Restoring a 1966 Vespa, The Journey and Why I Chose it.
I like classic cars and always wanted a project. To be exact, the old air-cooled vw's. It is an actual dream of mine to one day own and drive an early 70s or older volkswagen T1 or T2. Shida ni sina extra moneys na hii economy ya kasongo, ya kufanya project ya gari.
Then a thought hit me, why not a Vespa? Surely why not? Because, look at it this way. Old classic vespas of the years leading up to the late 60's are virtually the same in tech compared to volkswagens of the same era. That is- they are both air-cooled, 100% mechanical, very curvy in design like the vws, have a distinct engine sound and most importantly they are just lovely vehicles to ride.
My choice on a vespa as my first restoration project was perfect. Perfect because it's a scooter and so a smaller sized vehicle compared to restoring a car or combi. This means that the work will be smaller and shorter in time to complete and the cost will be within my small monies. Another big advantage why a vespa- is availability.
You can still find them because not everyone wants them yet. Hipsters hawajazifikia kupeleka bei juu. Also it helps that I am in Mombasa- a place that has more vespas compared to the rest of the country because of the nice laid-back riding weather and that for a long time, the old shipping and forwarding companies working in the port have traditionally used vespas as the number one mode of transport. So finding spares is not very hard. There is one shop still selling vespa spare parts in mombasa. Something you wouldn't say with old vws.
So I kept my eyes open and as luck would have it, saw this 1966 vespa sprint kichochoroni huku ganjoni nikiwa maraundi zangu. It was perfect. Everything was there and all original. The switch, horn, seat, original handles, a spare wheel clamp, and a complete engine that was not turning. A big draw was the number plate at the back. It was gorgeous- a KJ... a number famous in Kenyan classics because it was reserved for vehicles in the Mombasa region in the 60s. Crowning the number plate were a couple of old annual insurance stickers, the most recent one reading 1990. Leading me to guess that the scooter had been sitting for 34 years.
Rust was on the usual places for a 58 year old scooter in mombasa that had been sitting outside since 1990. It was not that bad though considering all that. Surface rust here and there. Nothing extreme. Asked around for the owner, got him. he did not want to sell. But after seeing my face everyday aliona tu aniuzie to get rid of me, haha. He sold it for 10k.
Nilitafuta tuktuk quick fast tukaifunga juu- it was a sight. Regretting sikupiga any photo or video. I think I was way excited and just had one mission- getting it home quickly.
Got the bike home safely. That was a happy day. I immediately started the restoration planning process. Challenge was- I had zero mechanical skills. Uzuri we are in the internet age. Niliingia youtube and everywhere else. Downloaded and printed pdf parts catalogues and service manuals. Glad they were all free online. I did not have tools so I bought second hand spanners, wrenches, screwdrivers e.t.c one by one.
About a year later here we are. Did my first test ride in november 2024. It is not perfect but it can ride. It is a rolling restoration. I still have a lot of work to make it ride well. At least it starts and idles well and it can ride. A thing I have to fix and figure out is the gears. I cannot change into gear 3 and 4. But considering where I've come from with this bike this is a small challenge.
Oh, unashangaa kwanini sijasema anything about vespa mechanics. Wako hapa mombasa. mwanzo pale kingorani. They are very few, najua only four. Two are in their 60s. Very soon watakuwa kidogo sana. It made sense learning this skill, plus i'd be saving a coin or two doing this work by myself. To be honest it was intimidating in the beginning. But one year later and an engine rebuild all by myself with the help of the internet all I can say is that I am very proud.
Despite not being able to shift to gears 3 & 4 I ride it around the neighborhood on weekends. Kids love it and people smile nikipita. For some reason 7 to 14 year old boys ask me all the time if they can ride. Sijui wanaona ni toy? haha. My goal for next year is to ride my old vespa to the beach.
It is so good for my mental health riding this jalopy. I am very happy. I've learnt a lot on the restoration process and I think I am now ready for an old vw project. I feel that the process is the same and I am confident. I have started keeping my eyes open again. This time for an early 70s and below vw beetle or combi. I am dreaming again.