The never ending scooter project

Well the series 2 has been and gone. I finished it and got it back on the road but sold it. My son William is now nearly 7 so he's quite interested in helping me build the next one.

So this will be the story of the build. William has chosen the 125 special. We are not painting it, it's being done on a budget. Going to try to keep the costs right down on it by using bits that are floating around.

With the Kelvinator gone and the winter model going soon I am beginning to see some space.

Need to tidy up a bit and move some stuff round.

Ideally the series 2 and the pushbike would be at the front so I can get them out easily on the spur of the moment.

There are too many flat surfaces still and the tendency is to just spread stuff out on them.

Need to do a bit of measuring and planning.

I've sold two scooters in one day, first time I've done that I think.

The kelvinator was on eBay but I got contacted by a local lad who is into oddball Indian lambrettas. Glad to see it go to someone who will appreciate it for what it is.

Then the winter model is off to Germany by the looks of it. Sad to see this one go but I'm becoming more and more pragmatic about the time and money I will have for all my scooters and I've realised that I'll never get them all done.

I think that takes it down to nine scooters now. Main thing is that it frees me up a lot of space so that after a good tidy up I should have better space to work in.

Had a bit of a clearout recently, got sick of the lack of space and
having to keep tidying up all the time rather than getting anything
done.

I got given an auto engine with a view to fitting it to one of the lui
models. Putting the engine next to it convinced me that was too much
of a project.
That made me think more about the two lui's in general and before I
knew it the lui 50 was broken for spares and on ebay.

I'm spending some of the proceeds on rewiring the garage and shed - at
the moment there are only two double sockets which means extension
leads all over the place.
By the time I'm finished there will be two double sockets in the shed,
four double sockets in the garage and a proper waterproof socket
outside for lawnmowers/angle grinders etc.

So the ones that have gone are:-

Series 3 li125 special. Apparently an ex-Italian racer found by nigel
cox. Bare frame with seat and tank. Frame loop removed and fork stem
shortened.

Vega 75. In bits. Not long got hold of this. Missing some hard to find
bits (seat, rear carrier) but I really want to finish this, despite
knowing how silly I will look on it.

Lui 50, CL I think (the one with tubular bars).

Which leaves 11 now.

I'm really struggling to think how I can get it any lower. I need to
think about ones I really really want to keep and then be ruthless and
get rid of the ones I'm not 100% sure about.

The trouble is that the way things are going price wise you really
need to think hard before selling anything that you might need one
day.

Got most of the day to myself so I thought I would hit the garage for
a bit of a tidy up. Still a few boxes of records taking up space so
they can go under the stairs. Last time I was out I just kinda dumped
a load of stuff so I am sorting that out then trying to tidy up.

I never seem to do anything other than apologise for not updating this
blog, oh well.

Been thinning the projects a bit recently. Had a bit of a reality
check with time/space/money and realised something had to give.

In the last year these have gone:-

Model C. In bits. 95% complete. Would just be a resto.
Sold on ebay.

Series 3 125 cutdown. Basically just the frame tube. Would be done in
the style of a model D racer.
Sold to work, gonna be a group 6 racer.

Series 3 cutdown, spanish. In bits. Keep changing my mind how to do this one.
Swapped for a sidecar chassis.

Series 3 li125 special. Just a frame, accident damaged. Needs to go on
someones jig. Got most of the bits to complete it pretty much.
Sold to an LCGB member.
Indian GP150. Bought with the intent of getting something on the road
quickly, plan didn't work.
Sold to my mate Matty.

What's left?

Series 1 125. In bits. Would be a custom/street racer.
Series 2 125. This is the one I've been doing up for 11 years now!
Kinda fallen out of love with it as I've learned so much along the
way. For me to be happy with it it would probably need redoing.
Series 2 125 (or is it a 150, can't remember!). In bits. Basis of a
scottish six day trials replica. Got all the bits for it.
Series 2 spanish winter model. In bits (notice a theme?). Not sure
what I had in mind for this. Maybe a tourer with the pav trailer.
J100. Belongs to my sister so doesn't really count. Not far off done.
Series 3 li125 special. Apparently an ex-Italian racer found by nigel
cox. Bare frame with seat and tank. Frame loop removed and fork stem
shortened.
Series 3 li125 special. In bits. One of the nicest straightest Italian
imports that came via MB. Has been repainted in Yellow. Would be a 60s
street racer.
Gp lambretta chopper, madder than a box of frogs.
Vega 75. In bits. Not long got hold of this. Missing some hard to find
bits (seat, rear carrier) but I really want to finish this, despite
knowing how silly I will look on it.
Lui 50, CL I think (the one with tubular bars).
Kelvinator. Still in one piece (well I took the crankcase side off to
investigate why the kickstart wasn't working - stripped teeth on
shaft). Back of frame loop needs a lot of work, has been reinforced by
a bombay bodger. Ugly as sin.
Lamby polo. In bits. Got a lot of NOS parts for it.
Monkey bike prototype (from Spanish factory, rescued by bedlams, came
to me via perry lewis). In bits. Needs an engine and a hub. Was
thinking of putting the autisa 125 lump in it.
Vespa T5 Mk1. In bits. My first scooter. Want to keep this. It won't
count in the lambretta count.

So that's 5 gone and 14 left.

The lui50 had a dodgy frame number. I got a new frame to rebuild it on but am down a pair of legshields so one of the lui's has got to go (I don't like them enought to go mad and source more legshields). I need a few bits off it so that will end up getting broken for spares.

The series 2 is a away with a kind friend who has offered to finish it off for me. Should have it back in time for the winter!!

Not really sure what to think about doing next. I've got the makings of a sidecar outfit so I might do that next, bit of fun as a runaround with the kids next summer. The sidecar mountings are series 2 so that would mean either the series 1, the polo or the winter model. Winter model is the current favourite at the moment. It's going to be a pain to do as when it's built it will take up a lot of room so it will either have to live outside or I will need to have a big sort out in the garage. Anyone got a garage to rent out??

Had a day with no kids today so managed to get out into the garage.
Carried on tidying up and it's coming on quite well.
By the end of the session everything was put away and I can walk into
the garage without having to take a scooter out first. Space is tight
but it's possible! Hurrah.

Still need to move things round a bit more but I feel like I'm getting
there! My daughter is 6 months old now and is going to bed earlier now
so I can sneak out for a few hours now and then of an evening.