Dick's Lambretta adventures - It's (Norman) Nippy outside...

[Dick Cheeseburger]

5 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Italia 61 is a district of Turin

It is named as such because the 1961 Expo was held there

Italia '61 - Wikipedia

Brilliant, thanks for the heads up. I can see the text says Italia 61 now! Interesting reading  - I never knew about the exhibition and the significance.  So it looks likely the Lambretta is an ex-Turin scooter as I thought. Looking forward to digging a bit deeper when it arrives next week!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

The '60 Turin import Series 2 Li150 sold this weekend. Prior to selling, I fitted a tidy, period correct seat and gave the scooter a decent clean up. Photos below are from my sale ad. 

The new owner plans to keep the scooter as original as possible which is good news as it's way too nice to repaint. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I've got some updates for WU, my 1960 series 2 Lambretta which I'll add soon.

In the meantime, the daughter of the original owner has been in regular contact. She's just sent me this photo of a bike outside of her grandfather's place from back in the day. I've had to explain that it's 100% not a scooter 😅. Could anyone identify the motorbike though? It would be nice to let her know, regardless. 

[RayMK]

4 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I've got some updates for WU, my 1960 series 2 Lambretta which I'll add soon.

In the meantime, the daughter of the original owner has been in regular contact. She's just sent me this photo of a bike outside of her grandfather's place from back in the day. I've had to explain that it's 100% not a scooter 😅. Could anyone identify the motorbike though? It would be nice to let her know, regardless. 

 

My best guess is that it's a 1960s Velocette Venom or Viper based on the following features:-

1. Round tank badge which was fitted to some of them.

2. The rear telescopic suspension units had a slider adjustment at the top which I have not seen on other marques. 

3. The headlamp support.

Being a single, most photos are of the more photogenic exhaust side.  I could not find a round badged Venom's other side.  Edit: Found one & added below.

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by RayMK
Added Viper and a photo.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

8 hours ago, RayMK said:

My best guess is that it's a 1960s Velocette Venom or Viper based on the following features:-

1. Round tank badge which was fitted to some of them.

2. The rear telescopic suspension units had a slider adjustment at the top which I have not seen on other marques. 

3. The headlamp support.

Being a single, most photos are of the more photogenic exhaust side.  I could not find a round badged Venom's other side.  Edit: Found one & added below.

 

Thanks chap - brilliant sleuthing.

I've fed this back to the granddaughter and she's impressed that her grandfather owned such a cool looking machine 😅

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Hateful Italian biaatch. Something like replacing a throttle cable should be straightforward in my eyes. No chance when working on a Lambretta. Beyond fiddly. Even refitting the horncast is ridiculous  - trying to keep the grey edge trim in place underneath it when refitting is nigh-on impossible.

After lots of dicking around, the new throttle cable is fitted and the cable outer has now pulled through the headset. I've downed tools gently, closed the garage door and will revisit another day. Swine. 

[tom13]

This thread is making me want a scooter again. I wonder if @Fabergé Greggsstill has that LML?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

2 hours ago, tom13 said:

This thread is making me want a scooter again. I wonder if @Fabergé Greggsstill has that LML?

Do it! His is the earlier two stroke if I remember correctly which is a bonus. They're a proper bargain for what they are. 

[Fabergé Greggs]

6 hours ago, tom13 said:

This thread is making me want a scooter again. I wonder if @Fabergé Greggsstill has that LML?

I do! I’ve made no further effort to put it up for sale yet, but I would let it go to a shiter 

[Cavcraft]

Sod changing any cables on any manual Lambretta or Vespa, tbh. Seven full hours doing the inner/outer throttle on a VBB was enough, we even had to cheat and use a pushbike outer, too. Luckily there's a bloke down the road who's a whizz with them.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

34 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Sod changing any cables on any manual Lambretta or Vespa, tbh. Seven full hours doing the inner/outer throttle on a VBB was enough, we even had to cheat and use a pushbike outer, too. Luckily there's a bloke down the road who's a whizz with them.

The problem is here in Cornwall, there aren't many choices of people locally who know their way around them. Anyway, I reckon I've got it sussed for when I do it again next week. I'm waiting on delivery of a new throttle cable - the one I fitted was a second-hand one from my parts stash and it wasn't great. The design of where the cables route up through the headset is utter dogshit - Lambretta designers clearly put all their efforts into making the panelwork look good and the engine sit properly for decent weight distribution. The hidden bits look more like afterthoughts. 

You can just make out where the bastard outer cable has pulled free from where it should locate behind the horncast and is now floating in the headset.

I'll report back here next week!

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I had a spare evening so cracked on with trying to sort the knackered throttle cable. My mistake last time was loosening off the horncast which in turn allowed the outer cable to move around and come away from where it sits in the underside of the headset. I've since read the easiest* way of replacing the cable is loosen off the handlebars, lift everything up a few mm and then feed the end of the cable in that way. I'm not convinced it's any easier to be honest. 

So, first job, remove the mudguard and horncast in one go so I can see what we're working with. Everything is pretty solid under here. When it was given a tidy up in 2015, the fella coated the underside in waxoil which looks messy as it's attached a load of dirt, but it's ultimately clean underneath it.

Sure enough, it was clear to see the cable was floating around and needed reseating. Easy job. 

The new cable was sourced from Beedspeed. I've used them a few times over the last 18 months since getting back into doing some work on Lambrettas. They often get a bad rep from the scooter community but apart from one cock up, they've been spot on, and have delivered parts quickly. They were quick to sort the issue when I spoken to them as well - personally I'll continue to use them as they're fairly priced and parts seem pretty decent quality. 

Outer cable on the left just before being properly reseated (it pulled up slightly further than this)

and new inner in situ.

Adjustment is then from the carb end.

I then spent a fair while trying to free up the throttle grip itself. It doesn't return particularly easily - looking at it more closely I think the shaft itself has a slight bend to it. Something to investigate in more detail another time. In the meantime I've fed plenty of grease into the mechanism and it's definitely moving more freely than before.

I fired the old girl up for the first time in at least six months and was well impressed how easy the startup was. It's sounding sweet.

Then it was a case of refit the horncast and mudguard. This was a twat of a job as the grey rubber gasket kept moving every time I lined things up and started to tighten bolts up. I'm sure there must be some trick way of doing it but I chose plenty of swearing, gnashing of teeth and eventually got there.

Finally all back together and ready for more service jobs another day. 

 

 

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Not an update as such, but an interesting spot all the same. My Lambretta still wears its original registration 5554 WU - first registered in West Riding/York back in February 1960 and then resident in Wath On Dearne for a number of years.

I spotted the photo below on social media just now - the car in the foreground only is only 23 characters away from my plate.  I haven't seen any other 'WU' registrations since owning my Lambretta so it's nice coincidence to see another local vehicle which was likely registered on the same day and at the same place as mine.

On a different note, who knows the make and model of the car? I know, after spotting the details in the comments just now, but wouldn't have had a clue otherwise! Guesses to the ready...

[Pieman]

I was going to guess a Standard of some sort, but the lights look too big.

[ETCHY]

Is it a Simca ?

[EyesWeldedShut]

 

Wot @ETCHY said - Aronde by Simca (not sure what the 2 door one is classed as but here's a price list)

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Spot on! Simca Aronde P60. New one on me. 

It looks like West Riding had a range of registration options at the time. 

[Pieman]

I'm annoyed I didn't get that as I saw a pic of one of those on Facebook the other day, but only showing the front!

[lesapandre]

I think it is the Grand Large - a 2-door like this - they have a slightly lower roofline and back window than the saloons. Late 50's to early 60's.

Like Rootes Simca did lots of versions of basically the same car and updated the shape with new detailing.

Probably belonged to the wife of a prosperous Wakefield mill owner - expensive car to import in its day. Tres chiq.

Pennine winters probably did for it.. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

22 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

I think it is the Grand Large - a 2-door like this - they have a slightly lower roofline and back window than the saloons. Late 50's to early 60's.

Like Rootes Simca did lots of versions of basically the same car and updated the shape with new detailing.

Probably belonged to the wife of a prosperous Wakefield mill owner - expensive car to import in its day. Tres chiq.

Pennine winters probably did for it.. 

It would be a February 1960 registration, same day as my Lambretta. I bet it didn't last long. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 15/03/2023 at 21:10, Dick Longbridge said:

I've got some updates for WU, my 1960 series 2 Lambretta which I'll add soon.

In the meantime, the daughter of the original owner has been in regular contact. She's just sent me this photo of a bike outside of her grandfather's place from back in the day. I've had to explain that it's 100% not a scooter 😅. Could anyone identify the motorbike though? It would be nice to let her know, regardless. 

I've been meaning to update this for ages. As mentioned earlier in the thread, I managed to track a fair bit of history on the previous owners up until the 70s. It really helped having the original buff logbook with owners details showing. 

The owners I have details on (until the early 70s) were as follows:

1. Joseph McDonald, Swinton Road, Mexborough. 

2. Robert Anderson,  Flintway, Wath on Dearne.

3. Geoffrey Robert Anderson,  Woodside Avenue, Wath On Dearne

4. Morris William Todd, Flintway, Wath On Dearne. 

5. George Frederick Sellars,  Varney Road, Wath On Dearne. 

So, to start with, it turns out first 'owner' Joe McDonald was the name of the dealership in Mexborough. Apparently there was a railway embankment behind the dealership and the new Lambrettas would be delivered on a goods train and rolled down the embankment. I've managed to find a 1960s advert for the dealership which I'm going to shrink down and fit into a clear keyring. 

Onto Robert Anderson and Geoff Anderson (second and third owners). Robert was owner on paper only for some reason. His son, Geoff was the actual owner of the Lambretta. Geoff passed away about three years ago so I just missed out on being able to send him photos of the Lambretta now. His daughter, Liz got in contact after I posted asking for information on the scooter.

She managed to find this book but no photos of the Lambretta itself unfortunately. She was really pleased that her father's old Lambretta was still going though. 

Liz's cousin, Claire also got in contact, explaining Geoff was her uncle and Liz is her cousin. She also went on to explain the next, fourth owner, Morris Todd, was her godfather. Interesting link!

So, onto fourth owner Morris Todd. This is the best bit, really. About a year after posting on a Facebook page asking for any old photos or help with the history of my Lambretta, Morris' son, Dave randomly posted a photo of him sat on a bike in his childhood garden in the early 1970s. He'd just discovered the image on a slide from his father's belongings and realised his father's scooter, which just happened to be 5554WU featured in the photo too! Bingo!

To this day, I'm chuffed to bits with this photo, even though it's grainy. Ultimately, I've managed to find a photo of my Lambretta from more than 50 years ago. Result. 

Looking at the photo, you can just about make out the WU lettering on the number plate on the front mudguard. I spy some (now very collectible and valuable) side panel and horncast embellishers. How battered is it though, considering it was just over a decade old? I guess it was a relatively cheap, disposable runaround though and it was used daily and in all weathers. 

Dave went on to tell me the following:

"I am on my bike in the photo - it must be early 1970’s. Dad used the scooter for work. He worked at the Rotherham GPO garage repairing the Post Office vehicles. I remember a number of neighbours children used to wait for Dad to return home from work and one by one he would give each one a ride ‘around the block’ on the scooter. I cannot remember how long Dad owned the scooter. Glad you like the photo, I knew I had one somewhere 👍"

I love the fact that Dave's dad used to give the local kids 'backies' and that it made lots of people smile. 

At some point after this in the 1970s, Dave's dad sold the Lambretta to George Sellars. 

Liz, who I mentioned earlier on, asked George's son Andrew, who she went to school with, if he knew anything about the Lambretta after spotting this photo of Andrew on a scooter in the 1980s.

Unfortunately Andrew knew nothing of the Lambretta and that's where the trail goes cold. All the scooters in the photo are Vespas, by the way 😉. 

The next time WU changes hands is 1996. My theory is somebody owned the scooter from the mid 70s, shoved it into a shed for whatever reason and then forgot about it until the mid 90s. I wish I could work out who/why this happened as the mid 70s were the point where most 60s Lambrettas were worn out, worth virtually nothing and subsequently scrapped.

Fortunately, by the mid 90s, values were very much on the up and this Lambretta was dragged out and pushed back into service. It then went through a few colour changes including black and green and then black and cream. I wonder if the 20 years in a shed killed the original engine and a larger lump was then fitted. The current 150 engine isn't the same engine number as the original. 

Eventually, in 2015, the scooter was given a resto in a scooter shop in Sheffield and then last year, it finally left the North after more than 60 years to live in Cornwall. 

The next chapter is my responsibility!

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Saw this and made me chuckle. I like Vespas too, before anyone asks! 

[LightBulbFun]

23 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I've been meaning to update this for ages. As mentioned earlier in the thread, I managed to track a fair bit of history on the previous owners up until the 70s. It really helped having the original buff logbook with owners details showing. 

The owners I have details on (until the early 70s) were as follows:

1. Joseph McDonald, Swinton Road, Mexborough. 

2. Robert Anderson,  Flintway, Wath on Dearne.

3. Geoffrey Robert Anderson,  Woodside Avenue, Wath On Dearne

4. Morris William Todd, Flintway, Wath On Dearne. 

5. George Frederick Sellars,  Varney Road, Wath On Dearne. 

So, to start with, it turns out first 'owner' Joe McDonald was the name of the dealership in Mexborough. Apparently there was a railway embankment behind the dealership and the new Lambrettas would be delivered on a goods train and rolled down the embankment. I've managed to find a 1960s advert for the dealership which I'm going to shrink down and fit into a clear keyring. 

Onto Robert Anderson and Geoff Anderson (second and third owners). Robert was owner on paper only for some reason. His son, Geoff was the actual owner of the Lambretta. Geoff passed away about three years ago so I just missed out on being able to send him photos of the Lambretta now. His daughter, Liz got in contact after I posted asking for information on the scooter.

She managed to find this book but no photos of the Lambretta itself unfortunately. She was really pleased that her father's old Lambretta was still going though. 

Liz's cousin, Claire also got in contact, explaining Geoff was her uncle and Liz is her cousin. She also went on to explain the next, fourth owner, Morris Todd, was her godfather. Interesting link!

So, onto fourth owner Morris Todd. This is the best bit, really. About a year after posting on a Facebook page asking for any old photos or help with the history of my Lambretta, Morris' son, Dave randomly posted a photo of him sat on a bike in his childhood garden in the early 1970s. He'd just discovered the image on a slide from his father's belongings and realised his father's scooter, which just happened to be 5554WU featured in the photo too! Bingo!

To this day, I'm chuffed to bits with this photo, even though it's grainy. Ultimately, I've managed to find a photo of my Lambretta from more than 50 years ago. Result. 

Looking at the photo, you can just about make out the WU lettering on the number plate on the front mudguard. I spy some (now very collectible and valuable) side panel and horncast embellishers. How battered is it though, considering it was just over a decade old? I guess it was a relatively cheap, disposable runaround though and it was used daily and in all weathers. 

Dave went on to tell me the following:

"I am on my bike in the photo - it must be early 1970’s. Dad used the scooter for work. He worked at the Rotherham GPO garage repairing the Post Office vehicles. I remember a number of neighbours children used to wait for Dad to return home from work and one by one he would give each one a ride ‘around the block’ on the scooter. I cannot remember how long Dad owned the scooter. Glad you like the photo, I knew I had one somewhere 👍"

I love the fact that Dave's dad used to give the local kids 'backies' and that it made lots of people smile. 

At some point after this in the 1970s, Dave's dad sold the Lambretta to George Sellars. 

Liz, who I mentioned earlier on, asked George's son Andrew, who she went to school with, if he knew anything about the Lambretta after spotting this photo of Andrew on a scooter in the 1980s.

Unfortunately Andrew knew nothing of the Lambretta and that's where the trail goes cold. All the scooters in the photo are Vespas, by the way 😉. 

The next time WU changes hands is 1996. My theory is somebody owned the scooter from the mid 70s, shoved it into a shed for whatever reason and then forgot about it until the mid 90s. I wish I could work out who/why this happened as the mid 70s were the point where most 60s Lambrettas were worn out, worth virtually nothing and subsequently scrapped.

Fortunately, by the mid 90s, values were very much on the up and this Lambretta was dragged out and pushed back into service. It then went through a few colour changes including black and green and then black and cream. I wonder if the 20 years in a shed killed the original engine and a larger lump was then fitted. The current 150 engine isn't the same engine number as the original. 

Eventually, in 2015, the scooter was given a resto in a scooter shop in Sheffield and then last year, it finally left the North after more than 60 years to live in Cornwall. 

The next chapter is my responsibility!

 

thats pretty cool! love how ya got all the history like that and even a photo  I wish I had something like that for REV!

while I am fortunate enough to know who all the 3 previous keepers for REV are, I sadly dont otherwise have much history beyond that, bar the person I bought it off of, everyone before hand is dead and without much direct family (a few years back, @Louise2cv did very kindly do a bit of digging on REV's first keeper for me, so I know who she was married too when she married, her maiden name and when the husband and herself passed away, but they never had any children)

nor do I have any pictures of her in period either sadly

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 17/09/2023 at 20:21, Dick Longbridge said:

Not an update as such, but an interesting spot all the same. My Lambretta still wears its original registration 5554 WU - first registered in West Riding/York back in February 1960 and then resident in Wath On Dearne for a number of years.

I spotted the photo below on social media just now - the car in the foreground only is only 23 characters away from my plate.  I haven't seen any other 'WU' registrations since owning my Lambretta so it's nice coincidence to see another local vehicle which was likely registered on the same day and at the same place as mine.

On a different note, who knows the make and model of the car? I know, after spotting the details in the comments just now, but wouldn't have had a clue otherwise! Guesses to the ready...

Another WU! Never seen a Suzuki like this before though- are there any others over here? 700cc apparently and imported in 2017. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 17/09/2023 at 20:21, Dick Longbridge said:

Not an update as such, but an interesting spot all the same. My Lambretta still wears its original registration 5554 WU - first registered in West Riding/York back in February 1960 and then resident in Wath On Dearne for a number of years.

I spotted the photo below on social media just now - the car in the foreground only is only 23 characters away from my plate.  I haven't seen any other 'WU' registrations since owning my Lambretta so it's nice coincidence to see another local vehicle which was likely registered on the same day and at the same place as mine.

On a different note, who knows the make and model of the car? I know, after spotting the details in the comments just now, but wouldn't have had a clue otherwise! Guesses to the ready...

 

On 21/09/2023 at 17:53, lesapandre said:

I think it is the Grand Large - a 2-door like this - they have a slightly lower roofline and back window than the saloons. Late 50's to early 60's.

Like Rootes Simca did lots of versions of basically the same car and updated the shape with new detailing.

Probably belonged to the wife of a prosperous Wakefield mill owner - expensive car to import in its day. Tres chiq.

Pennine winters probably did for it.. 

I'm late to the party here.

I think the car in the picture is a P60 Monaco. You can just about spot the straight top trim in the old shot.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

21 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

 

I'm late to the party here.

I think the car in the picture is a P60 Monaco. You can just about spot the straight top trim in the old shot.

Good spot! What's the difference between a P60 Grande Large and a Monaco? 

[MiniMinorMk3]

16 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Good spot! What's the difference between a P60 Grande Large and a Monaco? 

Looking at the specs posted above it looks like the Monaco had a more powerful engine that the Grand Large.

[LightBulbFun]

On 29/01/2024 at 22:48, Dick Longbridge said:

Another WU! Never seen a Suzuki like this before though- are there any others over here? 700cc apparently and imported in 2017. 

if your looking for all WU's like that, if you really want to push the boat out, I do have the ability to bulk run registration marks, so I could run the entire 1-9999WU registration series for you if you really wanted me to  to see how many are still alive on the DVLA either as historic vehicles or private plates.

although I would ask for payment for that mind, it only costs per successful lookup so it would not cost 9999xWhatever (because I dont think all 9999 WU's are DVLA live, sadly!) but I imagine there are a fair number that are, so it would probably still cost a few quid in account credits LOL 

 

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Found this one online recently. Fella was about 20 stone lighter at this point. Anyone recognise him?! 

[Jenson Velcro]

26 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Found this one online recently. Fella was about 20 stone lighter at this point. Anyone recognise him?! 

‘old out yur and?