Vespa Thoughts and Ownership Experiences

[tdw28210]

My buddy recently picked up a stash of 5 mid to late 60's Vespas. They all look retro-cool and appear to be in good shape. Most are set up for two riders and have electric starters. He is going to do some clean up and light maintenance to make them road ready. I've got a right of first refusal on any of them. My use case: I just like the looks of them and the idea of putting around a bit on one. I'd likely put under 100 miles a year on it. Mostly just putting around the 'hood or maybe using it is a pit bike. Prices are still TBD, but that is one of my questions. Here they are:

• What is a "nice driver" Vespa worth?
• How easy are they to maintain?
• Any known critical issues with '60's era bikes?
  • Any other gotchas on this era bike?

Thanks.

[stevej37]

I don't know any answers to your questions....but I know they bring a good price.

Rick on Pawn Stars, I remember, went to Europe to buy one or more to flip. He was shown three of them and I couldn't believe that he bought one. Way too much money...I thought.

That's all I've got.

[911boost]

Mike from American Pickers (Antique Archeology) is always buying those no matter what kind of shape they are in.

I think they have a pretty solid cult following

[Rot 911]

Electric start? Two seater? Before you get serious about buying, Google “Viet Bodge Vespa”

If they are not “viet bodge” they would be worth between $1500 and $3000 each. Of course, that just depends on condition. But I suspect you are going to be sadly disappointed after you Google.

Here is my 1980 Vespa 100 Sport. It is not a Viet Bodge.

[KNS]

If Sting rides one they're pretty cool (Quadrophenia)

[Bill Douglas]

My mom had one back in the '60s. Screaming around Auckland with lil' ole me on the back. Even then I knew it wasn't a good idea.

[Tishabet]

I have owned and restored several (see signature below), the electric start thing makes me think these are not Vespas as that was never a feature of Vespas even in the 80s. As Rot pointed out, you also owe it to yourself to do some diligence and make sure these are not “bodge” Vespas. If you can post a pic here I am sure we can tell you with a lot more certainty what you are looking at. Alternatively feel free to DM me, I’m not in the market to buy and will steer you right.

To your questions:

What is a “nice driver” Vespa worth: if complete and genuinely 60s Vespa currently on US soil with paperwork then anywhere from $700 to $15,000. The model makes a huge difference here. My two 70s Vespas are worth about $2k for the Primavera and about $7k for the Rally fwiw.

How easy are they to maintain: very, 2 stroke engine and straightforward design.

Any issues or gorchas: critical not to buy a bodge. For people like me (and I am guessing Rot) I know immediately when I am looking at one but for someone just casually dipping a toe into vintage Vespas a bodge may be less apparent. Notable things to look for would be a square license plate holder, chrome ornamentation especially around the front fender, and floorboards which are not smooth or are covered by nonstock rubber mat.

Poor picture showing some of mine

[LWJ]

I knew a girl in college that sanded down a sweet Vespa and sprayed it pink in her apartment. I had an instant crush on her after that. Nothing hotter. Turns out she batted for the other team.

[brainz01]

I was a military brat and lived in Europe in the 80s. As a teen I fell in love with Vespas zipping around Paris, Rome, and other big cities I visited with my family.

As a nostalgic adult, I've owned a bunch of Vespas over the years and currently have two P-Series (post 80s) Vespas. I previously had a bunch of 70s Vespas, but they are more rare and sought after. The 60s and earlier stuff is very rare and usually expensive (by Vespa standards).

There was no electric start until the 80s. That's a red flag and suggests they are either modified or misrepresented. And as suggested above, beware the Viet Bodge Vespas - - it's a very common thing for enterprising Viet Namese to export "restored" Vespas and sell them on Ebay. They look great from afar, but often are a mess up close. Most of these are 60s and 70s.

A 60s Vespa that's not completely rusted out is worth at least $2000. Probably more like $3 - 5k. Unless it's an 8" wheel Vespa and/ or an Allstate (which was sold by Sears). 10" wheel Vespas are more desirable/rideable.

The 70s Vespas are arguably the best mix of classic lines and power. Good runners (60 mph is possible). Decent parts availability. Classic lines but not as pretty as the 60s. These are still $2000+ for running examples.

80s Vespas and later (the 2 strokes) are very popular and the least collectible, but still very desirable. The lines are more "squared" than "swoopy". The technology from the 80s thru 2000s was essentially unchanged for the grip shift, 2 stroke Vespas. Lots of parts availability and many mods to make them more modern (brakes, engine cylinders, ignitions, guages, etc). The aftermarket in Europe is massive and new parts are still being designed and sold. You may get lucky and find a post 80s Vespa for less than $1000, but runners are usually $1500+ and a restored nice one could be $3000+

All 2 stroke Vespas are ancient technology these days. VW bug level tech., or worse. They run. They break. You fix them relatively easily and usually cheaply. They can be modified to go faster, but pick two: Performance, Reliability, Low Cost.

It's generally viewed as a travesty to modify the pre 80s Vespas too much. Engine swaps are common, but it's a lot more work to upgrade brakes and stuff because body work is involved on anything pre 80s.

There's a huge, knowledgeable community of classic Vespa lovers. If you're looking for a fun, low budget project that will exercise the "old school" vehicle repair skills (carbs, points, timing, cables, etc) they can be a nice diversion. But they can also be dangerous (bc motorcycle) and you're not likely to get rich.

Please post pics.

Sent from my CPH2451 using Tapatalk

[tdw28210]

Thanks everyone. It does look like these are Vietnamese restos/recreations. Interestingly 4 of the 5 apparently still have mostly original motors.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Electric start? Two seater? Before you get serious about buying, Google “Viet Bodge Vespa”

https://vespavirgin.com/how-to-tell-if-a-vespa-is-from-vietnam-22-ways-to-know-for-sure/