• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

1957 Lambretta LD Revival

:rofl: Lambretta Twist, much better than the canon fodder we get in commercial these days.
 
These old Bikes(yes Scooters are Bikes) are our heritage and must be saved! The cool factor on old stuff is off the charts( this thing will draw crowds everywhere) and sharing builds is what keeps others interested in doing the same. Great job. I might advise you to look at Lowes home improvement for rattle can lacquer. Not only is it cheap, period correct but after a few layers of spray/sand/spray(800 grit) it will buff and look like glass! The modern spray paints will NOT buff out!
Keep up the great work!
 
I bought a used Lambretta when I was going through language school at DLIWC in Monterey, CA. It was a fun machine! I used it to go back and forth from home to school and run errands. Wifey had our only car. On weekends, I take her for rides on 17 mile drive (Pebble Beach). I found a pedestrian gate with a bunch of sand to keep bikes out; but learned if you kept it moving with only one person on it, I could ride the scooter through and avoid paying to get on 17 mile drive!
I painted it two tone rattle-can grey. The Army guys in my class accused me of stealing Navy paint to repaint it. I sold it for what I paid for it when I transferred to Texas for another school. After the Lambretta, I graduated to motorcycles, BSA, Triumph, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda and now BMWs.
 
These old Bikes(yes Scooters are Bikes) are our heritage and must be saved! The cool factor on old stuff is off the charts( this thing will draw crowds everywhere) and sharing builds is what keeps others interested in doing the same. Great job. I might advise you to look at Lowes home improvement for rattle can lacquer. Not only is it cheap, period correct but after a few layers of spray/sand/spray(800 grit) it will buff and look like glass! The modern spray paints will NOT buff out!
Keep up the great work!

Lowes is where I got most of the paints, O'rileys is where I got the ceramic, and I have 1 other source for automotive spray cans ! when I use them . . .
You can get a really good paint job with rattle cans if ya know what to do . . .
My Father Owned an auto Body Shop . . . so I picked up a few things along the way . . .
I started out repainting bicycle frames and progressed to cars . . . I picked up the knack of how to get a great job without all the sanding ! ! ! :eek2:

The main problem with rattle cans is the evaporator is super slow ! So most never get a good paint job with them . . . mostly because they want to coat the whole thing in one shot . . . ! WRONG ! :nono:

This is why they get runs and curtains on everything !

The second problem they have is giving it a second coat WAY too soon !
So the first coat hasn't "Fully" cured (dried) and still retains some of the evaporator ! Soooo the second coat tends to run an sag quicker than the first !

:zen: Patience is the key word when painting with "Rattle Cans" ! . . . All cans have instructions on them that say wait 24 to 48 (and up to 72) hours before using (or applying second coat to) said objects . . . For those that actually read that ! DON'T BELIEVE IT ! :rofl:

That evaporator (or drier) takes no less than 96 hours to reach the curing point . . . till then it is still wet ! After 96 hours is when it is safe to apply a second coat ! But now ya got to wonder what happens to that First coat . . . :scratch: The evaporator seeps into it softening it right back up again and bonds to the second coat !

So what do ya think happens to the "Drying time" . . . :ponder:

Let me shorten this a bit an just say :
It takes 2 WEEKS for 3 coats to "Fully" cure in a 100* hot-room ! :eek2:

Now ya can clear coat it ! (Twice) . . . . . . . . . . . and wait . . . . . . . . . . and wait . . . . . . . . . . . . :zen: . . . . . . . . . . . . . and Wait . . . :doh: . . . . . . . for that to cure 100% . . . . . :clap:

That is all due to the "Extra Slow Evaporator" (drier) they use !
 
Today barely allowed warmth enough to Paint the fuel tank .
Since the first attempt ran out of paint before it was coated, I cleaned it all off (a bit better) again, since I noticed I missed a spot before. :eek2:
Now it is hanging to dry for the second coat . . .
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0111.jpg
    IMG_0111.jpg
    39.6 KB · Views: 190
  • IMG_0112.jpg
    IMG_0112.jpg
    40.5 KB · Views: 178
Back
Top