Tag Archives: restoration

Which 1?

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There’s a trio of nice Series 1’s on eBay at the mo, which one appeals to you?

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The rusty TV1 Replica? The beautifully restored Genuine TV1 Ivory TV1 Lookalikey? Or the the classic, HONEST, and slightly more affordable, two-tone LI? Click on the names to see the full details on eBay. Lambrettisti, make your choice!

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Replicas, Tributes or Honest Scooters?
Jas spotted the restored ivory scoot is not a TV… but a LI150, ‘dressed’ as a TV175. There’s a lot of that about these days. I know a lot of people want the style and the kudos of riding a rare model TV/SX/GT without the price tag… and that’s fine, as long as you know what you’re getting when you part with your hard earned. Personally, I would rather see an ‘honest’ LI.

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Dirty Diana…

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Spotted this less than pristine Dürkopp Diana on eBay. It’s missing it’s seats and sidepanels, the engine is seized, and there’s no documents. But it IS cheap, (classified ad price of £795) and as soon as I saw it I though of a headline for a post, so I had to stick it up! The same fella is selling a Swallow Gadabout, NSU Prima, a Zundapp Bella and a Heinkel A0, all in a similar ‘restorable’ condition, so if Dürkopp is not your brand of choice, there are some others for you!

I was going to write a brief history of the Durkopp Diana scooters, but I couldn’t be more thorough than my online pal Tideous Ted, over on the Retrorambling blog. So, if you’re interested, just read this.

Here’s a glimpse at what it could look like after a little tlc. Conveniently shot at almost exactly the same angle!
117381_dur3If you fancy a bit of a rest job on a German scooter with Italian(ish) styling,

Get your bid on on eBay here

‘My Minds Eye’ – RLC TV GT200 – The perfect mod scooter?

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MME-RLC-TV200GT-5My Minds Eye will be familiar to many of my readers from various scooter magazines and  taken the top honours at custom shows throughout the UK and Europe. Commissioned and designed by Nick ‘Tolley’ Tollazzi,  who personally sourced all the accessories, only selecting the rarest and the best. The accessories alone (listed below)  are valued at £14,000 and are all original and genuine;

  • Vigano flute
  • Super fork boots
  • Ulma front rack with crash bars (supplied by Nanucci London)
  • 9 raydot DL 78 lights
  • 4 Lucas L785 owl lights
  • 4 alpine horns
  • 2 Pegasus horses
  • 2 St Christopher badges
  • 2 stadium folding mirrors 
  • Desmo lady
  • Grants front badge
  • Motoplas flyscreen
  • Ken Cobin series 3 exhaust
  • Ulma footboard extensions
  • Nanucci toolbox with original lock and enamel St Christopher badge
  • Poli Micro Tromba horns
  • Ulma stand feet
  • Giuliari sidewinder seat and frame with original 60’s Midland leopard print
  • Ulma rear rack with Ulma  wheel disc and spinner
  • Ulma Florida bars
  • Ulma rear crash bar
  • Scots GB reflective rear badge
  • Metalplast number plate surround and metalplast rear mudflap
  • Catalux twin reflector rear light lens
  • Michelin ACS tyres
  • Correct fibre glass mudguard 
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The front rack is not just decorative… all the lights work!

The TV200 – known in the UK only as the GT – a rare and desirable model to start with – was personally built by Dean Orton of the renowned Rimini Lambretta Centre, arguably the best restorers of Lambrettas in the world. You can read about the work RLC put in here… to quote Dean “Anybody who thinks it’s the easy option ‘simply bolting accessories’ to a scooter really is talking shite. EVERY single accessory can be a major ‘mare and getting the layout right can take forever. No point slinging it all on and hoping it’ll look good because you’ll end up in tears. Nick’s front rack took the best part of three days work to layout, then strip, polish up, re-mount, wire up and connect. As Mr. T. himself says, “you can’t buy style – either you’ve got it or you haven’t.”

The whole package, the model, the restoration, the accessories, the provenance, go together to make this GT maybe the ultimate mod scooter. And she’s up for sale…

If you’re interested, and you can stump up the not inconsiderable £20,000 asking price, you can ring the owner on 07967363091 with questions or to see more photos. Find out more on eBay, here. 

Silly money?

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The price of Lambretta scooters seems to be reaching new heights, as a quick glance at eBay will confirm. A TV175 Series 3, for the best part of £15k, an SX200 for a ‘buy it now’ price of £12k, and an Italian GP for £7,779… All very nice looking scooters… but that’s a lot of your hard earned cash to spend on a scooter.

The first one is, admittedly a beautiful machine, and the only one of the three I’ve seen in the flesh. Restored by the world famous RImini Lambretta Centre… so you know everything will be done to the highest standard. But still… that’s a lot of dosh. Check it out on eBay here.RLC0TV175S3-1RLC0TV175S3-2

The second is another very desirable scooter; a British Registered SX200, in champagne and white, still with it’s original Ken Cobbing seat. Matching frame and engine numbers and original panels and bodywork. Bit still… a little steep at £12K?
Here it is on eBay

EBaySX2009k-1 EBaySX2009k-2 EBaySX2009kIf GP’s are more your thing… there’s a nice, 1969 original Innocenti 200. Restored to a high standard, and looking lovely in yellow ochre. A steal at just £7,779? If it’s for you, here’s the eBay link

YellowGP200-eBYellowGP200-eB-1 YellowGP200-eB-2 YellowGP200-eB-3 YellowGP200-eB-4 YellowGP200-eB-5

And it’s not just the more desirable models that are getting expensive… here’s a 150 LD going for £4800… something that would have seemed, if not unthinkable, an “ambitious” price, just a few years ago. Here’s the eBay link to the LD

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So, are these machines actually worth these price tags? They’re all very desirable scooters, and look like they’ve been restored to a high standard. So, ultimately, the market will decide. It’s hard to see prices dropping in the future, so a classic Italian scooter may be a good investment, even at these prices. But remember, these machines are always better ridden than hidden.

There are still plenty of more affordable Lambrettas out there, but they may be either less cosmetically attractive, needing some work, or complete ‘projects’. I suppose it’s good news if you already own a Lambretta, or are in a position to buy and restore one… but the downside is it’s getting increasingly difficult for youngsters to get involved in our scene.

Mellow Restoration LD

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LDMkII-eBayLoving this. Cracking little LD on eBay that was restored back in the 80’s… that has mellowed nicely. Sometimes a newly restored scooter can look fantastic, but to my eyes a little too “new”. And while I increasingly like a bit of ‘patina’ (we used to call it rust, back in the day) a nice, clean  machine is hard to beat. I think you get the best of both worlds with this scoot.  Not so pristine you’d be scared to ride her, nice enough to want to wash and wax at the weekend!LDMkII-eBay-6 LDMkII-eBay-5 LDMkII-eBay-4 LDMkII-eBay-3 LDMkII-eBay-2 LDMkII-eBay-1She comes with some great period accessories, which lift the scoot from stock; the whitewalls, sidepanel stars (I’m not always keen on these, but they just “work” on this scoot) alloy airscoops, hub and fork trim, original NSU clock and original speedo. All things that add to the appeal of the scooter, rather than spoiling the lovely lines. Very nice. If I had any room in the garage, or money in the bank, Id be putting a bid in on her! If you feel the same way you can put a bid in on eBay here.

Lambretta Helpline

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I stumbled across a new website that just might get you out of a hole… Lambretta Helpline.com. It’s a subscription based service that will cost you £9.99 for three months membership. During that three months, you can ask a maximum of 25 questions, and get a direct, one-to-one answer from a Lambretta expert on any Lambretta maintenance, servicing fault finding, repairs or buying a Lambretta.Screen Shot 2014-08-19 at 08.02.43

When I say Lambretta experts, the guys behind Lambretta Helpline have  been involved in the Lambretta industry for thirty years, restoring, customising and building Lambretta’s for clients worldwide. They’ve run a race team. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. So you know they knw what they’e talking about. You’ll get detailed explanations to your question asked, with pictures where available.

Screen Shot 2014-08-19 at 08.03.15To be honest, I initially thought that the £9.99 fee was a bit steep. After all, most of us have a mate who can do a similar job. But, you can’t keep asking the same old people, feels like ‘taking the piss’ sometimes. If you are a member of the LCGB, their member forums are great for answering questions, but sometimes you can wait a while for a response and sometimes the answers assume a certain level of Lambretta nous, and you don’t want to look a total knob on the forum (not a problem for me, I’m sure that’s how I usually come across!). Then there’s always Stickys Manual

Anyways,  I initially thought that £9.99 was a bit steep, but then I thought about when I might use it. When I needed it. Before, or during tackling a job. Then I’d happily pay a tenner for helpful, one on one answers. Anyway, here’s the link again, if you feel they might help you out of a tricky spot.

225 ‘S’ Type in Bonhams auction

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Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.10.11Derek, from Bonhams in San Francisco, kindly sent me a heads up of this lovely TV225 up for auction in their forthcoming Quail Lodge Auction.Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.11.21The original, matching numbers scoot has been restored, by P-Town Scooters of Portland, Oregon, to full Arthur Francis 225cc ‘S’ Type specs. The finished article features all the goodies one might expect, including an Ancillotti megaphone exhaust, tuned 225cc motor, Nannucci race seat, Lucas lamps and Cuppini rack.Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.10.21 Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.12.10 Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.11.54 Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.13.22 Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.10.33 Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.10.48 Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 07.11.05The Bonhams Quail Lodge 2014 Auction will be held August 14th and August 15th on the grounds of the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, California. Held in connection with the Quail Motorsport Gathering, the 17th annual Bonhams sale held during Monterey Classic Car Week will feature nearly 120 vehicles. The S Type is lot 197. More details here.

F Type Progress – and an appeal…

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ModF+HarryBackWheel ModF+Harry ModF+Harry2 ModF+Harry4Regular reader may remember Rodney from Oz and his F model. Well, progress on the restoration have continued, with the help of his grandson Harry.  Some of the body parts are at the panel beaters. Once they are ready to go, they will be painted in the original grey – a perfect match to the original paint found on the front forks.ModF+Harry-FrameWhat strikes me when you see the F stripped down, is just how simple the design was… the E & the F really pared things down, even from the looped frame of the A -D’s. And it makes the DonGo “Bare Bones” scooter I featured earlier in the week look super complicated in comparison!

Rod has just about rounded up all NOS parts needed to complete the project, but one thing he is still chasing is a set of handlebars. These “F” model handlebars are proving tricky to track down… so Rod has asked me to ask my readers to see if they have any ideas about how he can come up with a set… Any ideas anybody? Can YOU help?

 

F is for Family… F is for the Future…

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Remember Rod’s Aussie barn find…  the controversial F with the D type forks? Well. there’s been a bit of progress… Rod has found an old dealer and bought their entire stock of model F parts… so he has most of what he needs for his restoration. RMF-Partsphoto 5 RMF-Partsphoto 6 RMF-Partsphoto 7

He’s also started to strip the scooter down with the help of the grandson Harry… who has been designated his chief mechanic. He’s become the envy of his classmates, helping his grandad restore a vintage Lammie.Familyphoto 2 Familyphoto 3 Family SpannerFamilyWoopsHis brother Hugo loves the Lambretta too… this means Rods F will have a great home and remained loved for the next 70 to 80 years… theirs a legacy to be proud of!Familyphoto

Ancillotti Brothers TV225 conserved restoration

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Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.20.43This is my third post about the work of The Rimini Lambretta Centre. I make no apologies for this, they produce first class work, and they are the acknowledged experts in the fine art of the “conserved restoration”. Coupled with there usually being an interesting story behind the work, and some great images, it’s a no brainer. So, on with the post, and what we have here is another fantastic job, on a small, but important piece of Lambretta history.
Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.22.20Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.23.04The owner, Marcello Taglialegne, picked up this machine, in a really sorry state, at a parts fair. Some nifty homework confirmed the sellers’ story that it was an Ancillotti original, and, although the bodywork was in a bad way, with a massive crack at the rear section of the frame, and the engine was missing, it was decide that this scooter MUST be saved! A ton of work was done. This included sourcing a NOS 200cc engine as originally used by the Ancillotti brothers, and a hand-made inlet manifold to house the unfeasibly large Dell’Orto that sticks out the side of this scoot like Satchmo’s horn. The other thing that draws your eye straight away on this unique Lambretta is the front mudguard, which looks like it’s on backwards! A point of ‘heated debate’ in the RLC workshop, it was the way Ancillotti originally did it, so it was going on like that. I kind of like it, and have certainly never seen anything like it before.Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.24.49But my favourite part of this scoot is the seat. What a seat. Original to the scooter, and recovered, it sets the whole scoot of beautifully. The first time I ever heard the word Ancillotti was in relation to scooter seats (back in the day, it was that or a “Snetterton”) and this is the daddy of all Ancillotti racing seats. I want one like that!Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.22.48Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.26.47

For the full story of all the painstaking, period correct work that was carried out, and it’s quite a saga, but a good read; see the RLC website. There’s lots more pics of this fascinating scooter on there too.