Down-Home New Year's Blessings and a Recipe

Just got back from the store on a basic TP and kitty litter run. Whilst there I realized I needed to grab some black-eyed peas. If I call my mother tommorrow, she will undoubtably question me as to whether or not I ate my New Years Day black-eyed peas. But I'm not really complaining, the older I get, the more I think the crowder peas are more important the day after than the bubbly the night

DIY Light Tent for Studio Photography

DIY Light Tent for Studio PhotographyHere's a great afternoon project for crafting a studio lighting environment for photographing small three dimensional objects. Perfect for that cash-strapped beginning photographer who needs to do some product shots. (Or the small business person, who's doing promotion on their own.) If you’re like me, you don’t want to spend money if you can do it yourself

Resource for Designing Airbrushing Ventilation Systems

Resource for Designing Airbrushing Ventilation SystemsVentilation for airbush artists is a serious concern that is usually overlooked, or given a last minute solution like combining a fan with an open window. But waking up with technicolor sneezes after a long day of airbrushing, can really help to open your eyes to the necessity of adequate ventilation. Unfortunately, there aren't that many

Saidas boas de 2006 e 2007 a Vespar

O Vespa Friends Algarve e toda a sua comitiva de amigos deseja a todos os Vespistas deste Mundo as Boas Entradas em 2007

Passeio de Fim de Ano

Post elaborado por Nelson Guerreiro aka "Pika"

Encontro de amigos final de ano, ficamo-nos de nos encontrar na pastelaria Bianca em Quarteira pelas 11h30m. Pois...mais uma vez fui campeão no azar, as minhas vespas com seguro estão na oficina com problemas vários o que me levou a deslocar de automóvel e a levar na carola destes gajos VFA. Enfim, sempre há uma alma caridosa no seio destes amigos e o Billy emprestou-me a sua querida T5. Obrigado.

Problemas solucionados, acabaram por aparecer a Magy, o Dani, o Poli e para meu espanto por fim surgiu uma Vespa FL2 Verde muito bonita trazida pela Lena.Tinha-mos por objectivo realizar um passeio pelo Algarve e tentar reunir o maior numero de VFA, algo difícil de acontecer porque não fomos contactados por novos amigos de modo a resolver-mos qual o lado a seguir, logo somos sempre os mesmos conforme as nossas compatibilidades, mas sempre prontos para receber mais amigos.O tempo passou e o tardio encontro dos amigos levou a que fizesse-mos um passeio pela zona de Quarteira, onde assenta-mos arraiais e fomos almoçar ao "Fifties", junto de uma boa dose de conversa.

Após refeição calórica seguimos para Vilamoura onde fomos beber um café e mais uns dedos de conversa em dia. Muito se riu e eu como amigo mais recente vou-me integrando da melhor forma. Enfim o tempo passou, todos lamenta-mos o tamanho do passeio, mas os a fazeres de alguns impossibilitou que mais fosse percorrido, atenção que oVFA estará de boa saúde e em 2007 promete que aqui estará para outros passeios... Quero por fim referir o baptismo da Lena na sua FL2, que se portaram as duas lindamente e que com alguns percalços de quem não está habituada à Vespa, demonstrou uma aptidão enorme para a sua condução.

Post no blog pelos "Friends"

Post aqui no blog do VFA … achei que a partir de hoje cada Friends participante nos passeios deveriam fazer um relato ou comentário do passeio e assim vai ser e começa já hoje ….

Bye Saddam

Take a Swig of Alf has the greatest post on the lateness of Mr. Hussein. The web is swamped with stories on his execution. Here's something (NSFW) a little lighter:Why is it that when I choose to cope with the insanity in the world, I turn to silliness for solace?Let's remember our only fond moments with Saddam.via bOINGbOING

DIY Steampunk, Ratbike Belt

DIY Steampunk, Ratbike BeltHere's another sweet little instructable, making a belt out of old bike parts. I'm not really a bike-punk, though those hardcore DIY bike-hacking kids do really inspire me.Here's another take on the same idea.so i was sitting around today waiting for a meeting to start and after sweeping the floor in the shop and reading a book about defensive cycling i decided my

DIY UV Photography

DIY UV PhotographyNice how-to on making a UV filter for pocket digital cameras, using a bottle cap and a black-light bulb. Also check out the previous instructable on making a macro lens using a bottle cap and scrounged lenses. Who says photography has to be an expensive hobby?For years I've wanted to mess around with UV photography. Unfortunately, all the websites on DIY UV seem to assume an

study: Sky as Janus

study: Sky as JanusI got a really nice handmade, leather bound sketchbook from my mom for the holidays. Wanted this to be a kind of raising of the bar, a sketchbook which would inspire me, and into which I would scribble serious stuff, not inane doodles.So, of course, the first entry into said book needed to have a certain significance."You don't know how paralysing that is, that stare of a

Punk rock fabric stenciling, and some thoughts on artist's business models

Had an interesting dream last night, in which I painted an interesting grafito. First time in years, that I've dreamed about a simple graphic which I was able to accurately record upon waking. While it would be superstitious to attach to much significance to these occurances, I generally wake up feeling energized and creative when it happens.I was discussing this with Sky, just a bit a go, and

Passeio

Passeio amanha dia 30 …. Ponto de encontro Pastelaria Bianca na Rua Vasco da Gama nº6 em Quarteira, parte superior da rua das Lojas … com volta e almoço na zona

Lightbulb from an Alternate Universe

Technofetishistic artist extrodinaire Datamancer has new images up of some of his projects. The Bugbulb shown above is my favorite.The bodies of the fireflies are each made from a resistor. The heads are single beads from one of those beaded bank-pen style chains. The abdomens are obviously small amber LEDs. The wings are black cardboard which I edged with yellow paint, and the translucent wings

Cautious Good News for Vintage Scooterists

File under Christmas MiracleWell, it looks like the big news that I missed over the break is that Indian Scooter Manufacturer LML will be getting back into the scooter game. They quit production of the model that Genuine badged the Stella in 49 states back in March of this year do to funding and labor problems. The solid details on this are few, with most of the links pointing to two articles

The Woz, Agent of Discordia

The Woz, Agent of DiscordiaI don't want to give out too many details, but Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, has a great story about a run-in with the Secret Service in Las Vegas. Definitely a worthy read for all you geeky-pranksters out there.I had one favorite fake ID that I'd used for almost every airplane flight, domestic and international, that I'd taken for many years. It says "Laser

Home again, home again... Jiggedy!

Jes and I are safely back on the left coast, after a most pleasant holiday in New England, full of family, fun, humor, warmth, good food and good times. Thanks to everyone for their hospitality, and thanks to Eamon and Sky for looking after our kitty.More posts to come soon...

Invitation to all readers

Calling all readers . . .

The overall goal for this blog is to create a comprehensive resource for SS180 owners. I can not do this without your help and therefore, I invite all of you to "comment" to postings and make recommendations where you see fit.

My knowledge, at this point, is limited. This blog documents my first restoration and I hope to point out all the mistakes I made and how to avoid these pitfalls in an effort to make the next VSC restoration easier on its owner.

The priority of this blog is to keep SS180s as original as possible during restoration, BUT I also want to help the "daily rider" restorations. It may benefit them to replace their HT coil with a newer PX125 HT coil for better spark, for example.

I recognize, many purists will say that you can't have it both ways Jeremy and my anwser is . . . you can if you have two bikes . . . meaning each owner may restore with a different goal in mind.

Please email me:
1) photos -- before and after -- of your SS180, serial number, year, and your name and I will create a "Registry" post to capture our SS community.
2) stories about your restoration process.
3) problem solving techniques you applied.

I will post your information on the blog.

Thanx,

Jeremy

Engine-side cowl restoration

As with many vintage Vespas, our SS180 had been layed down engine-side and the fly wheel ate up one louvre and a few other louvres were badly bent. In speaking with fellow club member and owner of a GS160, Roland Henry informed me that a good welder could fabricate a louvre and weld it into place and no one could tell the difference.

I emailed the Yahoo Super Sports group and learned that First Kick Scooters, in SF, sells reproduction louvres. I emailed First Kick and many more shops. I got two bites. Scooter Parts Direct sold reproductions for $6.00/each. And First Kick sold louvres for $13/each. I opted to replace all the louvres for uniformity and ordered them from Scooter Parts Direct.

Once I received them I noticed the reproduction louvres lacked the beauty and detail that the original ones did with a double lip. The reproduction louvres were thicker and wider -- with a bend in them creating one lip.

Today, I visited the body/paint shop to remove the seat lock bolt (I am an idiot and had the frame blasted with the seat lock bolt and steering column lock "cover" still attached and of course the chrome was stripped) and I got a sneak peak at the body work. The engine cowl looks good. Spoke with the guy who is working on it and he has seven hours invested so far. Though it's not original, I do think the shop does good work and once painted the scooter cowl will be uniformed.

Now I wonder if it would have been best to have the body shop repair the bent stock louvres and fabricate one to match? Would have looked more original? So much to learn . . . also so much can be spent on something like this. Budget and end goal must always be balanced in my mind.

Follow-up Lesson Learned:
After follow-up research I have come to this conclusion . . . buy the $13 louvres from First Kick. They are near perfect. With a good welder it can be done with little to no filler and the result is . . . a purist won't be able to tell the difference. Think about . . . had I done it this way I would have spent maybe $35 more than I already have, but to change it now I am looking at at least another $300 plus. Please don't make my mistake. I put this Blog together for this specific reason -- so you can avoid making mistakes and be knowlegable about options you have.
The proof is in the pudding, err I mean Collin's Grimstead. He used First Kick's louvres. His welder did this without any filler to boot! Compare to my louvres and the original ones pictured above.

Reference: Original SS180 Renja Seat

(Due to a hard drive crash I lost all pictures of the original condition of the SS we had and therefore appreciate anyone who can send "original" photos of SS scoots and parts).

Seeing as I did not keep our seat original (but wish I did) I am posting pictures of the stock seat for your reference. A big thank you to Hiro (Palmog on BBS) for sending these photos!

As you can see I missed three parts of the restoration: (1) missing the "lift" foam at the butt of the seat, (2) the tubing around seat in gray, and (3) the seat strap.

If your foam is in good shape you can buy a brand new seat cover (looks semi-original) from Scooter Works for about $130.

I wish I had researched the seat restoration more prior to beginning it. I learned the hard way. *See previous post on the "seat" and photos.

Ah the sweet sound of the Vespa SS 180

While searching Youtube.com I found:


Ah the sweet sound of an SS:

Some close up an SS:

I can't wait for our SS to be complete.

Passeio de Fim de Ano

Estava eu aqui a pensar com os meus botões, e que tal juntar-nos no sábado dia 30 e dar uma voltinha .... com encontro ás 10 da manha e partida para uma volta com paragem para almoço numa tasca ou restaurante que se encontre aberto pelo caminho quer para o lado de VRSA ou Sagres....
Que dizem a isto??

Might have lost the man but never will loose the funk.

James Brown

Para sempre vão ficar conosco: "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)"," "Papa Don't Take No Mess, "The Big Payback", "Sex Machine", "Give It up or Turnit a Loose" ou "Papas Got a Brand New Bag", "Georgia on My Mind", "I Can't Stand Myself" ,"A Mans, Mans, Mans World" ,"Cold Sweat" e ainda "I Got You (I Feel Good)" entre outros... a energia do JB influenciou a pop que conhecemos desde os Kraftwerk aos Rolling Stones, todos eles foram influenciados por esta figura que acaba de falecer num hospital em Atlanta.

Who's living in my Carburator

There was a hornet's nest inside the carb. We hired Christopher Markley to rebuild the carb, because he was doing the engine rebuild at the same time and we wanted to have him deliver us a completely functioning engine. We even had him clean the air filter in his parts cleaner. The carb sat in his parts cleaner machine for two weeks I believe before he could rebuild it. He said it was a mess.Look at how dirty the carb bowl was. A carb rebuild kit costs about $15 and labor with Christopher Markley was another $25. It helps when you have the right tools. We now have a rebuilt carb that is clean and to manufacturer spec.

Note: SS180s produced in 1966 and before used a 117 main jet in the carb and they had problems seizing. Piaggio then switched to a 120 main jet and recommended all earlier models do the same.

Bom Natal

O Vespa Friends Algarve

Deseja todos os nossos amigos e visitantes deste humilde blog

um Bom e Feliz Natal

Stuck: clutch lever screw

Our minds are more powerful than our hands or arms. Thinking is a better option than hammering. Remember this mantra and you will not destroy parts unnecessarily.

The screw that holds the clutch lever would not come out for me. The nut came off very easily. I used PB Blaster several times a flat head screw driver twice, before beginning to strip the chrome threads. First, I contacted scooter shops and verified I could replace the part. I can. I then used two nuts on the screw to back in out. No go. I emailed for help on Scooter BBS forum and was told to gently tap it out with a hammer. I used my copperhead hammer (copper is softer than a lot of metal to the hammer gets dinged up, but the part doesn't) and freed the screw. But before I did this, I made sure to ask if there were any threads in the clutch housing to avoid stripping them. Two people wrote me and said "no, you're fine." When I got the screw out and looked inside, I saw threads. The next moring I checked the forum again and two people wrote me franticially and said "DON'T TAP! THERE ARE THREADS!!" I owned a drill bit set that is designed to remove stripped screws and did not even think to use it. Damn myself. Using pliers on the treaded to part of the screw to back it out would also be a bad idea as the stripped threads would move through the threaded clutch housing and destroy those threads to. The way of least resistance, not a hammer, is always the best. Stop. Ask a few different sources. Take your time. Relax about your problem and THINK it through. Now I have two damaged parts instead of one. I hope a metric tap and dye set will be able to save what little threads I have or I will need to heli-coil in some new threads or use a lock nut. What a drag. This mistake was easy to avoid and would have only cost me $2 (for the replacement screw) if I had done it correctly.

Vespa Fishing

Vespa FishingYes, "I'm getting a scooter because of high gas prices" seems to be THE scooterist story of 2006. For some reason local papers and tv news shows love these stories, I guess they think it highlights the desperation oil prices have induced in this country. Of course, we old school scooterists are sick of the stories now, though we do welcome the noobs to the fold, and hope they find

Micheal Garvey stranded in P-town

Micheal Garvey Stranded in P-Town.What is it with Mikus Garvey, that he is so mediagenic? Of course out of the thousands of people stranded in Portland, because of blizzards in Colorado, a local station picks the Dragon's resident wine expert, Micheal Garvey, to interview. I guess the camera loves a gangster.If you are an Evergreen Alum from the years of 2000 to 2004, with any connection to the

Steampunk Moleskins

Steampunk MoleskinsJake, over at Steampunk Workshop has made a slew of these gorgeous moleskins with etched brass plates on the front covers. I've been tempted to link to his DIY brass etching instructions in the past, which are most notably displayed in the creation of a Steampunk Stratocaster. Well, I guess now I have...Seriously, these are awesome, and I for one, can't wait to see what other

Final 'Harry Potter' Title Announced

Final 'Harry Potter' Title Announced...and it looks like it will be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Still no release date set, however.No publication date or other details were offered. Rowling is still working on the book, she explained on her Web site in an entry posted early Thursday.'I'm now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more,' she wrote

Gas tank restoration

My mentor, Christopher Markley, helped me address the issue of severe rust inside the original SS180 gas tank. The previous owner had his brother sand blast the exterior. Christopher told me the best way to restore my gas tank is to have a local radiator shop "hot tank" the gas tank. This is NOT an acid dip, but rather a much less abrasive chemical process. I called Smitty's Radiator shop in Harrisburg, PA and was quoted $40-$60 for the job.

First Christopher had me remove the fuel tap so it would not be destroyed in the "hot tank." Thanks to Roland Henry, one of the founder's of Three Mile Island Scooter Club, who loaned me his GS fuel tap wrench that fits the SS perfectly.

Christopher stressed to me the importance of coating the gas tank with 2-stroke oil immediately after the "hot tank" inside the tank and then to use PPG Metal Cleaner and Conditioner (see the paint stipping post). I went to Advance Auto and picked up some "2-stroke Pennzoil for air-cooled engines."

Ernie, at Smitty's Radiator, charged me $45 total for the "hot tank" and then he bead blasted the tank to clean out all rust debris and he dried it as he bead blasted. He quickly coated the inside with oil generously. The tank was slightly pitted, but the structural integrity of the tank was solid. I picked up the gas tank and then PPG prep'd it for the painter. It is highly recommended, by Tom Giordano (a highly respected restoration expert), that I do not coat the inside of the gas tank and I trust Tom. If the tank had "thin" spots I may have considered coating the inards of the tank, but as many restorers say all coats eventually fail and fall apart and then are a major pain in the butt to clean out.

E-bikes in China

E-bikes in ChinaJust found this interesting post on how big electric bicycles are becoming in China. Some interesting observations to be found here. It’s kind of like when you sit down on the sidewalk in summertime and start staring at the ground, first you see one ant… then a couple more… then you realize the whole ground is swarming with bugs. That’s how electric bikes are in China. Once I

NBC posts Heroes episodes online.

NBC posts Heroes episodes online.I've been wanting to watch this, but since we only have our TV hooked up to a DVD player, I haven't had a chance yet. NBC definitely seems to be one media company, who gets the potential of the net. Too bad I won't have time to watch these for a while...

Glowing Hair Gel

Glowing Hair GelGot a punkelf on your holiday list? This is the perfect stocking stuffer. I mean WOW!A patented process takes ordinary hair color and makes it extraordinary, by adding self-illuminating glow! Voltage does not rely on UV, neon or black lights to create glow. Instead, it produces its own light! Tiny, microscopic particles in the gel come together in the mixing process to produce a

BioDiesel Blog

BioDiesel BlogThose helpful urban hippies over at TreeHugger (who just implemented a redesign) turned me on to this blog from PropelBioDiesel, a Pacific NW biodiesel company.Our mission is to provide the most accurate, up to date and practical information to biodiesel drivers. We drive biodiesel, our friends drive biodiesel, and our customers drive biodiesel. That's a lot of biodiesel feedback!

Wine Gift Guide

Wine Gift GuideI did another post recently on inexpensive quality wines, and when I came across this I thought I'd update it. Again a couple of Columbia Valley wines made the top of the list. I'm gonna be keeping an eye out for the Ex Libris, with all my book-pirate buddies, I bet it would be a big hit. I'm just surprised I haven't come across it before.Here is a list of a few reds that will

Just got this in my email from Vectrix, and figured I'd share with any of you electric obsessed Honky-Tonking scooterists out there.

Brand New!! Novo video dos The Poppers...

Eis o video de Mrs. A rodado em Lisboa nos últimos dias de Outubro. Podem descobrir locais emblemáticos como as ruas do Bairro Alto, a cervejaria Solmar na Baixa e imagens do concerto no Clube Mercado. Descubram onde está o Rapaz do Chapéu e o Ferreira? Eles estão ali, no meio, ao barulho com os The Poppers. A realização é do Paulo Prazeres para a Droid. Digam da vossa opinião.

Ficha tecnica:
PRODUCED BY: DROID-i.d.
PRODUCERS: Paulo Prazeres, Patricia Guerreiro
DIRECTED BY: Paulo Prazeres
EDITED/DIRECTED BY: António Forte
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY:António Forte
IMAGE BY: Paulo Prazeres, Nuno Marques, Patricia Guerreiro
LABEL: Rastilho

Subida Impossivel

Aos praticantes do Vespa TT aqui está uma nova prova

Biff! Bang! Pow!...no Mundo Moderno

Este ano de 2006 assistimos a vários avanços e acções deveras importantes para a implantação da "nossa" cena mod nacional. O aparecimento do blog Mundo Moderno comandado pelo Mr. Cool foi outro desses sinais positivos. Por lapso imperdoável, ainda não tinhamos feito menção alguma ao moderno podcast produzido pelo nosso companheiro Mr. Cool. Para quem ainda não domina esta linguagem podcast: é um programa de rádio ou sessão dj. Podem ir ao blog do Mundo Moderno (carrega no link ai ao lado). E descarregam o Itunes para pc ou mac e depois é só ouvir no recanto do lar ou na ida para escola num qualquer leitor mp3. Tão simples quanto isto. Coisa moderna portanto... Eis a última set list do podcast mod, que vai na sua 3ª edição. O programa de rádio, contempla várias sonoridades, artistas influentes que fizeram ou continuam a fazer história. Enfim, um manancial de boa música e informação mod e está apenas no começo. Para ouvir atentamente a 3ª emissão que contemplou os seguintes artistas:

Minivip - The Block (Indicativo)
The Easybeats - She's So Fine
David Bowie - Good Morning Girl
The Mockingbirds - One By One
Hopscotch - Look At The Lights Go Up
Riot Squad - Gonna Make You Mine
The Animals - Shake
Millie Small - My Boy Lollipop
Booker T. & The MG's - Twist And Shout
The Creation - Biff Bang Pow
The Beatstalkers - You Better Get A Better Hold On
The Action - Land Of 1000 Dances
The Artwoods - If I Ever Get My Hands On You
The Artwoods - Be My Lady

Listen & Enjoy. Dance The Night Away!!!

Nice Long Rider Review of the Piaggio MP3

Nice Long Rider Review of the Piaggio MP3Jes over at Modern Vespa recently got to put the MP3 through it's paces in hilly San Francisco, and has posted a very detailed review over there. Best "article" on this bike I've seen. If you are at all following this scoot, it's worth a read.Oh, and for you eye-candy junkies, there are some good photos, too.

Vectrix Licenses Rights to Build EV Version of Piaggio MP3

Vectrix Licenses Rights to Build EV Version of Piaggio MP3Not a lot details, besides what you can surmise from the title, but this is still exciting news.via 2StrokeBuzz

Stormy Weather and Winter Chores

Some crazy windstorms swept through the South Puget Sound area last week and left Jes and I without electricity for three days, and without internet for four days. (Yes, four days without a net fix is an eternity for your humble dragon.)My apologies for the lack of posts. During my forced abstinance from the computer, I helped our landlord clear out the trees that got blown down, as well as a few

Stripping paint yourself

Learned Lessons:(1) Take the time to make sure that every part that needs to be prepped for paint is put aside for medium blasting or dipping or what ever your choice, (2) avoid your run of the mill paint strippers, such as Bix, they don't work. Get "Aircraft Stripper"! (3) It's not always easy to find INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH paint stripper that is labeled "aircraft stipper." I contacted and visited over six stores before I found an aircraft stripper. Finally, by dumb luck and after a phone call which resulted in "no we don't carry it", I found the stripper at Advance Auto for $30.00.

Make sure you prep everything carefully to protect this extremely harsh chemical stripper (it burns you skin painfully or eats through plastic cups and send fumes of melting plastic towards your nose) and for paint prep. Here I covered the reflector inside my tail lens.

Follow the aircraft stripper's instructions very carefully. You must apply it in one direction - only! You MUST apply on a thick coat. My first coat was not thick and did not produce results and I ended up wasteing the expensive stripper. If you paint is a nightmare, you can paint it on thick with a "stripper paint brush" (this is what I used) and tightly wrap it in a garbage bag and let it sit over night. After my first application I decided to skip the garbage bag and not let it sit over night. Within 20 minutes this is what I got (see picture to the left).

Using a plastic puddy knife and a paper towel the paint falls off without effort. To prevent rust I used PPG Metal Cleaner PPG Metal Conditioner. This way I can store my metal for up to one year before needing to either paint or reapply. Rust sets in very quickly. You can buy PPG products at an auto paint supply store.

Thanks to Christopher Markley, of Moto-Rapido, for schooling me so well.

Rescaldo do ano 2006 e uma sugestão de prenda natalicia

2006, ano mod e vespista.
O blog segundo o Professor x, também conhecido por Xavier, atingiu números elevados
de visitas, sem falar nos comentários do pessoal mais atento.
Foi o ano da minha estreia no blog como escriba, e foi com grande prazer que o fiz.
Tento escrever artigos de informação mais aprofundada focando especialmente a cultura mod
e afins, algo que não existia cá em Portugal. Entrevistas, crónicas, reportagens, vale tudo.
Espero que tenham gostado e continuem a ler.
E foi o ano que a cultura mod se manifestou publicamente em terras lusas. Poucos é certo,
mas já foi um começo. Além dos artigos no blog e de outro que saiu na revista Blitz com o mais
"velho" dos mods daqui, o Miguel Ângelo, foram as festas que trouxeram visibilidade e reuniram
mods e simpatizantes escondidos no armário. Antes da primeira festa não conhecíamos o activismo mod-musical dos The Poppers, etc. Foi ali que se juntou pela primeira vez a malta moderna cá do burgo.
E foram três as festas, na A Outra Face da Lua, no Left e no Scandy Bar. Três zonas diferentes,
cinco DJ´s diferentes. Sempre alguns habitués e sempre caras novas. E sempre música variada.
Para o ano vai ser melhor ainda. Adianto apenas que teremos um ciclo de cinema mod/vespista para animar as matinés.

Se me permitem uma sugestão para o Natal, aqui vai, mesmo que não permitam.
"Os Subterrâneos" de Jack Kerouac, de 1958, editado recentemente pela Relógio d´Água.
Jack foi um dos escritores loucos da chamada "Beat Generation", aquela malta que se conheceu na década de quarenta e ao longo dos cinquentas e sessentas afrontou os valores mais conservadores da América. Eram libertinos, andavam à boleia pela América, tomavam drogas e bebiam vinho, eram loucos por jazz na vertente Be Bop, especialmente Jack, e foram os percurssores da contracultura.
Jack escreveu o livro como se estivesse a ouvir jazz, é para ser lido alto, e escreveu-o todo em três noites sem parar, numa dieta de Benzedrina. Não tentem isto em casa.
Fala sobre a relação de um rapaz branco, o Jack sob pseudónimo, com uma rapariga negra em São Francisco. E o resto é delirio, e mais não digo.

Obrigado.
O Rapaz do chapéu.

A historia do turco que gostava de jazz

Aos 83 anos morreu, em Nova Iorque, Ahmet Ertegun, o fundador da Atlantic Records. Desaparece o entusiasta que amava o jazz e a quem muito devem as carreiras de nomes como Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett ou os Led Zeppelin. Desaparece um dos últimos "editores-melómanos" da era pré-industrialização do negócio da música gravada. Um exemplo de paixão e dedicação a ter em conta pelas novas gerações de pequenos editores. Porque é deles o futuro.


A história do turco que gostava de jazz

O processo de elevação do rhythm'n'blues e jazz da América urbana negra a um estatuto de grande mercado da América branca - através da descoberta e desenvolvimento do talento de figuras como Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown ou LaVern Baker - deveu muito ao esforço, paixão e investimento pessoal de um emigrante turco, um jovem de classe média, chegado aos Estados Unidos aos 11 anos de idade. Chamava-se Ahmet Ertegun, e era há muito a mais respeitada das figuras da indústria discográfica norte-americana, decano feito ícone de um meio em tempo de descaracterização das suas figuras de referência. Morreu na noite de ontem, em Nova Iorque, aos 83 anos, vítima de sequelas de uma queda no passado dia 29 de Outubro nos bastidores do Beacon Theatre. Tinha ido assistir a um concerto dos "seus" Rolling Stones.Apesar de célebre e marcante ter sido o seu trabalho enquanto editor ao serviço do jazz e rhythm'n'blues (e consequente derivação, a soul), Ahmet Ertegun não fechou o catálogo da Atlantic a nichos estéticos e fez questão de não deixar o rock'n'roll fora de casa. Tanto que, em 1970, quando os Rolling Stones tomaram conta dos seus destinos editoriais, foi ele mesmo quem discutiu com Mick Jagger um acordo de distribuição, a identidade "Stones" assegurada pelo novo logotipo da língua de fora, a gestão dos fluxos de vendas garantida pela editora americana. Esses foram, de resto, dias de glória (e sucesso) para o catálogo rock'n'roll de uma editora que, além dos Rolling Stones, era então casa dos Led Zeppelin e representante, para os EUA, dos Abba (cujas potencialidades Ertegun compreendeu antes de todos os mais).

Filho do embaixador turco em Washington, Ahmet Ertegun chegou aos EUA em 1934, cedo desenvolvendo um gosto pelo jazz, entusiamo partilhado pelo irmão Nesushi. Já em Nova Iorque, fez amizades no circuito jazzístico e, aos poucos, descobriu os bastidores da rádio e da edição discográfica. O entusiasmo ditou a aventura e, com um sócio nova iorquino (Herb Abramson), e dez mil dólares emprestados pelo seu dentista, fundou em 1947 a Atlantic Records (o nome decidido como "resposta " de costa atlântica à Pacific, editora de jazz da costa Oeste), conquistando o primeiro êxito um ano depois com Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-De, de Stick McGhee. Em 1953 recrutaram o crítico da Billboard, Jerry Westler como responsável de Artistas & Repertório e abriram espaço ao emergente rhythm'n'blues, assinando nomes como os Drifters, The Coasters ou Ray Charles (este último sendo habitualmente apontado por Ertegun como tendo sido o homem que lhe ensinou como se faziam discos). Os êxitos solidificaram a saúde da editora, mas foi o relacionamento com os artistas que fez a diferença. Pagava a horas e eram célebres os royalties invulgarmente elevados que atribuia aos seus músicos. Para garantir esta relação positiva, a Atlantic editava três singles por mês, obrigando-se a vender, pelo menos, 60 mil cópias de cada um para cobrir os custos.

A explosão rock'n'roll abalou as estruturas da indústria em meados de 50. A Atlantic chegou a assediar Elvis Presley com 30 mil dólares, mas perdeu para a RCA. Nos anos 60, a editora conheceu concorrência na Motown, mas ditou alguns dos mais determinantes episódios da emergente soul music através de uma relação directa com a Stax Records, que tinha no catálogo nomes como os de Otis Redding ou Isaac Hayes e com assinaturas directas com Aretha Franklin e Wilson Pickett, entre outros. A década fechou em glória com a edição do álbum com os retratos áudio de Woodstock.Data ainda de finais de 60 a venda da editora à Warner, por 17 milhões e meio de dólares. Ahmet manteve-se como executivo, sobretudo responsável pela procura de novo talento. Nos anos 70, além do rock, Ahmet Ertegun abriu a Atlantic ao disco sound, assinando os Chic, a melhor das bandas que o género nos deu. Por essa altura. Nos 80 trabalhou os AC/DC, nos 90, Jewel, no século XXI, James Blunt. Nunca deixou de trabalhar. Nunca deixou de ser executivo. Era o último dos pequenos grandes editores. Os tempos mudam...

fonte: Texto publicado no DN, autor Nuno Galopim. foto Jim Cooper/AP

No ressaca

Parece que o cupido anda a flechar com alguns membros do gang. Ontem á noite confirmou-se mais uma vez. Talvez a explicação desta causa efeito tenha a ver com o frio intenso que se faz sentir me Lisboa nestes dias. Ou então seja uma "boa onda" que alguns "faces" tem trazido para dentro do grupo. Ontem lá fomos ter com os The Poppers, o vocalista Rai fazia anos e teve direito a bolo e que cantassem os parabens. O Rai teve o desplante de levar a sua avô para o concerto e colocar a senhora a apenas 2 metros do amplificador. Gandas malucos! Mais um grande concerto, de certo que muitos amigos da banda não quiseram perder pitada e a maioria do gang ficou lá fora. O Lounge, cedo encheu, qual rockodromo, estava bem completo. O Rai andou pendurado na varanda e por cima dos amplificadores, ainda não foi desta que ouvimos os temas novos do E.P. que eles estiveram a gravar. Os convidados surpresa estiveram á altura dos acontecimentos. Uma noite bem cool bem regada a Guiness. (nota: Manel tinhas razão aquilo do KGB dá mesmo efeito. No ressaca.) O video clip dos rapazes está excelente! Aparecem por lá o Rapaz de Chapeu e o Ferreira entre outros...Logo que tenhamos acesso ao dito, colocamos aqui.

Sabado todos ao Lounge...

O gang recomenda para sábado à noite: copos & musica no Lounge ali junto ao Cais do Sodre.
Os The Poppers estão de regresso ao Lounge e trazem consigo temas novos, a estreia do video de "Mrs. A", o primeiro video desta banda realizado pela Droid e o segundo single retirado do álbum deles "Boys Keep..."
“…Tell yo’ mama, tell yo’pa, I’m gonna take all night long…”

Leafy Sea Dragon

Leafy Sea DragonAnd now a picture of one of the Dragon's favorite relatives, the Leaf Sea Dragon. I have often wondered of the synchronicity by which this most psychedelic of creatures, happens to have the initials LSD. Posted for no reason, besides these are so freakin' cool! Sea Dragons are arguably the most spectacular and mysterious of all ocean fish. Though close relatives of sea horses, sea

Cyberpunk Wagon

Cyberpunk WagonI think I've ranted before about how prior to the 20th century, individual transportation was a horse, group or work transportation was a wagon or coach. Somehow we got this disconnect beginning in the 20th century where every individual feels entitled, ever obligated to be hauled around like an emperor in a carriage with a full team of horses. This picture definitely brings that

The Craft of Painting

The Craft of PaintingInteresting essay on the quixotic quest of some artists to follow in the steps of the old masters. Probably boring if you don't paint. Quite interesting if you do, and are obsessed with the quality of your craftsmanship. I think his evaluation of acrylic gesso as a primer for oil based paints maybe a little overarching (I'll have to do some reading on the latest research),

Vespa fonts

Vespa fontsJohn Rana over at Who Rides a Vespa has links for a couple of fonts based on those used for Vespa badges. Just the thing for designing that next Rally poster.Hit the link above to find the download.

Lovely Hobbyist-Built Stirling Engines

Lovely Hobbyist-Built Stirling EnginesThe site is in Dutch, so I'm posting this mainly as Steampunk eyecandy. An attempt at Babelfish translation, didn't produce much in the way of useable information. I guess I need to do more research on stirling engines...

What all the hip indigenous peoples are riding

What all the hip indigenous peoples are ridingPhillipine Vespa fan site Who Rides a Vespa posted a short article on these last month. It seems these wooden scoots are made by Ifuego tribesmen in the Phillipines. At first, with a typical Western's arrogance, I thought this was a cargo-cult like artifact. But John Rana at Who Rides a Vespa says:It is said that the wooden scooter used to be an

Video Revew of Piaggio MP3

Video Revew of Piaggio MP3Putting the MP3 through the paces on London streets, and on the raceway.

Another reason to love Washington state

Another reason to love Washington stateA NY Times article praising the quiet virtues of Wahington Merlots. I have a couple of friends who work in the wine industry, and when we gather these insiders frequently bring Yakima and Columbia Valley sqeezings with them. Since my group of friends are mostly mid-20's to early 30's professionals just starting out, and starving artists/writers we generally

ComicVine

ComicVineAn online open directory, ala Wikipedia, for Comics.Kewl.Comic histories are insanely complex and convoluted, moreso than any other popular entertainment medium. Realize then that the guidelines we've set here are merely an attempt to provide some standard conventions for an industry that has none. Characters often have multiple personas, timelines, allegiances, agendas and god knows

Steampunk Bike

Steampunk BikeCheck out that headlamp! This is easily the coolest thing I've seen this week. And the creator went out in style, riding one of the sweetest custom vehicles of all time, without hurting it or anybody else...The Boston Daily Globe reported the tragic events that followed:“The machine was cutting out a lively pace on the back stretch when the men seated near the training quarters

Seat Restoration

The seat was a complete rust bucket, but complete nonetheless. In the fall of 2005 I began restoration on the seat. I researched online for the best way to remove the rust and preserve the integrity of the springs. Acid dipping would be a clear mistake. I consulted my mentor, Christopher Markley of Moto-Rapido, and we discussed the options. He suggested the “way of least resistance.”

Note: Though Christopher is young – he is of the old world. Body work and mechanical work are done the way our forefathers would have done it. This type of craftsmanship is very difficult to find these days. My wife and I have learned that Christopher is a anal retentive meticulous obsessive perfectionist that will not say a job is done until it is to the spec per the original manufacturer or his client’s request.

Christopher and I agreed upon electrolysis. In a dummy-downed definition, it is filling a bucket with water and connecting a car battery to a coat hanger and electrocuting the water and the rusted item inside the bucket. This is the gentlest approach and proved to be easiest on the seat springs.

Before I did anything, I brought the seat “as-is” to reupholster shop, named Dura-Fit Cover, Inc. located in Harrisburg, PA. I was quoted $150 for reupholstering the seat if I brought the seat frame in 100% restored. The price for a brand new seat was about $130. We opted to restore the seat.

Feeding his karma chain (which he does often), Christopher volunteered to de-rust the seat frame/springs with electrolysis after I sought his direction on “how-to” do it. Furthermore, he said because I was a poor college student again becoming a teacher, he would powder coat the seat frame/springs in black for free for us. He had recently purchased the tools to powder coat. He returned to us a slightly pitted, but perfectly sound and functional seat frame and springs that will weather well over time.

Next I brought the seat to Dura-Fit Cover, Inc. I was informed that the foam was in great shape and could be reused with a new thin layer on top to give perfect shape to it. Lisa and I wanted a British Racing Green paint job and a complimenting brown seat. I brought home a small handful of marine vinyl samples that were for boats and outdoor usage. Dura-Fit took a few months to complete the seat, but it looked great. I was able to reuse the strap-on hardware and the seat lock release. In an effort to preserve the SS’s soul I made sure to have the seat’s “Milano” branded tag in the back of the seat; although I did not preserve the stitching, vinyl color, and the black crusted and cracked seat strap. I will keep my eyes open for a matching seat strap and add it to the seat once I find it.

I recognize that this seat & bike is not restored to its original state, but this bike is being restored and customized for my wife, Lisa.

Note: Due to a hard drive crash two years ago I lost the photos of the seat & frame in its original state and after Christopher Markley prepped it. You can find pictures of the seat in the "History" post below. Click on photo to zoom in on it.

History

Year: 1967
Make: Vespa
Model: SS180
Serial Number: VSC1T0028***



I am currently in the process of hunting down either the original or second owner of the bike in an effort to provide a more detailed history of this specific Vespa.

The bike has the round headset and the “tractor style” tail light, which suggests that it (1) was sold in the USA as the DOT required those and (2) I learned that the Vespa was bought from a scooter dealer in Hanover, PA.

Three Mile Island Scooter Club member, Svend Shepard, found the bike. He had hired a guy from Zimmerman’s Plumbing to some work on his house in Mechanicsburg, PA. The plumber saw Svend’s P200 and his early 1960s restored Vespa and told Sven, “I know a guy that has one of those out is shed just sitting there.” Svend jumped on the opportunity and asked if the owner would be willing to sell. The plumber left with Svend’s phone number and not long after that Svend received a call from the owner. The scheduled a time to meet. Leaving with $500 in cash in his pocket Svend drove to Hanover, PA in an open back truck ready to make a purchase. This is exactly how Svend found his 1960s Vespa as well.

When Svend arrived he found the white SS180 complete sitting in this guy’s shed. The owner lived in a rural forested area and told Svend that he and his kids used to ride it up the trails all the time. It was a fun bike, he said. He continued to explain that his kids abused it. The bike sat caked in mud as if it was an off-road dirt bike. Svend also learned that the owner had bought it from the original owner when the bike was in great shape and perfect working order. It had been purchased by a scooter or motorcycle dealer right there in Hanover, PA.

It was negotiating time and Svend was prepared to spend $400 on it. Svend asked if the owner had the title, which he did. Svend knew that the guy would now want $500 to $600 for it, because the value goes up when the seller has a clean title. The owner asked for $25 and promised the title. Svend did not haggle the owner and paid him$25. While Svend loaded up the scooter to take it home, the owner located the title and gave it to Svend. A few weeks later Svend and the previous owner met up at PENNOT and Svend paid the fee to transfer the title. Svend was the new owner of the SS180 as of the Spring of 2001. When he got home he realized what bike he had purchased and its value. He emailed other local clubs to determine its value and scooterists responded that they would pay $400 sight unseen.

Svend went down to Hanover and it was in the shed. Kids road it and abused in the mountainy area. Svend had $500 in his pocket and thought he would charge him $400 and more with the title. Hanover guy was 1st or 2nd owner and bought it from someone else in a great shape. Svend bought $25 with title in the summer of 2001 (but later sold the SS180 to Eric Hughes for $400).

Another Three Mile Island Scooter Club member, Eric Hughes, had the itch for a vintage Vespa and to complete a restoration. Years before, Eric completed a restoration of a classic car and had some knowledge about restorations. According to Svend, Eric begged Svend to sell him the bike. Svend remained reluctant until the summer of 2001.



Eric began the restoration project. He disassembled 95% of the scoot, including to doing some dolly and hammer work on one cowl and touching it up lightly with bondo. He had his brother sandblast the gas tank. Eric had priced parts and a rebuilt engine around a $2,800 using a Scooter Works catalog. The bike was primarily complete – it even had the air filter. During this time Eric also bought a red Genuine Scooter Company Stella, which quickly scratched his itch for owning a vintage scooter. Eric began making minor mechanical and aesthetic modifications to his Stella and the Vespa took a back burner.



At age 30 I made a career change and returned to school. My wife and lived on one income and money was tight with mortgage, car loans, and all those wonderful adult responsibilities. In the spring of 2004 Eric posted his interest in selling his SS180 on the Three Mile Island Scooter Club’s yahoo email listserv. I quickly jumped on the opportunity. He said he would be willing to let the bike go at a great price. Eric asked for $250 for the scooter. My wife and I were first in the line to buy the scooter, but we needed to discuss it and review our finances. A fellow club member told me that “it’s a no brainer. If you don’t buy it – I will.” That’s easy to say when you have $250 to spare. Lisa and I researched the rarity of the bike and within two weeks bought the SS 180 and loaded up the body and a laundry basket filled with parts into the back of our Subaru Forester, leaving Eric with a check. Svend still had the title in his name and a month after purchase we met at AAA and I paid the $30 transfer fee for the title. Svend wrote me a receipt for $10 for the disassembled scooter-in-a-box. Lesson learned: go directly to DOT to transfer titles. It’s cheaper.

In the summer of 2005 I began the first of the restoration . . .

Philosophy of Restoration

This bike is being restored for my wife and it is our goal to keep it in the family. We do not intend to sell it; therefore the bike will be customized for her. It will be a rider, not a museum relict. Our goal is to keep the bike as original as possible without compromising its functionality. There is the philosophy that scooters have souls and when we replace parts of them we steal parts of their souls. While Lisa and I agree with this, we also believe that one honors a bike by keeping it on the road and some modernization, such as replacing a rusted crank with a reproduction honors the bike by making it a dependable trustworthy beauty.

Blog Intentions

The objective for this Blog is to (1) educate scooter restoration newbies on the entire process of restoring a scooter in detail, (2) to provide resources to help restorers be successful, and (3) to illustrate what is involved when one takes on the process of a restoration. It is safe to say that the majority of restorations, unless it’s a very rare bike, will not sell for what one invests in the bike financially and time-wise.

I am a restoration newbie myself and am quickly learning a lot as I go. The scooter that will be restored on this Blog is rare – Vespa VSC. In the spring of 2005 my wife and I bought a complete, but disassembled 1967 Vespa SS180 from a local scooter club member for $250. Our goal was to completely restore it from the ground up. I planned to do almost all of the work and barter with friends who had specific skills that I do not have to ensure the job was done right. At times, I suspect I would need to hire a professional for a few odd jobs. I expected the total restored scooter to cost between $3,500 and $3,800 based on prices I have seen online for restored scooters. I was sadly mistaken on the price . . . a new guesstimate reveals closer to $6,000.

Saturday boys...and girls!

Chegaram mais umas fotos de sabado...estas foram tiradas pelo Maia, outras pelo Bob e algumas da maquina altamente sofisticada da Elsa. O black n white foi a meu pedido.
Entretanto vou colocar umas tantas mais. Logo que receba, claro! Espero que gostem.

Rescaldo da febre de sabado a noite...

Pois aqui ainda estamos na ressaca de mais uma grande noite. Tudo aconteceu no Scandy Bar no sabado a noite. Desde muito cedo começou a aparecer gente. Uns já habitues das nossas noites, outros novos amigos que foram aparecendo. Obrigado por terem vindo. Os selectas de serviço prestaram um excelente serviço. Parabens ao Dj Cobra e ao Dj Pirata! Excelente banda sonora! 5 estrelas! Estas são as primeiras fotos que recebemos e foram tiradas pelo Charlie. Que veio de Vespa desde a Margem Sul...A Lambretta do Costini lá "agarrou" no regresso a casa. Muitas Vespas junto a porta, o local estava bem identificado. Estamos já a preparar a próxima noite com vários convidados especiais. Apenas revelamos que vamos dedicar mais atençao à Soul... Fiquem atentos a este espaço.