Restoring a 1980 Suvega moped after finding it by chance

How could it be so neat and nice even after collecting dust for 25+ years. Everything seemed original, including the paint from the factory.

BHPian funkykar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This dates back a couple of years ago to 2018. This was the time, when I started having a bit of an issue with car parking. This was also a time when I had many cars - Palio, Innova, Ambassador, Padmini, and Padmini S1. I was already looking to trim and dispose of a couple of cars. Suddenly one day, Arun1100 called me and said an elderly gentleman wanted to sell his Fiat 1100 Delight. He had stopped using it and did not have much desire in driving any further due to his age.

Despite having many cars and issues with parking, I couldn't say no to a Delight and expressed my willingness to buy. Very soon we reached his place in Indiranagar, we asked what he was expecting and paid in full without haggling. The issue was the car hadn't been used over a period of 1 year and did not even have a battery. The owner was confident it will not start simply by pouring fuel and jump-starting. Arun and I were fully confident, we carried several spares and an extra battery the next day and managed to start the car.

However, once we took the Fiat 1100 Delight out of the garage, we were 'delighted' to see a 1980 Suvega tucked behind the car which we hadn't noticed till then. Arun and I were startled to see this barn find. Our eyes couldn't believe it. We were like, how could it be so neat and nice even after 25+ years of non-usage. Everything seemed original, including the paint from the factory. For several minutes, we were drooling and gently moved it and saw every part of it in admiration. One of the best sights of our lives undoubtedly!

The first sight!

We quickly asked the old gentleman what he was planning to do of the Suvega. He just said it's of no use. He stopped using it in the early 90's itself. It has been lying there ever since. He did not remember anything more about it. He agreed to part with it. I couldn't control my joy and literally had goosebumps. I was too excited about this. Honestly even during childhood, I don't remember seeing a running Suvega. All I remember is seeing Suvegas in neighborhood homes decaying while growing up. I have a lot of nostalgia with mopeds as my Dad had the very old 70's Luna. The one without shocks and single-seater, many call it duck Luna, not sure why. While I was a kid, I would ride it under parental supervision. Yes, those were such days. Unfortunately, it was scrapped in the late 90's. Dad had got a Bajaj scooter and did not see any value in reviving and maintaining the Luna which was more like a toy for me.

Anyway, without wasting any time we quickly finished formalities and took the car home, and visited the next day to fetch the Suvega. We used my very helpful Toyota Innova to transport the Suvega. After the purchase, Fiat was first priority as it was easy to deal with it. On another hand, the Suvega would require a mechanic, probably several parts and restoration. I knew it was going to be a long one. Hence, it sat inside the Innova for maybe 3 weeks. Later on, I moved it to Arun1100's home who was kind enough to hold the Suvega for a while.

Pics before Arun1100 archived it for a while:

The front

Front wheel

Side profile

Its a deluxe

The puny engine

The rear

Mopeds were too new for me and I honestly did not know where to start. I had all the interest to get it running again and ready to spend whatever it took to restore. I checked with several friends and did not get any good contacts of mechanics. I wanted someone who is not only good but trustworthy, down-to-earth and matches my wavelength. I wanted to be part of the restoration if time permits. Time also was a big constraint for me as I had a toddler at home and she needed a lot of my time. Hence, there on, I started collecting all the necessary parts. Some I could know was needed, and some I anyway purchased. As time went by in 2019, I left it with a mechanic near Arun's home and told him to free up the engine and get it started. All my plans of watching the restoration etc went down the drain due to lack of time. The mechanic was not really a classic repair guy but was very keen to work on the Suvega as he said he learned his work on Suvega's in the initial days. With a few strict conditions, we left it there. We strictly had told, he has to tell us before doing anything and all parts should be kept carefully. He agreed. The Suvega was there for a few weeks. He opened up the engine, freed it and he took a lot of time for this. Mainly he would work on this when he doesn't have any other work of modern-day vehicle repairs. After the engine was put together, he realized that the carburettor was beyond repair. He asked me to arrange a different one. Couldn't find it after trying several contacts. We took back the Suvega and archived it again due to lack of time.

Unfortunately, I have very little meaningful photos on the failed and incomplete attempt to get the Suvega to start:

Mechanic Fahim working

Work in progress

Work in progress

Work in progress, Suvega being worked on in the background.

After many weeks of search and I didn't find the original carburettor. I was hell-bent on getting the original. Later a few of my moped enthusiasts (Yogesh Acharya) suggested I use an aftermarket carburettor. He clearly said if you find used original, good chances are it won't be in good shape. At max, you will be able to get the Suvega to start, the performance, etc will be bad.

Bhpian Ilango once told me to send the Suvega to Chennai. He will restore it himself and send it back to me. Being a great friend since 2008, I felt extremely happy by his offer. The transportation was extremely expensive and both of us were not sure if it's prone to damage. Hence, I told him I will look for other means to send to him. However, somehow it just didn't fall in place and also because of the pandemic, he moved to his hometown for a reasonable period time.

A little about the Suvega:

Mopeds were extremely popular in 70's and 80's as they were inexpensive and very easy on the pocket. Those were the times there was no rush, very little traffic and quite relaxed of times.

Mopeds India Limited was the company that manufactured and sold the Suvega mopeds. The engine displacement was about 50cc. They were produced in collaboration with Motobecane of France. All the manufacturing was happening in a plant in Tirupathi. Its first model was sold in India, not sure of the name but is referred to by a lot of enthusiasts as France model. The last of their models was this Deluxe.

Couple of brochures I had saved on my computer:

One of the movie songs, I noticed the Suvega being used in a kannada movie named 'Bell Bottom'. I happened to see it after purchasing the Suvega. Around the 4:30 onwards.

Continue reading funkykar's thoughts on the 1980 Suvega and BHPian comments for more insights and information.