| Gallery Home Page |
|
SOLD 03/14/2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
1962 Vespa Owner's Manual.pdf (Courtesy of Scooterstation,com) |
|
| History - The Vespa scooter is an iconic symbol of Italy, yet it was and remains a popular mode of transportation globally. The 150 Deluxe was the top of the line, and its 6.9 horsepower engine and a 4-speed transmission could reach 56 mph. Small, nimble, and easy to service, the scooter was an ideal choice for cities with ancient streets too narrow for cars. This 1962 Vespa 150 VBB1T Deluxe was built in Italy but sold new in Islamabad, Pakistan, where it was the equivalent of a Cadillac. It remained in Pakistan until 2017, when it was purchased by an American working in the area who brought it back to the United States. The Vespa has been totally restored to original condition using parts from Portugal, Italy, India, Austria, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, as well as here in the U.S. It features the factory optional buddy seat, rear-mounted spare tire, whitewall tires, and package basket, and still has its original 1962 Pakistani registration paperwork handbook! | |
 |
March 14, 2020 - SOLD - With no exercise other than shows, and the trouble I have hauling it about, the Vespa has gotten almost no use. I decided to put her up for sale to car club members a few weeks ago, and today she passed to a new caretaker. Her new owner has a later model Vespa and experience riding scooters, and is active in some scooter clubs. I had fun tinkering with the Vespa, and got all my hard cash back out, if none of the labor. However, the labor is my hobby, and I also had my fun. I think the new owner will have a lot of fun with the Vespa, and I can focus on some of my other projects! |
| November 16-17, 2019 - The Vespa made it out for another show, this one the Coastal Virginia Auto show held inside the Virginia Beach Convention Center. More than 200 antique, custom and modified vehicles were on hand, with a special display for the Antique Car Club of America. The Vespa and stable mate 1986 Buick Electra were in the AACA corral, both getting a fair bit of attention. The real plus of the Vespa came at the end, when it took more than 30 minutes after the show ended just to get the doors open so show vehicles could leave. All but the Vespa, that is. She rolled out a side door and down a ramp, and we had her loaded and on the way home before any of the other vehicles even made it out of the Convention Center! |  |
 |
 |
 |
October 12, 2019 - Hershey finally arrived and Audrey rode quite well in her custom rack other than coming off her stand and leaning into pillows I had put in place for just that possibility. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn off the fuel valve last time I rode her, and the cylinder ended up full of fuel while the tank itself was bone empty! The smell of fuel alerted me to the issue, and I checked the tank just before driving to the show on Saturday. A quick stop for gas took care of the problem, as I had oil and a measuring cup in the side compartment. Unloading was made easy with some help from friend Dan Ciccone, and I rode her over to the show. Once there, I discovered that Audrey was the giant of her class - the other bikes were not really roadable, and one (at left) was so small I could have hung it off my spare tire rack! Audrey got a lot of compliments and attention, also got her Senior award. This time I adjusted the tie-down strap and she remained upright all the way back! |
 |
 |
| September 29, 2019 - Other than a few short rides, Audrey has spent the summer sitting idle in the garage. However, with Hershey less than two weeks away, there were a couple of items that needed to be corrected, plus one much more critical new problem. While fitting the Vespa to the rack I built to carry it in the van, the scooter fell over and snapped off the front brake lever. Despite being 57 years since the Vespa rolled off the assembly line, I was able to get the correct replacement lever from ScooterWorks in four days! It was an easy repair, as was replacing the somewhat battered aluminum side trim (upper right). A harder issue to resolve was a chip in the paint right at the headlight rim - I mixed green, blue, white, and silver Testor's paint and was able to match the Aquamarine color well enough that you can's spot the fix even looking close! All that is left is final cleaning and tune-up. |  |
 |
April 6, 2019 - After heavy rains most of the day before, the show day at Charlotte was dry and partly sunny! The Vespa got a lot fo attention, and more importantly, received its National First Junior award. This means it will go for a Senior Award at Hershey in October. |
 |
 |
| March 30, 2019 - The Vespa will be making its AACA debut at the Charlotte Auto Fair next Saturday, so I spent most of the morning doing a deep clean/ It is supposed to rain, so I made sure to treat the leather seats and tire cover with conditioner. most of the work was in the engine are and the tires, which had discolored a bit. I also did a test fit with the 2003 Dodge van that will be transporting the Vespa down and was pleasantly surprised to find that it will roll in the back if I remove the mirrors. I have a folding ramp to load/unload it with. The van was my dad's, and despite looking terrible, runs and drives great. It is likely to join my fleet, as it makes a great daily driver and hauler for things I don't want left out in the weather. |  |
 |
March 2, 2019 - Some new items arrived for the Vespa - an original owner's manual in English/Spanish, the new filler cap setup, and a replacement brake light switch. It turned out the Scootworks catalog had descriptions reversed so the two brake light switches were opposites. They sent me a new one that arrived this week, though so far the fixed one is holding up. Another issue was that the bulbs in the new taillight were 6 volt, and the scooter has been converted in 12 volt. Some 12 volt bulbs (#97) took care of that. The scooter also reminded me that idling for long periods is not a good idea when you have a 2-cycle motor - the plug started to foul up and Audrey did not want to start. I put in a new plug (NGK 5110) today and she is starting on the first kick again. |
| February 18, 2019 - A trip to Ace hardware netted three bolts (M8x1.25 thread) that had a seemingly identical thread as one of the original bolts - they all went fully into a matching bolt with no binding or play. Yet when I got back to the garage, none of the new bolts would thread in, while the original went in easily. Very strange. However, the missing bolt turned up and I was able to get the Vespa back together after all. Best of all, using the choke the scooter started up on the first kick! Audrey is registered for the AACA Spring National Meet in Charlotte this April, and she is ready to go! |  |
 |
February 17, 2019 - The repaired brake switch did not hold up, and combined with a bad crimp connection to have me getting frustrated with a non-functioning brake light. I finally got both items corrected and then got the back seat off and the fuel tank pulled so I could replace the choke cable. The old cable was jury-rigged because the receiver tube was deformed and wouldn't take the end of the cable housing. I was able to get it worked back out using a punch and screws to open the tube end. It was a curious flaw in a scooter that obviously had careful work done elsewhere - the inside of the frame, visible only when the fuel tank is pulled, looked as nice as the outside. The Vespa is almost done - one misplaced bolt is preventing installation of the driver's seat, and then Audrey will be fully functional! |
| February 16, 2019 - Several bad labels must have been used on the fuel cap, as the center bar was rough and lumpy. I stripped it back to bare metal and repainted it with engine enamel, then put on a fresh decal. |  |
 |
February 11, 2019 - The new brake switch turned out to be the wrong one, so I played with the old one and got it working again. I also installed a new taillight assembly, though I still need to work on the gasket. Audrey has a working brake light for the first time since long before I bought her! I still need to replace the choke cable, but I got her started after a lot of kicks and ran the engine a while. |
| February 3, 2019 - Although other projects have taken focus away from Audrey, I have been ordering parts to take care of her few minor issues. One problem was that her brake lights were not working. The issue turned out to be a brake light switch that had come apart when ti was installed. I have a new one, but may see if the original can be repaired as it looks to be of better quality. The brake light bulb went bad while I was working on it. of course. I also need to replace the choke cable, which requires removing the seats and gas tank. I was unable to figure out how to remove the back seat on my own, but found a diagram and instructions on the internet. New bulbs on the way, and I have the new cable set. |  |
 |
October 14, 2018 - Some of the new
items are starting to arrive for Audrey - a nice all-weather cover and
Haynes manual came in from the UK yesterday, and stainless trim for the side
covers (also from the UK) showed up last week. I have a lot of
items due in from India over the next couple of weeks. October 17, 2018 - UPDATE - The stainless steel side trim turned out to be no good - it is stainless rod bent to the correct shape, but not flattened like the original trim. Worse, it is discolored and deformed every spot they inserted a stud to hold it on. I have ordered aluminum trim from Scooterworks instead. |
| October 7, 2018 - It was a clear, sunny day with very little traffic about, so I decided to take Audrey for her first real ride - about 3.5 miles to Chip's house. I also wore my shiny new helmet. The Vespa feels a lot faster than it probably is, but I was able to maintain the posted 35 mph even going over a railway bridge. It shifts great and runs very smoothly - good brakes, too. One new glitch cropped up last night - the choke cable is broken, so pulling the knob doesn't do anything. It explains the hard cold start and one-kick warm start. I have a new cable on order. In any case, Audrey was fun to ride! |  |
 |
 |
| October 5, 2018 - More goodies, this time from ScooterWorks right here in the US. Best bud Chip told me about them, and it turns out they have most of the parts for Audrey, including some nice accessories. I was able to replace the pretty terrible clamp-type mirror mounts with a solid bar mount that attaches under the headset, and also got a custom-fit mat for the floorboards to keep them from getting scuffed. The scooter got registered yesterday, and is already insured with Hagerty. I also picked up a new motorcycle helmet. She may get out for her first real ride tomorrow! | |
 |
September 30, 2018 - And so it begins - though in truth there is not much more I need to get. The four items shown are on the way from the UK and India: cowl side trim (dented on the Vespa), Headlight rim (rusted on the Vespa), Speedometer (outer trim corroded on the Vespa), and a tool roll (nice to have). I have found over the years that I always regret waiting to fix something up, so now I take the plunge and try to get everything done right up front. So far I have been unable to find parts at a Vespa specialist, but eBay came to the rescue with every part I looked for . I should have it all in a couple of weeks. Next, I have to look for a motorcycle helmet - the bicycle helmet I have won't cut it. |
 |
 |
| September 29,2018 - The Vespa 150 motor scooter is one of the most iconic vehicles in the world, a standard for any movie or show set in Italy and sold all over the globe. I had one way back in 1975, painted blue and gray to match the base commander's car complete with stenciled Air Force letters and a little flag with an airman's stripe to match the General's single star. I stumbled across this gem a few weeks ago and went through my usual argument with myself: "You don't need another vehicle!" "But I like it!" "But you have too many projects already!" "This isn't a Project!" "You have too many cars already!" "But I like it!" Guess what - I always seem to win these arguments. Anyway, after some schedule juggling with the sellers, I was able to look at it today, no small feat since it was located about 60 miles away. Good neighbor John volunteered to go with me and even took his truck, as mine was back at Mom's while I got her backup van exercised. While the photos pretty much speak for themselves, the Vespa is a like-new scooter. It was remanufactured/restored by Vintage Vespa in Islamabad, Pakistan in 2017 and sold to an American consultant who brought it home. |
 |
| Vintage Vespa is one of the leading restorers of Vespa scooters in the world, They completely strip a Vespa 150 to the bare frame and start over, rebuilding or replacing every part, nut, and bolt to create an authentic restoration. Only structurally sound Vespas are considered for restoration, the others are cut up for parts with the back ends made in matching scooter trailers! The owner had actually ordered a trailer for this one, but it was not ready in time for him to ship it home when he left Pakistan. The scooter has had very light use in the year since he took delivery, covering only 95 kilometers (under 60 miles). As he noted, it is still in the break-in period! Very few things can be done at all - the headlight trim ring has some minor rust, and the cowl trim strips are slightly dented, and there are some minor rub marks in the paint and a tiny ding on the side cowlings. To be honest, all of these are so minor that most people would not even see them at all! The owners had to point out the paint marring, and I was able to get most of it out with some Maguire's polish. I gave the Vespa a test run (luckily I searched the Internet for operating instructions ahead of time and only needed a few reminders to drive the scooter around.) The sellers were terrific folks - we had a great time talking (and scritching a beautiful Airedale) before we settled on the price and traded greenbacks for paperwork. In addition to the Virginia title, the seller had the Pakistani export paperwork and a small, worn red folder that had all of the original Pakistani ownership papers from 1962! The Vespa (now named 'Audrey' by neighbor/almost sister Kitty for actress Audrey Hepburn who rode a Vespa 150 in the movie 'Roman Holiday') has been added to my Hagerty policy and will be registered late next week, since the first of the month is a bad time to hit DMV. I need to get a helmet, as well. Internet searches have already turned up an electronic .pdf version 1962 Owner's Manual (see the links above) and exploded parts breakdown. | |
 |
 |
