My dream: A 1951 "C" 125cc

When I was 6 or 7 my dad used to carry my mother and me around Florence on a 125cc "C" Model.

I still have vivid memories of me, standing up on the footrest, hanging on to the handlebars feeling the wind on my face.  

One day, while climbing the "Viale Dei Colli" towards "Piazzale Michelangelo", my dad kept on  praising how well the little Lambretta was climbing with three people on board.  In those days the C was the only vehicle we had and my mum used to sit sideways on the passenger seat, with her legs hanging out the left side, holding on to the passenger handle behind the driver seat.

When we reached the top we soon discovered the reason for the amazing newly found power: My mum had fallen off and my dad, not realising the passenger wasn't there, kept on going like nothing happened.

I still remember my mum's face when we turned around and finally found her on the side of the road, nursing a bruised bum, and the heated discussion that followed.

It is therefore only natural that, when I came across a C model here in Australia I could not resist.....I had to have it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found this scooter in Sydney and bought it just by looking at the pictures e-mailed to me by the owner.

When it finally arrived this is what it looked like. I then did something a bit risky but I could not wait any longer:

I bypassed the petrol tank and fed some fresh mix into the carby.  Well....after over 20 years gathering dust and getting rusty the little beauty started at the 5th kick!!!

Over the following few weeks I proceeded to dismantle the whole scooter. At the moment the engine is being Hydroblasted and the frame, after sandblasting, is at the panel beater along with all the body parts

 

 

 

 

 

Almost there.......
Video of the engine first start...she is alive!
Well... the old girl is slowly coming back to life. I am waiting for some parts for the front end to arrive from Italy. The rear mudguard had to be removed and re-worked by the panel beater because, as I was pushing the Lambretta backwards like a wheelbarrow, I hit a small step and damaged the guard. It is easy to imagine what I said when it happened...#@@@*!#9))+=##

Back to Lambretta Restorations Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shown below are some pictures of the engine rebuilding process

What an amazing result!  The engine looks like new and the old magneto, with a new set of points, is able to generate a very good spark just by turning the flywheel by hand .

I hope that the final product will look like this picture from a book on the history of the Lambretta.

And here is the engine just arrived back from the Hydroblaster...what an amazing result!
Well... now it's up the panel beater and the Hydroblaster to do their bits....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well...after almost 6 months the long wait is finally over...The Lambretta is back from Joe and I can start the rebuilding process

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....and After so much work, frustrations, constant problems to be solved and...a lot of money, finally here she is!

I cannot describe my emotions when I finally drove the little Lambretta around the block. I went back to when I was a 6 years old, in Florence, standing up the front with my dad driving.

One more thing. When my dad bought something like a scooter, a car or even an item such as a fridge, he always gave it a name after the saint that was showing on the Italian calendar on the day of the purchase. Well...our Lambretta C was called "Eufemia" (after Santa Eufemia) and it was only logical that I had to use the same name for my little darling.