[funkykar]

Me and how I learned about Vespa 150

In the last few years, several Scooters, mostly Bajaj have made up an integral part of my life. A lot of my friends (especially Arun1100 & GreenDay) kept asking me why I don't have any Vespa. I mostly assumed they were referring to LML Scooters which are also generally referred to as Vespa. In these years, I learned the lineage of Bajaj scooters to be of Vespa, of course mostly on Team-bhp. Then I realized the old Vespa 150, the Bajaj 150, and the Priya were more or less the same shapes except for very subtle differences. As they were 3 geared, it did not interest me. But slowly, the curves on the Vespa 150 kept attracting me and slowly created enormous interest.

I then started to look for a Vespa 150. They were priced quite high. Very well restored ones cost anywhere between 60-100k with clean ownership and updated papers. I also started thinking why not get an unrestored one and restore it to originality. I couldn't find any reasonable ones. I then asked my Scooter mechanic Sunil, who is also a good friend now. He said he has one but in the dismantled state. He wasn't willing to sell it. He said he dismantled it so he will be able to keep it in his attic. He did this in the late 90s. His idea was to restore it some time and use it for himself. It was of his customer who gave it for a rebuild and never returned until few years later. The work also never started. He held the Scooter and waited for him to come back. After few years the owner comes back and says he had a bad accident and wouldn't want to ride any geared Scooter and was riding a Kinetic Honda. He apologized for the inconvenience and handed the papers and said the mechanic Sunil can keep/sell and recover for the trouble caused. The scooter was in an Ok condition. But it would likely fetch a pittance he thought and retained it. He was using an old Bajaj 150 at that time and for him, the 3 geared 150 cc was already nostalgia. Also, the Vespa and Bajaj 150 were the first of the Scooters he learned to repair. His elder brother was a mechanic at an Authorised service center and often would bring home engine assembly kind of work and teach his brothers. So these guys learned engine work first, then the rest of mechanicals at a later time. This nostalgia made him keep the Vespa in a dismantled state. Over the years, he once started to restore and postponed it due to monetary concerns. He never found time later to restore it nor have the heart to scrap it.

Some history of Vespa
Vespa as most know is the origin of Italy. It was a brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name meant a wasp in Italian. In the 1960s and '70s, it was the most sought-after Scooters in India. It was best known for its agility and excellent quality. Most people referred to them as 'Italian Vespa'. Once Bajaj started making Scooters, over the decades the brand name Vespa faded away. A compilation of some of their old TV Commercials:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3PXBCMEog

2020 - The Pandemic
Then came 2020, the Covid-19 Pandemic. After the National lockdown, when cases started increasing crazily in Wave 1, my mechanic Sunil was very very worried. His family was in Kerala and the Lockdown had separated them (as interstate travel was not easy and trains weren't fully operating) for few months. He was quite depressed. So much that he was considering closing down his shop and go settle in Kerala. He hails from Kerala but lived entirely in Bangalore. That has been his idea anyway for a later time in life. He looked certain he has preponed. I was very distraught. How will my 10's of Scooters survive without him.

Sunil agreed, but I dictate the terms
One fine day around July 2020, I asked him again what he will do with the dismantled Scooter. He said he doesn't know. A couple of days later he called me and said I could have it. Deep within I was elated, but with great control over emotion, I said to him 'Ok, will think about it. Will speak to you tomorrow'. I visited him the next day. He did confirm he is willing to sell. He needs a couple of days to remove it. I said to him I will be ready to buy only if he is ready to restore it. Without restoring, he can't leave for Kerala. I will pay a sizeable chunk of money only in the end. He wasn't too sure as he was already a bit depressed and said he will think about it. After a lot of reluctance, he agreed. After 3 days, he had managed to get the chassis and panels from the attic.

Here is how it looked like:
The very first look


The chassis


The chassis


The chassis


Panel and mud guard


The panels


The side panel


Chassis where the tank sits, looked good


After seeing the chassis in the above condition, all the interest I had fizzled. I told Sunil that this wasn't good and I am not interested. He laughed at me and said it's not like how it appears. Why don't you check with the tinker once? After he persuaded me, I did visit the tinker and made him check. I told him beforehand I want an honest opinion on how the chassis is would want him to tinker it back if I chose to purchase.

The tinker checks to certify
The Tinker is inspecting


The Tinker is inspecting

https://youtu.be/EHqLF2rEyec

Good News from Tinker
Tinker after checking thoroughly said it's in very good condition. 2-3 days of tinkering at max needed. This re-ignited the interest and it was game-on! IT'S NOW TIME TO CONVERT THE PILE OF RUST INTO A SCOOTER! The tinker asked the chassis and all panels to be coated with red oxide which makes it easy to work on. I took it to the painter nearby and he said he has to scrape off the surface rust then apply red oxide. All set for the process:

Ready for scraping and red oxide


All ready


All ready


All ready


After the Chassis was supposedly scraped:




The scraped Chassis

https://youtu.be/wMCAR7h7rX8

[funkykar]

The Tinkering

Owing to a busy schedule, I spent very little time at the Tinker. The name of the Tinker is Maghi and is extremely well known around. The very little I captured is below:

Belly being worked on


Belly upside down


Likely one of the visible colors was from the factory


The rear part being tinkered


The bottom floor being tinkered

https://youtu.be/-GCOv5d4En8

The floor being tinkered

https://youtu.be/UpQIQemzTY0

The floor being tinkered

https://youtu.be/01QymOuzlP4

The rear of Scooter being tinkered

https://youtu.be/7xEH95-WZxI

Side panels being tinkered

https://youtu.be/4zFN9oZG_Qg

Side panels being tapped

https://youtu.be/QzmVPm6iv0o

Ready and stoved before delivery


Left at the painter. This is how it looks after tinkering. The preparation to paint has just begun.








The panels

[funkykar]

Let us Paint!

Some of the pics and colors I felt impressed with while browsing the internet are below.
Image courtesy: Internet

Image courtesy: Internet

Image courtesy: Internet


This catalog below represented some fine stock colors for which Vespa was available. I chose 3 of them and finally zeroed in on the 3rd one on top row.
Image courtesy: Internet


I visited a well-known paint shop on Triveni road, near to Yeshwantpur circle. They were very patient in understanding my requirements. I showed old pics of Vespa Scooter for reference. They told me what it appears on pics and how it appears in real would slightly vary. Then they said we will mix and show you until you feel satisfied. Over the next 1 hour, we finalized on below color.



Primer applied


Primer applied


Putty work to even out the surface








Putty work in progress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON_miPAcwSE

After putty work, ready for base coat


Ready for base coat


Ready for base coat


After base coat

[funkykar]

The engine

The restoration work on the chassis was already underway. The handle and engine were not yet removed from Sunil's attic . Finally, a week after restoration started he called me and said he managed to get the engine down. It's packed, he will open in my presence.

Packed engine


Was pretty unclean


The carburetor


WIP - engine being ripped apart


WIP


WIP


One of the bearings


Standard size piston


Virgin bore


The head


One of the bearings


One of the bearings


A hyperlapse video capturing the moments of ripping apart of engine:

https://youtu.be/u_M7ooxJYlw

There was a hell of muck on the engine. Needless to say, several minutes went by cleaning it. Sunil said the engine probably is being opened only 2nd-time in 5+ decades. We were extremely surprised to see the bore be untouched and was still on STD size piston. This (very low run) also might be one of the reasons Sunil wanted to keep the vehicle for himself.

Meanwhile, there were lot of items that needed buffing and chroming. I worked on it in parallel. As these were unused and stored for many years, needed a good wash before turning them in.

Getting a good wash at local washing center








Was very satisfying to see them being cleaned:

https://youtu.be/b8UfC81ommA

Handing over for chrome/buffing






Some of the components were of my Suvega which I was restoring in parallel




See how all the components are after good buffing and chroming. Even the engine cases were buffed. No pics as they had packed well. It will be well evident when the engine is being assembled. Brought a lot of happiness:





Meanwhile, after trying many places, I did manage to find the old type piston. It was NOS as they say (New Old Stock) of 1986. It surely commands some premium, the shop being known to me gave at a reasonable price.

The original - New Old Stock


The Piston


The original wrapper


Inside of Piston

[funkykar]

Assemble the Engine

After the mechanic got all the necessary works in lathe and rebore, it was time to assemble the engine:



















The engine being assembled. Video speed enhanced so that it doesn't get too boring.

https://youtu.be/1_CBx-MqouQ

The sight of the assembled engine was drool worthy

[funkykar]

The final coat

The painter kept the final coat pending until the mechanic gives a go-ahead. They follow the process of strictly hand over to customer after the final coat and don't want to keep with them even few extra hours as any damage or scratches they will be blamed. Now that the engine work, buffing/chrome work were done, the painter was given the green signal.

After base coat the chassis and components had to wait several days for engine work to complete


Handle before final coat


Being examined for putty work


Putty work in progress


Putty work underbelly in progress


Putty work on side panels


Putty work


Almost ready for final coat


Ready for final coat


Panels kept for drying after final coat


After final coat


After final coat


The miscellaneous components


The miscellaneous components


The miscellaneous components including fork


The drying process


Some of the videos I consolidated of the painting process:

https://youtu.be/NpBQVJ1YPng

New tires being installed

[funkykar]

The business end - The Assembly

It was now time to put everything together and give life to what once was a pile of rust. I was nervously excited. Happy that I soon will have a Vespa. On other hand, I was a little sad that the enjoyable restoration process was coming to an end.

Found a new silencer at one of the shops. Says old stock, good quality


The chassis being got to the workshop


Let us start!


All set


Wiring first


Wiring WIP


Cables - Chose the friction-free ones. Rare to find


Cables WIP


Front-wheel and respective components fitted


Handle and lever fitted. The look-alike Piaggio grip


Wiring, cables, and rear Shock Absorber ready


Fitting the engine


Engine fitted


Engine - From the back


The very first time engine was started

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0vMgwma9Fg

Some videos consolidated the initial part of the assembly

https://youtu.be/HfzUgS_MfEQ

The floor channel being fitted


After floor channel fit


The logo is being fit


Som videos consolidated of Floor Channel fitment and Logo install

https://youtu.be/tMz3jyBdmWY

After seats were fitted


The engine just before closing the shield


Tinker preparing a custom number plate


Tinker preparing a custom number plate


Custom number plate being fitted


Number plate stickering

https://youtu.be/rzK6LKAlb8U

Sunil taking it for the Scooter's first spin


The very first ride by Sunil

https://youtu.be/VcjAEEN-TKo

The refurbished meter


Just about ready


Sunil posing after work completed


Reached home!

[funkykar]

Photoshoot after completion

It's a customary thing for me to ride/ drive all the cars and scoots at home to the iconic Vidhana Soudha!









Some pics taken around iconic Windsor Manor hotel




Along with my restored Suvega (Restoration logged on https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ck-chance.html (1980 Suvega - Luck by chance!))














Daughter Risha happy to see another Scooter come home


She was delighted to see a basket where she could keep some of her things



Finally, a grueling restoration came to an end. Bucket of rust to a Scooter that was built. From the beginning to the end, I was glad to be part of the restoration. The process was so time-consuming and I had to run around for several things several times. The Honda Dio I was using as a beater bike clocked 1000kms during this restoration. I precisely remember as it just had a rebore done and I was running it in. This restoration shall remain close to my heart. Once the pandemic is over, hope to take it on a very long ride!

Credits

• Bhpian Srinivas Chakravarthy (schakravarthy) - Greatly helped me with various information on the Vespa. I literally knew nothing. Over 50% of the necessary information provided by him. He also precisely directed me to specific online sellers/shops for specific parts. Life was so easy with this information. Not to forget his pictorial help too. He took time out of his busy schedule, clicked pics, and sent me to help me understand better.
  
• Narendran, Vintage Spares Expert - Helped me with several parts including tires and tubes. An extremely honest and nice gentleman.
  
• Prasad from Srinivasa Automobiles, link road, Bangalore - The majority of the spares supplied by him. All of them either OE or good quality aftermarket. He arranged for spares from different places as well.
  
• Dr. Srikanth Narayana - A good friend who also owns a Vespa and helped me with various information. The front number plate copied from his Vespa. Hoping our Vespa's meet post-Bangalore Lockdown.
  
• Choudhary Spares, Andhra Pradesh - Got some of the spares from here.
  
• Vintage Spare Parts Online - Was greatly helped by good quality after-market cosmetic spares.
  
• Bhpian Chethan (GreenDay) for helping me out with several logistics.
  
• Bhpian Arun (Arun1100) for injecting me with the idea of Vespa/Priya.
  
• Maghi the tinker. He did a fantastic job of tinkering, fabricating the front number plate, fixing the floor channel and logos, which required a lot of patience.
  
• Sunil, the chief mechanic - He has immense expertise with scooters. All his experience was put to test. Not often do Vespa and Priya turn up here. He was glad to part with it initially and extremely happy to be the one who restored it. 100/100 to him.

There could be many others who helped me directly or indirectly. Apologies if I missed anyone.

Thanks,
Karthik Makam

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[vigsom]

Now that's what one calls bringing back from the dead. True pedigree restoration, characteristic of @funkykar. Brilliant !!!

Except the crack in the belly, the chassis looked quite OK to me. It was nice to see all the primering, body filler, and final finisher putty the old school way, very common till the Fiats and Ambassadors were in majority. You will notice that the maximum finisher putty was used at the belly where the crack was.

I remember the day in 1976 in Delhi when my Dad had to choose his Bajaj 150 from at least a 100 examples at the dealer's premises. I very clearly remember that there were Bajaj 150s aplenty in this same shade and with the same type of tail light that you have showcased. He eventually chose a unique greenish blue Bajaj 150 with the newly launched larger tail lamp assembly similar to what one would see later in the Bajaj Cub. If I remember right, that scooter got the regn. number DEI 6421.

[arun1100]

Excellent thread, Karthik. These detailed description and pics should help hundreds of scooter enthusiasts who wish to restore their scooters. During these tough times, you managed to stay safe and ensures the restoration is done meticulously. Hats off to the mechanic, painter and tinker for the wonderful job.

Even though I have restored my Padmini by personally involving from start to end, I couldn't get my Dad's '97 Chetak restored myself due to lack of information and reliable resources; thankfully, you got the Chetak restored along with the FC update. Just for viewer's reference, below is the thread. Such threads should give enough valuable information.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...workhorse.html (Restored! Hamara Bajaj - Chetak, a fun workhorse)

Congratulations on the Vespa restoration. I am sure you had your learning from this restoration and took care of them in the Priya's restoration! Waiting for Priya's thread to go Live!

Do update this thread regularly on the ownership, maintenance and riding experience.

[neil.jericho]

funkykar, Im not a scooter guy, but I greatly enjoy these scooter restoration threads on the forum. The colour that you selected is superb! I am sure that you must be turning heads when you take your lovely scooters out in Bangalore.

I look forward to more scooter related posts and threads from you and your partners in crime (Arun1100 & GreenDay).

Can you give us a ball park figure of the costs involved in such a great restoration?

[atmosphere]

Absolutely awesome restoration Karthik@funkykar, as exemplified by your words it gives such massive satisfaction to see the scooter back to its glory. .

Also as stated by Neil would love to know a cost breakdown. Cheers

[ninjatalli]

@funkykar, each of your thread is a delight to read. But this brought a different levels of joy - I'd rate this one of the best restoration of yours.

If you don't mind, how many scooters (& other 2 wheelers) do you have in your garage? I'd love to see a picture of the lot.

P.s. Do you allow bhpians visits to see these beauties in their true glory in person?


Edit: My childhood memories of Vespa was the plasticky feel it had (compared to the Chetaks & Priyas) and the rectangularish headlight and boxed front. But the fact that this Vespa has a more Bajaj scooterish front look is a complete surprise - never knew it till now! Or this is such a different model than the ones I remember from childhood memories.

And sorry to hear about the situation of your mechanic Sunil. I hope his current state has improved and he's realigned to continue working from Bangalore going forward.

[ash22]

Excellent thread. It is always pleasure to see restorations like this.
One question - Can you send us a picture of your garage or parking space?
How do you accommodate all your vehicles in your home?