My first restoration: TV175 Ser 3

[Marty ULC]

It would break my heart to sell it after all the time and effort you've put in.
Can you not convince herself to let you keep it for a year and try to sell it towards the end of next summer.
That way, you can tell her, it will be when people are more likely to be buying so you'll get a decent price. The added bonus is you'd get the chance to stick your parka* on and take it for a spin when the weather's nice. You only live once so spoil yourself.




*Marty ULC in no way endorses the use of American army coats in place of proper protective bike gear. Each to their own and you do so entirely at your own risk.

[911hillclimber]

No, I doubt I can change her mind. If I pushed it I might, but she would fret every time I disappeared over the horizon in a wisp of smoke..

A few years ago I rebuilt a Barlotti Class 4 kart and went through similar adventure with that with a mind to race it. It was a cracker even though I say it myself, really went to town.

Sold it as I felt I could not find the time to use it (with a full season of car racing and work), but it was a school boy dream and is now in full Historic kart racing being thrashed

Here we have the same situation. I don't 'need' the money, just bought a 2009 BMW Z4 as a weekend car so would be nice to put a bit back in the bank, but not essential.

Fancy doing a pre war bike next (this winter) or a Tiger cub or early Honda bike. Selling would make it easier to get a 'permission' otherwise I will get bore very quickly and I'm a real pita apparently when I reach that frame of mind.

Cannot settle on what the going rate is, numbers matching Italian TV 175 Series 3 fresh as a daisey.

All suggestions appreciated.

[911hillclimber]

I thought I would see what is required for registration on the DVLA site.
Nothing is particularly simple.

I have this Club's process sheet.

I need to:

Fill in V55-5 form (I have one)
Send copy of drivers licence and utility bill for proof of name and address
The MoT Cert
£55
LCGB Dating Cert (have it)

Questions:

Tax: do I need to pay a road tax?
NOVA form: DVLA do not say this is required, is it?

[Digger]

NOVA - you need the reference number so you'll need to make an NOVA declaration if you haven't already....

[Andie]

There's no such thing as Road Tax

Vehicles registered before I Jan '74 are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty. DVLA will notify you of this, if it applies, when you register your TV.

[HxPaul]

No point taxing it if your selling,the road tax is non transferable.

[911hillclimber]

I knew this was not going to be simple.

I bought the TV from a dealer who still trades back in 1999 and I have the receipt. I doubt NOVA or much else was in place then, so I paid cash for the TV and bought it home and left it until this last 12 months.

A NOVE is if I am importing it, I did not I bought it from the dealer, thus the NOVA is not required (?)

[HxPaul]

It still needs to be NOVA registered wether it was imported from the EU or far east.NOVA (notification of vehicle arrival)determines if there is any exise duty to be paid.The dealer would nowadays furnish the buyer with a completed NOVA form with the registration number writen on it.As you bought the scooter before NOVA existed it will be your responsibilaty to register it for NOVA before filling out the DVLA form.

[911hillclimber]

OK, thanks Paul; I'm on it!

[garynonnah]

Thats a shame after all this time, your not going to enjoy the experience of your labors.
Im in my first year of riding my resto, that took me 9mths plus many xtra alterations, since.
I have met some great like minded people, from all over country, used the scoot to and from work
a few times. I nearly sold it not long after getting her on road, wasnt sure if I enjoyed it, but
persevered and now im more confidant really enjoy.
Even got my wife into riding, but a modern 125 bike, so we have had some great ride outs.
Wait till next summer and see what it all about....

[911hillclimber]

I am sure you are right in everything you say, but my mind is made up.
I will be sad to see it go, the TV has become a big part of my spare time life this year, my first year of early retirement.

I enjoy the fight to reserect these things, I did an old Barlotti class 4 kart a few years ago and sold that unused actually recovering the costs materially.

I hope to sell the TV and buy a Honda cb 175 twin, 1973 ish. Never had a motorbike before, know very little about them but will enjoy the winter project experience.
I hope not to spend so much on it (!) but expect that to evaporate like it did on the TV....

Need to get a permission for this next step, easier I hope with a few thousand in the bank to replenish most of what I've spent.

Hoping that the NOVA will be at home this week so to complete the registration.

Would be a nice Xmas pressie for someone on here!

[Gary Harwood]

Yes, indeed, hear them riding ou,t past my garden to Bridgnorth many an evening or weekend. Wife not convinced..

I had my first Lambretta in 1966 - a S3 Li150. I have had a S3 TV175 and a S2 TV175 (both kitted up to 186) for many years. I am 64 years old in 2 days time! I regularly ride my scooters (I have a 3rd one but it is a make I dare not mention on here!) throughout the year in all weather conditions. I come from Cambridge and now live in a village 18 miles from Cambridge. I belong to two local scooter clubs - one in Cambridge and one in St Ives (Cambs) and members of both these clubs meet on their scooters every Sunday. There are about 30 active members of the Cambridge club (although there are in excess of 70 registered members) and about 15 active members of the St Ives club.

I still ride roughly 8,000 miles a year as a lone rider, or with 2 or 3 good mates, or with one of the local clubs when there can be 20 - 40 scooters on a ride-out together. I ride abroad, with 2 or 3 other Lambretta riders, at least once a year using motorways, dual carriageway A roads, major roads and country lanes. There are some idiots among the other road users but providing you are constantly aware you can pre-empt the stupid things they do.

Don't be put off riding your Lambretta - either by the belief that they are not suitable for today's road conditions or by the wife! My wife is naturally concerned when I go off on a scooter either for a few hours or for a week or more when I go abroad. But she knows how safely I ride (from experience of being on the back) and is very supportive of my hobby. There's some good advice in this thread and I would echo the two most important things........your scooter is roadworthy (check the basics every time before you take it out for a ride) and make sure you can be seen and heard (reflective strips on jacket and a good hooter). And then just remember that everyone on the road will do something stupid from time to time so.....be ready!

There's nothing quite like riding a Lambretta (I also have a convertible Jaguar) and, when I'm riding, I am 16 years old all over again but with a much wiser head on my shoulders.

[CHRIS in MARGATE]

Same here almost exactly.

[Kristof Lammy pie]

Have you had any luck registering it yet?

[911hillclimber]

Cursed the pack that arrived late last week while we were on hols..
I filled in the V55/5 as complete as I could, even quoting the engine power in kW (who in this country talks kW for engine power?).

Got all the rest together and a letter explaining I bought the TV in 1999 from a (still trading) dealer and have only just restored it.

I assumed the dealer has done all the import documents in 1999, but somehow I feel this will bite me back...

Sent £55 so someone will be happy.

Posted it off today, so maybe will get a number by end of October.

Once I have the plate on it will go for sale everywhere I can think of!

£4500 if anyone is interested. I think that is the market price for a TV3 like this one, just need to find someone who agrees!

I want to persuade the wife to let me do a Honda CB 175 twin, around 1971, as the next winter project, so would take a Honda in 'part-exchange' so to speak.

[johnnyXS]

Any luck with getting the registration sorted ? or has it been sold already.... I hope that you have at least had the opportunity to ride it after all that work.

I couldn't find anywhere to thank you publically for the excellent original TV panels that you sold me last month so I hope you'll not mind me tagging it on this thread.
I cannot recommend 911hillclimber highly enough. He sold me the panels at an extremely generous price and packed and posted them promptly. His communications throughout the process were friendly and helpful and I am very grateful ..thank you.

[911hillclimber]

Ha! Thanks for the kind words.

Yes, the TV3 is now with a UK registration as of yesterday. 1964, B reg.

Having a time getting a plate made!

165 x 165 (6.5" Sq) is not an allowed size via most registered plate suppliers...

Back to the internet.

This scooter is a tease right to the end.

Hope to take a few nice pics in the sun tomorrow then start to 'market' it everywhere I can think of except ebay.

[Storkfoot]

You can't legally squeeze 7 digits into that size plate except if you go for small 1 3/4 inch digits. I am assuming you have been allocated 7 as all the 6 digit ones went years ago, I believe.

I have never heard of the police taking issue with these smaller digits on old age
related plates.

Google tippers vintage plates in Cornwall. They have their own presses

[jonoy]

I am looking for a tv175 and also a 1964 year I was born so it ticks a couple of boxes

[911hillclimber]

This thread says it all about this TV.
Originally registered in Rome in unmolested condition, just tired.

Completely gone through to standard except the colour.
Everything that needed changing due to wear or for the sake of reliability changed as my intent was to keep it as I had one back in '68, rosey glasses and all that.
I will list it all in the For Sale advert.

It is now for sale, fresh and registered, never been on the road since I bought it in 1999.
It went to the MoT in a van and came back that way.

It will go up for sale for £5000 on here tomorrow and over next week, several other places.

A little sad, but have to move on.

Thank you for the lead on the plate, I'll try The Number Plate Centre first as they are local and do bike stuff as well as classic cars etc.
I may well end up making my own!