix our own shade in the end I decided on 1970's Porsche Continental Orange hence (in my view) fitting perfectly to my concept for the GT(S) as a Vespa equivalent of the 911 2.7RS with a perfect retro mix of orange, chrome & satin black. What do you think?
997GT3RS Signal Orange. Seriously loud (and seriously fast).
997GT3RS Signal Orange. Seriously loud (and seriously fast).
Continental Orange race car floowed by another in Viper Green. When are the sheep going to realise that silver & black cars are duller than a dull thing from the planet dull?
Continental Orange race car floowed by another in Viper Green. When are the sheep going to realise that silver & black cars are duller than a dull thing from the planet dull?
The '73 2.7RS 911 in Continental. A true classic in every sense.
The '73 2.7RS 911 in Continental. A true classic in every sense.
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Hooked
125GT-S
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UTC quote
So, whilst I was away building engines 'Stateside, Marc and the crew laid down the Continetal Orange onto the panels:
Absolutely no regrets
Absolutely no regrets
Rich and deep. Love it.
Rich and deep. Love it.
New GTS rear mudguard to update back end.
New GTS rear mudguard to update back end.
Lots of shiny stuff.
Lots of shiny stuff.
@remwhite avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
2008 LXV 50
Joined: UTC
Posts: 53
Location: Dublin, Ireland
 
Enthusiast
@remwhite avatar
2008 LXV 50
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Posts: 53
Location: Dublin, Ireland
UTC quote
This looks incredible! Can't wait to see it finished!
@nickoneill avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
2006 Granturismo
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Posts: 65
Location: San Francisco
 
Enthusiast
@nickoneill avatar
2006 Granturismo
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Location: San Francisco
UTC quote
Continental Orange is going to be fantastic for that scoot, I would make the same choice in a second. Nice work!
UTC

Molto Verboso
Vespa GTS 300 Super
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1265
Location: Puerto Rico / Texas / Barcelona
 
Molto Verboso
Vespa GTS 300 Super
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Posts: 1265
Location: Puerto Rico / Texas / Barcelona
UTC quote
Awesome !!
@mambo_italiano avatar
UTC

Member
'06 Vespa LX150 '82 Euro p125x/166cc
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@mambo_italiano avatar
'06 Vespa LX150 '82 Euro p125x/166cc
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UTC quote
Dang, I'm at the end of this post already? Loving it so far, thanks for all of the detailed photos. The color looks fantastic.
UTC

Hooked
125 et4 with an LX heart
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Posts: 187
Location: london/polska
 
Hooked
125 et4 with an LX heart
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Location: london/polska
UTC quote
Love the color. love it!

8)
@dunkvs125 avatar
UTC

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Vespa s 125
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Posts: 278
Location: Worcestershire, England
 
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@dunkvs125 avatar
Vespa s 125
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UTC quote
Wow! Fair play.... That looks fab!
Hurry up and get it back together, can't wait to see it finished!
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Hooked
125GT-S
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Hey, glad you are all enjoying it so far!

So, day one of assembly again started with my dad's old saw horse and a 3" #6 screw through the drain hole in the battery compartment.
Saw horse comes in useful again
Saw horse comes in useful again
JJ's scoot looking on in wonder at the arrival of big brother
JJ's scoot looking on in wonder at the arrival of big brother
First part? Wiring loom.
First part? Wiring loom.
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125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
At the end of day one the GT(S) was starting to come together:

(Apologies for the slightly fuzzy photos, it's down to camera shake because the shots have been taken on my new camera phone & I am struggling to hold it perfectly steady whilst pressing the shutter button)
Sun shining for once...
Sun shining for once...
Starting to look like a vespa again
Starting to look like a vespa again
A lot more parts to fit than the LX that's for sure!
A lot more parts to fit than the LX that's for sure!
Couldn't resist a dummy build of the back end to see the clean lines of the GTS rump
Couldn't resist a dummy build of the back end to see the clean lines of the GTS rump
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Whilst the assembly was continuing at home I was also doing a bit of overtime at work on servicing the mechanical components. This was the probably the most interesting job - repairing the lock stop on the steering column. In the aborted theft attempt the would-be thieves had ragged the handlebars around and broke off the integral lock stop lug from the casting around the column (the lock stop limits the turn angle of the handlebars). Rather than simply buy another used part and add to the mounting repair costs I decided to repair the part instead.

Armed with nothing but an old Bridgport machine and Boxford lathe the task was not too difficult. First task was to set the column level in the machine vice and mill off the remnants of the old lug. Next I drilled and tapped a M8 hole centrally into the column & screwed on a round boss that I had turned up in the lathe. The photo shows the last machine operation which was milling the sides of the boss square to roughly the same dimensions as the original lock stop lug.

The final job will be to offer up the column into the frame and radius the top of the boss & lower the height to align with the lock stop faces in the frame. I'll post more pictures of this when I've done it.
Old lathe and milling machine come in very handy for jobs like these
Old lathe and milling machine come in very handy for jobs like these
@spud_murphy avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
2003 Vespa GT 125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 62
Location: Down Town Birchington, Thanet, Kent, England
 
Enthusiast
@spud_murphy avatar
2003 Vespa GT 125
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Posts: 62
Location: Down Town Birchington, Thanet, Kent, England
UTC quote
STOP IT! your making me want to dismantle my GT and get my mate to respray it for me Crying or Very sad emoticon! still looking great mate!
OP
@ninemeister avatar
UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
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125GT-S
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UTC quote
Spud Murphy wrote:
STOP IT! your making me want to dismantle my GT and get my mate to respray it for me Crying or Very sad emoticon! still looking great mate!
Don't mess around Spud, just do it!!!

Actually, given the choice to start again I would leave it until winter otherwise you may miss out on the pleasure of riding around in the warm weather with the sun shining.
@spud_murphy avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
2003 Vespa GT 125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 62
Location: Down Town Birchington, Thanet, Kent, England
 
Enthusiast
@spud_murphy avatar
2003 Vespa GT 125
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Posts: 62
Location: Down Town Birchington, Thanet, Kent, England
UTC quote
Ninemeister wrote:
Spud Murphy wrote:
STOP IT! your making me want to dismantle my GT and get my mate to respray it for me Crying or Very sad emoticon! still looking great mate!
Don't mess around Spud, just do it!!!

Actually, given the choice to start again I would leave it until winter otherwise you may miss out on the pleasure of riding around in the warm weather with the sun shining.
thats the exact reason why im getting mine done in the winter, coz i spend my entire time riding it at the mo lol, January/February time it'll get done 8) im also debating a GTS conversion, the back end just looks a tad tidier IMO
@martrobbo avatar
UTC

Hooked
GTV300ie Via Monte Napoleone
Joined: UTC
Posts: 462
Location: Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
 
Hooked
@martrobbo avatar
GTV300ie Via Monte Napoleone
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Posts: 462
Location: Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
UTC quote
fantastic job your doing,the colour has to be on of the best iv`e seen,can`t wait till its finished.be even better to see in the flesh.
@lloyd125super avatar
UTC

Hooked
2010 GTS 125 Super 'montebianco'.
Joined: UTC
Posts: 337
Location: West Midlands, UK
 
Hooked
@lloyd125super avatar
2010 GTS 125 Super 'montebianco'.
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Location: West Midlands, UK
UTC quote
Yep the colour is the business. I love how you're converting it to a fully fledged GTS.... Just wondering, will you be using the GTS super horn cast or the stock GTS horncast with the light?
OP
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Hooked
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
Hooked
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125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
lloyd125super wrote:
Yep the colour is the business. I love how you're converting it to a fully fledged GTS.... Just wondering, will you be using the GTS super horn cast or the stock GTS horncast with the light?
The horn cover was missing from the GT when I got it, so I bought a secondhand GT replacement long before I considered converting it to a GTS look, hence it is this one that I am going to fit for now.

I will probably update this sometime in the near future and will now have to obviously consider my options, so thanks for asking.
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125GT-S
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125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
Managed to do a bit more last Sunday, so here's the latest on the build level in my garage:
Doesn't look much more .....
Doesn't look much more .....
.. but the fuel tank is now clean and fitted, along with the wiring & lights (save for self-adhesive cable clip for the fuel level wires)
.. but the fuel tank is now clean and fitted, along with the wiring & lights (save for self-adhesive cable clip for the fuel level wires)
Spot the filler cap.
Spot the filler cap.
Reference photos taken when I stripped the bike came in useful on reassembly so that I knew the correct wiring layout in the frame
Reference photos taken when I stripped the bike came in useful on reassembly so that I knew the correct wiring layout in the frame
Likewise for the legshield wiring. Correct routing of cables and wires has to be as factory for safety reasons.
Likewise for the legshield wiring. Correct routing of cables and wires has to be as factory for safety reasons.
Only fitted one side cover to see how it all went together, but will remove it when the engine is re-installed.
Only fitted one side cover to see how it all went together, but will remove it when the engine is re-installed.
OP
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UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
As well as sorting out the problem with the steering column I've also been restoring a lot of the mechanical parts. Photos to come soon of the brake calipers & engine assembly along with pics of all my freshly repainted bits & bobs. Back soon folks!
@mambo_italiano avatar
UTC

Member
'06 Vespa LX150 '82 Euro p125x/166cc
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Location: Bay Area, CA
 
Member
@mambo_italiano avatar
'06 Vespa LX150 '82 Euro p125x/166cc
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Location: Bay Area, CA
UTC quote
What does your daughter think about your new scoot?
@dr_zoidberg avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
Ducati Scrambler 800 Nightshift
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Posts: 3423
Location: Bromsgrove, UK
 
Ossessionato
@dr_zoidberg avatar
Ducati Scrambler 800 Nightshift
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Location: Bromsgrove, UK
UTC quote
Mambo Italiano wrote:
What does your daughter think about your new scoot?
She's probably got her eye on it for when she turns 17
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Hooked
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
Hooked
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125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
Mambo Italiano wrote:
What does your daughter think about your new scoot?
First comment: "Don't think I'm going to be riding around with you!"

Second comment: "So, can I now have a 125 engine??"

Third comment: "OK, so you've proved that you like projects. Don't suppose there is any chance that we (!) can do a classic mini for my 17th birthday?"

Hmmm....
OP
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Hooked
125GT-S
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125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
Snapped these photos of the wheels today as I passed by the booth in the bodyshop. Silver rim and satin finish to follow tomorrow, then the painting is done.
Front .....
Front .....
.... and rear.
.... and rear.
Should look like this when they are done: Classic 911 style.
Should look like this when they are done: Classic 911 style.
@lloyd125super avatar
UTC

Hooked
2010 GTS 125 Super 'montebianco'.
Joined: UTC
Posts: 337
Location: West Midlands, UK
 
Hooked
@lloyd125super avatar
2010 GTS 125 Super 'montebianco'.
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Location: West Midlands, UK
UTC quote
just curious...why didn't you take the tyres off when painting? I know there's obviously a reason why just wanted to know...
OP
@ninemeister avatar
UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
Hooked
@ninemeister avatar
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
lloyd125super wrote:
just curious...why didn't you take the tyres off when painting? I know there's obviously a reason why just wanted to know...
Even though we exclusively use 2-pack base coats & laquers and the parts are fully baked after spraying, the finish will always remain slightly soft for a couple of weeks after the event. Thus if I leave the tyres on, although it takes a little effort to break the beads and mask them out, by doing this it eliminates the obvious risk of damaging the fresh paint when refitting them.
@gadge avatar
UTC

Hooked
vespa px210e
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Posts: 187
Location: wales uk
 
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@gadge avatar
vespa px210e
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Location: wales uk
UTC quote
love these posts......thinking of leaving my PX outside your house with a note saying i'll be back in a few weeks to pick it up!! keep them coming
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Hooked
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
 
Hooked
@ninemeister avatar
125GT-S
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Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
gadge wrote:
love these posts......thinking of leaving my PX outside your house with a note saying i'll be back in a few weeks to pick it up!! keep them coming
Hey, no problem Gadge.

Just remember to post the large envelope full of cash into the letterbox along with the keys and put your number on the outside.....

In the meantime, I'll do my best to keep you entertained with my GT(S).
OP
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UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
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UTC quote
Managed to do a bit in the garage over the last week, here's the current state of play as of tonight:
Brake calipers cleaned & repainted with satin black
Brake calipers cleaned & repainted with satin black
Engine fully cleaned & ready for assembly
Engine fully cleaned & ready for assembly
Refitted the original bearing into the freshly repainted belt cover. I always warm up the housing with a heat gun to makes the bearing an easier fit, but be careful not ti scorch the paint.
Refitted the original bearing into the freshly repainted belt cover. I always warm up the housing with a heat gun to makes the bearing an easier fit, but be careful not ti scorch the paint.
Cover ready to fit
Cover ready to fit
Lathe & milling machine came in handy again to make the pulley lock tool out of a lump of aluminium bar
Lathe & milling machine came in handy again to make the pulley lock tool out of a lump of aluminium bar
Tool worked like a good 'un. Of course I could have bought one but that would be too easy.....
Tool worked like a good 'un. Of course I could have bought one but that would be too easy.....
Quick coat of wax and we're almost good to go.
Quick coat of wax and we're almost good to go.
OP
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Hooked
125GT-S
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UTC quote
Other anciliary parts of the engine followed the belt cover.

The mainstand was a bit of a saga because the original bolt which holds it onto the engine was totally siezed. I managed to shear off the bolt head and fixing nut when I stripped it, then knocked the shaft out of the engine case with a drift & WD40. I cleaned the shaft in a lathe & then drilled out the remains of the bolt from the centre of the shaft.

Of course, then I needed a new bolt and forgot to order a new one, so I improvised by cutting down an old Porsche 996 cylinder head bolt. Not often you can fix a Vespa with parts from a Porsche.
Mainstand was the next part to fit. Looks good after it was cleaned, grit blasted, etched & painted with satin 2-pack.
Mainstand was the next part to fit. Looks good after it was cleaned, grit blasted, etched & painted with satin 2-pack.
OP
@ninemeister avatar
UTC

Hooked
125GT-S
Joined: UTC
Posts: 299
Location: Cheshire, UK
 
Hooked
@ninemeister avatar
125GT-S
Joined: UTC
Posts: 299
Location: Cheshire, UK
UTC quote
I had to buy a new rear splash guard because the M6 philips screws that were holding it onto the engine siezed solid into the captive nuts. Here are the offending nuts on the new guard, I've coated them in grease to fit them and will spray them with waxoyl after the engine is refitted to prevent the problem for recurring.
Rear captive nut
Rear captive nut
Front captive nut
Front captive nut
Fits like a glove.
Fits like a glove.
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