clearancesandsignaturesrequiredfora
foreignertoleavethecountrywithoneof
theiriconicVespas.Exhaustedbythe
effort,IwenttoLakeComotorestupfor
theweekendandcomeMondaymorning
presentedmyselfbackattheshowroom
withaclutchofpaperworkandafistfulof
money.Finally,Iwasabletotake
possessionofmyownscooter,agreen
SprintVelocewhichInamedLucy.”
AbandonedinBlighty
WiththetargetofattendingtheSummer
SolsticeatStonehenge,Neilcrossedthe
borderintoFrance.“Wedidn’tfitintoo
wellinMonaco,butIlovedLyon.In
NeversIlearnedthatafewwordsofbadly
pronouncedFrenchwasallittooktowarm
theGallicheart,andinSpainIswopped
mytentforalargeronethatLucyandI
couldshare.Iwassotiredtryingtogetto
GranadathatIactuallyfellasleepwhilst
ridingthescooterandcannonedintoa
roadmarkerpole.InAustraliaatthattime
Iprobablywouldhavebeenseriously
injuredorkilled.Fortunatelyitwasmade
ofplastic,quiteliterallyawake-upcall.
EventuallyImadeittotheUKandsettled
inLondon,whereLucywasusedas
dailytransport.”
Alwaysamanwithwanderlust,Neil
madeasnapdecisiontoreturnhome.His
flatmateawoketofindLucy’slogbookand
ahandwrittennotesayingthatshewasall
his.Yes,Neilhadgivenawayanother
machineandalltheflatmatehadtodo
wascollectherfromtheairport.Inthe
beliefthathisflatmatewouldoneday
return,Lucywascollectedandputinto
storage.Theresheremainedforalmost 40
years,slowlyrottingawayuntilpurchased
byRogerGreenatWessexScooters.
Rebornandlovedagain
Withnoclearplanaboutwhattodowith
themachine,LucysatinWessex’s
showroomuntilshe,ormoreaccurately,
herfrontrackwasspottedbyStef.“Iwas
rebuildingaGSatthetimeandsawa
pictureofRoger’sworkshoponthe
Internet,”hebegan.“Intheimagewas
thisscabbygreenVespawithexactlythe
frontrackIwaslookingfor.IgaveRogera
callandofferedtobuyit.Whenhe
explainedtheVespa’sstoryIknewthere
andthenthatIhadtoownit.”
OnceinStef’sworkshoptheenormityof
thetaskaheadbecameapparent.“The
framewasreallybadsoIcommissioned
DaveatTamesideWeldingtoputthings
right.Notonlyhadthefloorrustedaway,
butrothadextendedintotheframetube.
Wereplacedthefloorwithanewpressing
andalsousedsomecuttingsfromapx
donorframe.Iwantedtokeepherin
originalrattedconditionsooptednotto
cleantheweldsandjustredleadthenew
metal.I’dalwaysintendedaddingsome
milestohertotalsotheloomwas
replacedwithonethatincorporateda
12 - voltbattery.Otherframeupgrades
includedLEDbulbs,BGMshocksand
Mallossishoes.Theoriginalseatwas
beyondrepairandIalsoaddedaRally
fueltank,whichwasmodifiedtocarry
10. 2 litres.Togetattheextracapacitya
fuelpumphadtobeincorporated,butthe
extrarangehasbeenworththeeffort.”
Althoughthestandardenginehad
servedNeilwell,Stefhadplanstobring
thelittlemachineintothe 21 stcentury.
WiththehelpandadviceofbothGeorge
atPinascoandUlfatScooterCentre,Lucy
hasbeenreborn.“IoptedforPinascoreed
casings”beganStef,“TotheseI’veadded
afullcirclecrankand 213 ccPinascoVTR
kit.Thishastwooptionsformountingthe
carb,theusualplaceonthecasingsor
directontothebarrel,thesameasa
motorbike.Ihadanewstainlessinlet
manifoldmadesothe 30 mmpower-jetted
Dellortositsprotrudingfromtheside
panel.IgnitionisbyaPinascoflyteck
ignition,whilstaBGMsuper-strongclutch
The salesperson was eager to
help, but the ubiquitous red tape had to
be attended to first.Ihadto visit four
different departments to get the various
clearances and signatures required for
aforeigner to leave the countrywith
one of their iconicVespas.
60 |SCOOTERING|AUGUST 2019
