Parts Acquition

I continue to acquire parts as my wallet allows and have a very clear list at times like my birthday or Christmas. Thanks to my folks this Christmas I received:

- Indian front dampeners
- MB Developments body hardware kit (mudguard, bridge, horncast, etc.)
- Tire jack



It is less expensive to replace the hardware individually as needed, but I lacked all of the proper black grommet pieces that the bike is supposed to have so that everything properly fits. The hardware is stainless steel. I note some nylocs as well as "stamps" on the heads of some of the hardware. I am not sure that I will grind the "stamps" off on this restoration as I do not plan a 100% anorak's restore. There will be some mild mods so I may keep the hardware as-is/

My wife searched to buy me a 42mm silver Big Bore GP200 exhaust pipe, but the shops I deal with are out of stock. Once the pipe arrives from India I will get one. The shops are all waiting.

Parts to order

In order to wrap this bike up I need the following parts:

(1967 Vespa SS180 with the round VSD headlight)

1) Grey rubber trim for the glove box door

2) Two securing pins for glove box door (prt #97523)

3) Bulb for the VSD/Rally speedo

4) Bulb for high beam light on VSC

5) A connector for the high beam light, see picture:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmu91YuHLnXHnDRgwV2ZFCUVfbZO_VKBw2Q3aTlabr6psQcND9Jed5NpdPDO1WI_wJBx0-PAB2OsIyzpesTS9yrwLgqIrjeHQS-9rOkyCe58zVG4Q1lz5xWmnHb5tifcjl-6lNR7x7aOO/s1600-h/VSC_HeadLight6.JPG

6) Fuel rod in black (prt #84224)

7) Copper spark plug clip (may be prt #127966 -- not sure)

8) Brake switch (prt # 181637)

9) Two screws to secure headlight bezel on a VSD (prt #S. 15544)

First order placed

For my 35th birthday, my wife got me started on my restoration. She started me off with a membership to Lambretta Club USA. She also bought me the Spanner's Manual, which I have heard is a MUST own.




I have never rebuilt an engine before and I asked Stu Werner what he thought of this "how to" DVD. His thought is that all resources will help. This DVD covers the removal, full nuts and bolts engine rebuild, and how to get it running. It covers all three series Lammys, which is nice since I would like to buy my wife a Series I or II. I have two TV engines to rebuild and this will be the first step I take in restoring the scoot.

Seeing as we just bought a house this month, things are going to be tight for us for a while and therefore it will take me quite some time to restore this bike because of budgetary issues. So it goes. Good things come to those who wait. I ordered all my parts from Scooters Originali, NJ, and instead of paying shipping I decided to be smart and order the gasket set for one engine now. I only needed to spend $8.50 more to avoid the shipping fee and why not just get something I know I need anyway.

Here's to the long haul ahead of me.

Total for order: $114.00

Determining if parts are correct

There are a few parts that Stu and I are uncertain about and it's very important to me that I do not restore a hotchpotch Lammy. I want it as stock as possible, minus the motor upgrade.The gas tank came from a 1964 series III.  Stu believes that it is a centimeter or two larger than the one would be for a 1962 tank -- which is the year of my scoot.
Stu got this info from Stickey's book.  I emailed Mike Analt about this, but he thinks the gas tank might actually be the correct size since the 1962 TV he just restored has a gas tank a hair small.
Stu said the headset is correct and he pulled it off and sprayed it blue for race team when he was in a pinch.
So you are looking at the stock headset.
There are spray drips on the bottom/underside of the headset, which suggest to me at some point it may have been rattle canned, but I don't know for sure.
The flywheel cover is incorrect.  This is from a series II, which is close in size for the TV I have, but it requires two stamps of some sort to make it look 100% authentic.
I need to talk with Stu/Mike about that in more detail as well as read up about it in Stickey's book as well.  I need to buy that book sooner than later.
I was really concerned that my floor boards were GP.  They are silver and do not match any color on the the TV, except for the Li steering column I have (with the TV shocks hooks welded on as Stu's machinist destroyed the TV steering column to point of non usable.  People won't be able to tell the difference though).  In speaking with Mike, he thinks that I may have series III Li or TV floor boards.
I need to confirm that before I begin working on the bike.  Again Stickey's book would provide me with the answer.
In any case I did speak with a guy who would trade me TV floorboards for mine if indeed I have GP. My floorboards are in excellent condition.

Parts Purchase

Using Ted W.'s 20% discount, on Saturday he picked up the following items from B & B Yamaha:

1) Light bulbs for front & rear tail lights

2) 2 Qrts of Yamalube 2cycle oil

3) A variety of nuts and bolts (metric). The smaller n/b will be purchased at the local hardware store.

4) Spark plug NGK B6ES (2 more are on order)

5) Gas line tubing

TOTAL (about): $25

That's it for now. I am still working on finding non-Indian grommets. I have two leads.

Items to be purchased tomorrow

My buddy Ted W. will purchase the following items tomorrow at B & B Yamaha in Lancaster, PA:

1) NGK BGES spark plugs.
2) Cheapest dino-based 2stroke oil you can find
for your break-in (synthetic is too slippery and will
prevent ring bed-in). Probably will go with Yamalube.
3) Hardware (stainless if touching paint, i.e. the front fender and galvanized every where else)
4) Light bulbs for headlight 6v 25/25w, taillight , speedo light? (I believe I need 6V and NOT 12V since I do NOT have a battery in this bike. I suspect with the front light and tail light assembles, which you have they can match a bulb?). 5) Gas line (gas tank to engine)
6) CEV Brand taillight to replace the cracked one.

Ordering Parts

We're now a single-income family, which has slowed down the financial dedication to the scooter restoration. My wife's birthday is in March and below is her "wish list" -- to be ordered from American Scooter Center in Texas.

Wish List:

$7 – Part#80349 – Piaggio emblem with adhesive strip
$33 – Legshield trim (chrome kit)
$39 – Rally floor rail kit
$29 – Glovebox rubber in Gray
$9.50 – Part#90525 – Speedo cable
$7 – Part#85072 – Center mat Black
$17 – Part#135231 – Cowl packing strip (rubber trim) in Gray

In the meantime, we'll get the bike on its own two feet with cables run as well.

Parts Order No. 1

For Christmas my family gave the SS180:
1) Cable set
2) MeCur rear shock spring
3) Wiring harness
4) Steering column upper and lower bearings
5) Rear shock dampener block
6) Patches for my riding coat

Total damage = $132.00 (that saved us from buying)

These items should get the reassembly started.