New (to me) Vega

[Shaun]

Managed to pick this up tonite, 1 owner from new and not many miles.
All rare parts are there, sadly seized but nothing that cant be overcome.
Original key, handbook and tool kit all present as well











Pictures don't do the paint justice, it is such a bright Orbit Orange.
Will try and get daylight pictures in next coupla days.

Plans,
Fix engine and ride, then a trip back to the old lady, she hasn't heard it run since she parked it up in 1981

[Knowledge]

Just too pretty. Good find

[johnspeed22/2]

thats a cracking find you have there love vegas would love to see daylight Pics,what the story behind you getting the bike?

PS get yourself on the Luna owners club forum the guys and gals would love your new find.

[Shaun]

Cheers guys, will get better pics when time allows.

I MOT a sports bike riders cars every year, and my mate does the repairs (also a scooterist),

(Sorry, got sidetracked, missus just replayed the sex scene on telly from last weeks Glue as I missed it then.)

Anyway, (she had a luvverly pair though), I MOT'd this guys car last month and failed it, whilst he was in my MOT bay he looked at all the scooters I have in, and then he went for repairs (which didn't work out in his favour), so he scrapped the car.
(2000 plate Scienceto needing a new electric steering column)
But whilst over my mates, he looked at the 1960 Vespa my mates restoring and took in all the scooter talk.
Fast forward a week, and he is in his works canteen talking bikes and his 'mates' scooters when a youngun pipes up that his Mum has a lambretta in the garage.
A week of 4 way texting and I arrived tonight, cash in hand and bought it after some minor haggling.

As said, seized, snapped kickstart shaft, and stinky stale fuel, but I am looking forward to sorting it and riding as is.

[Scooterslag]

Lovely

[Pompeydave]

Good find! I do want a vega at some point. They still look like a new design IMHO. Absolutely timeless .

[Shaun]

Bit better

[johnspeed22/2]

Really nice that is far to good to restore a sympathetic resto required me thinks? nice to hear they are still out there well done mate keep us all posted how you get on getting her fixed up for the road

[humble]

Cracking find, and so good to see in such original condition, just great! Ride and enjoy, welcome to the world of Luna ownership!

Cheers

[Afandy]

That's a bit more like it... them first pictures looked awful colour ...
Great find ...love em ...had one of mine since 73 ...still original paint ...

[pacemaker]

Lovely find with is Devon Reg number as well. Keep it as it is.

[Toddy]

Very nice find

[weeks]

You lucky sod Shaun ....................... Great find and im pleased it was found by someone who will keep as found

[Rich Oswald]

Well done Shaun you lucky man, great find.

Rich'

[a-teamlambretta]

I'm not jealous. Not many around in original paint
Well done. Simon

[carlos fandango]

Nice find
not jealous at all , well done

[Shaun]

Cheers chaps,
Lot of positive replies, and a lot of Luna lovers

This isn't gonna be a quick project as I have other stuff going on at the same,
But I did manage to grab 5 minutes today, so I whipped the chaincase cover off,
What a pleasure that was, no Bridge piece, floorboards or fiddly exhaust to remove.
I LOVE the simplicity of this straight away:



All looks good, I know the clutch works as when I put it in gear yesterday although the top end is seized, when rocked and clutch pulled in it disengaged and the scooter rolled forward,
So I adjusted the chain, and turned my attention to the snapped kickstart shaft.
Turns out it wasn't:



The plunger was stuck in
I will fettle that tomorrow (ish) and refit and recheck.
That just saved a few quid.

Then I sat and thought about the top end seizure, strip or let the diesel do its job and wait a week
I am kinda impatient, so I got an 11mm socket on the front sprocket and gave it a sharp jerk,
And it moved
Now it is unseized, I don't need a kickstart shaft, oh if only I had a sidecase gasket, luckily Scootopia are only 5 mins from my work,
so I will visit Dan tomorrow.

I have also taken the seat off to look at the fuel tank, as it stinks, and the seat is a hard, rock solid lump.
The original rubber base seems to have gone back to a liquid form at some stage and dripped in hard pools of molten rubber and reset all over the tank, tool kit and seat base.
So if Scootopia have base rubber and covers in stock, I will splash out and buy them.




Might be a while for next update, these things cant happen overnight.

Shaun.

[coaster]

Good find! I do want a vega at some point. They still look like a new design IMHO. Absolutely timeless .

Me too totally agree

[Shaun]

Todays task was to remove the old seat cover, that was easy enough, but the rubbery substance that was once the seat foam/base rubber was a nightmare



I was gonna wire brush and fit the new cover (on the shelf at Scootopia, how would I cope without them nearby for popping to and fro several times a day ) but when Dan said it is best to glue the cover down, I realised it woould be now or never to blast the frame and powdercoat, so I dropped it at my local blasters.
Then when I popped back to Scootopia for the sidecase gasket (forgot that the first time ) Dan then mentioned that it was common for the seat latch hook to be broken off, he showed me a remade base and I realised I didn't have that part
So I shot back to the blasters and picked the base up so I could make and weld that bit on before it gets coated.

I then turned my attention to the seized carb:



Which eventually came apart, a good clean and lube and I should have that back together tomorrow.
Sidecase went back on tonight with the fixed shaft, new gasket and oil.
Engine now kicks over, healthy spark and even the horn quacks when kicked over

Next job is the tank, thats not looking too good inside, and there is silver tape repair just above the seam I am worried about

[humble]

Shaun

Great updates and good to see you are making progress, looking good! All the original Luna seats that I have had have all had 'melted' foam - it must be what they used but I cannot think that I have ever seen it on any other Lambretta seat?

Cheers