CustomVespa/Lambretta build *yes another *

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

I initially put some pics up and a brief of the style my Lambretta GP 200 was way back in 2009.
Here's the link;

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/70150/barn-find-lambretta?page=1

Fast forward 7 years 2 house moves, getting married and a 3 year old I've now decided to pull the Lammy out again and build the custom scooter I have always wanted.

It's going to double as a show piece for my paint and Pinstriping/Signwriting business as well as be the face of another side line I'm working on. But more on that later.

Have some pics to get us started

[pedalcarjoe]

cool , what style are you going for

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Oct 1, 2016 10:47:27 GMT pedalcarjoe said:

cool , what style are you going for

80's all the way. Tonnes of chrome and metalflake.
It's natural progression from being a 70's scooterboy style.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

So here's some pics of old customs that are inspiring me at the minute.





This one is my biggest influence as the colour scheme is what I will be going with. Gold and Silver Flake.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

My other side line at the moment is an Instagram feed called GoodThing 80's 'Scooterboy style and culture' to give it its full name.
It's a retrospective look back over old photos from the 70's to the present day that I have found and sind of my own.
Clothing, music and most importantly the iconic scooters from over the years is a main focus.

The main inspiration of the name for both of these project comes from the late 80''s song of the same name by the Fine Young Cannibals.
The song was ok but the video to me summed up the attitude and feeling of the scooter scene. It featured a few well known customs of the time as well as some well known clubs and faces.

On the back of the Instagram feed I intend to brand the pages with stickers, patches and t-shirts etc
Here's my first design, just waiting on the first batch from the printers.




And to keep up with the Lambretta project updates it's now partially stripped and a few parts are in for chroming.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

So the weekend of 29th October was Bridlington Scootet Rally. It's been a few years since I've been but I heard I recently restored classic 80's custom scooter was going to be there.
The bike in question was Dazzle, originally built by Jeremy Howlett who went on to build 4 of the most iconic custom scooters ever. Dazzle was one of them.
Posters of this bike were on my wall as a youngster so it was a big deal to see it.

Here it is in its last colour phase (it was blue previously and struggling to find pics)



And now how it stood recomissioned with the newer owners twist on the original murals.







As you can see every part of the bright work is hand chased engraved by the master that is Don Blocksidge (he worked on the original and is now in his late 80's).
Paintwork is based on Siousxie Soux of the Banshess and again revamp paintwork was by the original painter Paul Karslake.
I spent some time speaking to the new owner Dizzy (who's no stranger to the custom scooter scene) about the build and the history, could have chatted all day but didn't have the time.

My build isn't going to be as full on as this.
I still want it to be useable so there will be a lot of chrome but no or very little engraving.
But it's all the stuff that inspires me.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Couple of bits of chrome starting to come back.
This is a tenuous link I have to some 80's local custom scooters.
I work at the platers where some of the 80's bikes had there plating done.
Only know this as I've been going over my magazines lately and spotted the name a few times in the write ups.



The horncast and strips are the original alloy but polished.


My exhaust and carb set up.
48mm Reverse cone Clubman with VW tailpipe.
Carb is an open mouth 30mm Dellorto.
This was a very common set up on Lambrettas in the 70's to late 80's when other performance parts became easier to get hold of.


This is the U-bend from the exhaust. Simply derusted and put through the chroming sequeance without polishing.

[henry's Revenge]

Interesting
Keep it coming 👍

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Dec 3, 2016 9:15:20 GMT henry's Revenge said:

Interesting
Keep it coming 👍

Cheers mate

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

A popular mod on 80's custom scooters was cutting away the side panels to show the chrome tank/toolbox etc behind them.
Also to allow bigger carbs with bellmouths to fit with the panel work.
I've been trying to source a set of rough panels to cut for a while but with no luck. Even rough ones fetch silly money now.
So over Christmas I've got busy with the grinder, took the plunge and cut the ones that go with the bike.









That was the first mock up, my measurements were out a little.
After a little more fettling I'm getting closer.
Until this part is finished I can't complete the strip down for paint.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Still needed some fettling after this to smarten them up.
Did a little more then got bored so started playing with sign writing and paint layout ideas :roll:


Had a mess with some 70's paint techniques I will be using on the final paint job







I take my inspiration from what the Lowriders in the states were doing in the 70's.
If you think before the internet we have always been behind the yanks so custom paint techniques that were being used in the 70's wasn't really getting to us until late 70's early 80's.
Metalflake was always about but tinting it with candies then the many pattern styles fish scales, lace, endless lines, fogging, rag rolling, ribbons etc
In the last 10 years in the states there has been a massive Lowriding revival and I've been watching it in awe of the paintjobs. Spent many hours working out the many different styles etc

Also have a new addition to the build.
A piece of custom scooter history, engraved by the master Don Blocksidge its the quick action throttle from Red Hot the original Coke Racer.
Not sure if I will use it for this build or the next one?

[sridgett]

Intesting projet.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

So work on Project GoodThing as pretty much come to a halt with no real spare time to work on it. Too busy striping/Signwriting other people's projects.

I've picked this Lambretta Chopper frame up in the theory that if I don't have to mess with bodywork it will be on the road quicker.

But to get it comfortable to ride the headstock will want 'raking' and he bottom of the frame stretching.
Dry build to come first tho

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Had 20 minutes at the weekend to chuck the engine and front wheel in for mock up.
Shows how much it needs a rake on the headstock and a stretch on the bottom tube.

Also tried on 2 of my tank collection

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Finally got the chop over to my brother in laws at the weekend.
He's going to be adding the rake and stretch to it to get it comfortable for riding




As you can see at the moment the riding position is somewhat cramped

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Pulled this out of the depths of the garage

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Pulled this out of the depths of the garage

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

This is the route I’m taking it now

[bugtastic]

Dazzle is stunning,this scoot looks like it will be well good when finished. How's the vespa getting on?

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Mar 7, 2019 23:02:14 GMT bugtastic said:

Dazzle is stunning,this scoot looks like it will be well good when finished. How's the vespa getting on?

Shelved for now lol

As mentioned above Jeremy Howlett built 4 groundbreaking custom Lambrettas in the 80’s they have still not been beaten.
Another one of those has been recommissioned and is back out on the show circuit.

Behold WAKE