[edsuede]

Hi friends

Thought I'd start to document the restoration of my 1983 API Lamby 150 here in the UK.

I've been working on this scooter as time has permitted for around a year now.

This first photo is of the dry building process - needed because I started with only a frame so had to source bodywork (all Indian) from various sources with the result that alot of filing, grinding etc has needed to be done in order to get a good fit.

[Cyrus43]

Sweet!!! Im in Surrey and I would LOVE to see this roll past me!!

[edsuede]

This one's a little way off rolling anywhere at the moment Cyrus

The plan is to build her using as many original Indian bits as possible - it would be easy to use Italian parts but I'm determined to preserve the scooter's identity and not to create yet another 'Italian clone'. So many of the Lambys and Vijais that land on these shores get converted into Italian look-a-likes. Eventually this is going to look like it's just been restored on the streets of Mumbai (I hope) by an Indian enthusiast.

A few more pictures - including some of the 'new old stock parts I've obtained;

[hillram]

Originally Posted by edsuede

The plan is to build her using as many original Indian bits as possible

Nice way to preserve indianism in these scooters.Way to go my friend.Wishing you a happy restoration.

[chanu]

Awesome spirit edsuede! it is easy to restore this lamby for you but the way you are taking this with all Indian parts is comendable, it must be as hard here for us to restore a Lambretta or a Vespa with all Italian parts. Wish you good luck my friend.

I also have a Lamby 150 which needs those dome badges and the monogram if anyone can help me please.

[hillram]

Originally Posted by chanu

I also have a Lamby 150 which needs those dome badges and the monogram if anyone can help me please.

Bala,I didnt know you own a Lamby 150.I always wanted to own this complete Indian made classic.Can you post some pics?

[the mole]

Wow finally we shall have the first dedicated Lamby 150 restoration thread.

Do you have the owners/ parts manual?

[edsuede]

Thank you for your support and kind comments my friends.

Will hopefully be able to post more pictures over the next week or two - things are at a stand still due to the winter weather over here - although I have had some body parts in the sprayers so these will be back soon.

Chanu - you might be able to get some new panel monograms from Fanatic Scooters (Bristol, UK) - just google them for email details. They also produce the excellent book - The Indian Lambretta Guide - essential reading for all Indian Lambretta lovers When I was last at Fanatic scooters a year and a half ago they had a large box of brand new panel monograms and many other new old stock parts for Lambys too. Let me know if you have any success - if not, I'll try some other UK contacts for you

Sorry Mole do not have the Lamby owners book/parts manual - after one myself! These are very rare indeed (at least in the UK)!

Kind regards

[TuffRyder]

Ed: All the very best on this restoration. Very rare to see someone actually trying to preserve a Lamby and not clone it. Please let me know if you looking for any parts from India and I'll do my best.

Chanu: I might have a set of the wings but plastic one though. Let me know if u know someone in Bangalore who can pick it up from me.

[Stanher]

@ed:
That looks like it's going to be one nice Lamby there! And also good to see that you wish to retain it as it is...indeed as you say, nearly all of these Indian scooters that go to your shores do get "Italianised" once they land there!

Lucky you, you've got a lovely pair of side-panel flashes- they're like hen's teeth here now!

It's the first time I'm seeing those red reflector(?) gems within the flashes. Even many of the flashes that are intact on the Lambys that I've seen have the ends broken off!

[edsuede]

[quote=TuffRyder;2191656]Ed: Please let me know if you looking for any parts from India and I'll do my best.

Thank you TuffRyder for your kind offer

[quote=Stanher;2191926]@ed:
That looks like it's going to be one nice Lamby there! And also good to see that you wish to retain it as it is...

Thanks Stanher - I have changed a few elements on the Lamby but nothing that detracts from it's charactor - for a start I have the old style legshields (genuine API but pre-1973) and I have an inner legshield toolbox (again, Indian made but an aftermarket item). In my opinion, the legshield tool boxes go better with the older, fuller legshields.

Regards
Ed

[chanu]

Originally Posted by TuffRyder

Ed: All the very best on this restoration. Very rare to see someone actually trying to preserve a Lamby and not clone it. Please let me know if you looking for any parts from India and I'll do my best.

Chanu: I might have a set of the wings but plastic one though. Let me know if u know someone in Bangalore who can pick it up from me.

Thanks a ton TuffRyder, I have someone coming to Mysore next weekend and will ask them to pick them up from you. Thanks for your kind gesture to help me.

[edsuede]

Hi Friends

Some more photos of stuff for the lamby. A running in/service instructions decal, an original API tool roll and tools (the only one of these I've ever seen) and a replica decal I've had made of the Indian number plate from one of the donor scooters used to make up this scooter - going to fix this to the front legsheild when sprayed.

Regards
Ed

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by edsuede

I have an inner legshield toolbox (again, Indian made but an aftermarket item). In my opinion, the legshield tool boxes go better with the older, fuller legshields.

Hi ed, um...I'm not sure what this inner legshield toolbox looks like- AFAIK Lambrettas/Lambys never had a legshield toolbox. Many of them did have black rexine bags fitted onto the legshield though, like this:



If at all they had a metal toolbox, it definitely has to be a fabricated one, not an OE.

[edsuede]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Hi ed, um...I'm not sure what this inner legshield toolbox looks like- AFAIK Lambrettas/Lambys never had a legshield toolbox. Many of them did have black rexine bags fitted onto the legshield though, like this:

Attachment 475527

If at all they had a metal toolbox, it definitely has to be a fabricated one, not an OE.

Hi Stanher

Yes, I agree, the Lamby never came with a inner legshield tool box as standard. The inner legshield tool box I have is a Vespa type similar to those fitted to Chetaks etc. I've seen a few of these fitted to Lambys in photos on this forum and elsewhere as an after market addition. The one I have was actually made in India but whether for the export only market I don't know.

As soon as the tool box comes back from the sprayer I'll post some photos for you to see

Regards
Ed