I’ve been really pondering lately. Thinking about selling Uhura, my trusty Honda Helix (CN250) and move into a classic Italian. I’ve even flirted with the idea of (gasp!) buying a Viet restoration proving that my funding is even lower than my standards.
Jon is doing a pretty good job of talking me out of it though. If you’ve considered going with the Indonesian import I suggest you sit back with a cup a tea and read Jon’s journal at Vespatude. I sat and read as his enthusiasm gradually fizzled over the course of a year. Poor guy. See another article here.
I’ve even been toying with the idea of building a Lambretta chopper. I know, I know… Sacreligious. But sooooooo fun!
This photo of two monks on a Vespa is from the mkelpie gallery which can be found here. Click to see more great shots of Vietnam.
25. July 2006 at 6:08 am
Keep your eye on the Craigslist, Steve. Some of the tattier running classics that show up are no more expensive than a Viet spit-and-solder job. Plus, you’d get a pre-purchase inspection. (If Austin is too thin on scooters maybe you could get a friend elsewhere to help you check out a likely find.)
25. July 2006 at 6:17 am
Thanks for the advice Gen! I’ll do that… There’s a Vespa T5 in town that I’d like to take a closer look at, even though it’s not a pretty as some of the older, more curvaceous models.
25. July 2006 at 3:27 pm
Yeah Steve, I’d recommend looking closely at that T5. Something like that or a P-series, a good solid “late-classic.” Maybe a Sprint 150, if just gotta have those curves! Start there, with a solid daily, that’s gonna cost less initially, be easier to maintain, and be more reliable. Then start saving for the Lammy! Ok, well at least that’s what I’m doing.
25. July 2006 at 3:35 pm
My Boss is selling-off a mountain of Lammy parts at the moment, Could be a nice start for a chop.
25. July 2006 at 3:41 pm
Haha! punkelf, you ain’t kiddin’! I saw some sweet Lammys out there in the $5000 range!!! I was blown away.
I’ll keep ya posted on what I end up doing. First I gotta see what I can get out of Uhura. She was a garage girl when I got her… had barely over 1,400 miles. Now she’s still got less than 5,000 and for an ’86 she’s in great shape.
I know I’ll miss her *snif snif*, it’s just that the Helix is more of a travelers scooter than a small get around town social scooter and these days I can barely get out of the house on a Sunday afternoon for the weekly meet-up.
25. July 2006 at 3:47 pm
CASEY! Good to hear you’re still alive! (for those of you who haven’t met Casey yet, he’s one of the two mechanics seen in the “thescooterscoop.tv” pilot and has a mean homebuilt scooter soon to be featured here.)
Anyway, you hear where I’m coming from on that chop Case? Alls I need is a good frame, a motor and a truck load of know-how. Glad I know some mechanics and people in the custom chopper business! *hint hint* *nudge nudge*
Now… for a theme.
26. July 2006 at 7:47 pm
What are problems with the Vietnam Vespa restoratins?
26. July 2006 at 7:58 pm
Well Jim, I don’t know first hand. I know that in any forum or BBS you visit you’ll see Viet bashers. Lots of complaints of shoddy workmanship especially behind the cowls.
From the photos I’ve seen they LOOK great and I was almost sold until I ran into Jon’s site in which he pretty much confirmed those accusations. The scoot looked AWESOME in the photos they sent him from Vietnam. When it finally arrived he found a few blemishes, but that was nothing compared to the mechanicals on his Vespa. Not good at all.
If I recall… it’s STILL not running correctly and it’s been about a year from the day he placed his order. OUCH!
He put up the good fight, but a man can only endure so much.