April 26, 2011

Not much of an update other than getting the new white walls, rims and tubes installed. They look pretty good with the "Cherry Red"  if I do say so myself.

Here she is next to her older sister (1980 Bajaj Chetak) Still needing the headset removed and painted obviously.

This one seems to show the color a little better

No Date

No date as the rebuild has taken a little longer because the wife is down in Louisiana with friends and family so I can get work done on the house were building!!!...... Been a lot of changes though, got clutch and oil pump parts from Argo USA in San Fran and Scooter West in San Diego which ran the total bill to $475. Yesterday, well more last night/ early this morning brought the engine into the living room to rebuild the clutch and get the engine buttoned up, despite troubles with the oil pump shaft being installed incorrectly and marring the case a light filling cleaned her up and had everything back together in a hour or so. Biggest change though is the quick body work and paint, yes paint! Figured if I was going to bring her back from the dead then she might as well get a face life and get rid of the "sea foam green" in one fatal swoop! So that brings us to tonight, me and Jacks grandparents got a lot of work done.. Basically got her back on two wheels again aka reinstalling the front end since it had to be pulled to replace the front fender. Slapping the engine back in, well less slapping more cussing than anything, putting the tailight assembly, seat, spare mount, horncast and other misc. stuff put back on. Pretty much got it all back together and other than needing a new fuel tap shes ready to run! Got $300 left on the budget so 3 white wall tires and 3 rims are the next objective. Before that pictures will be posted tomorrow! For now though its 3:30 am I've had a ruff night and going to bed!!

Saturday 2nd, 2011

Couldn't sleep last night, to many worries and way to much excitement about the Chetak getting to my house today. Been spending the past couple of days doing research and parts hunting for these odd little machines. Not much out there compared to Vintage Vespas or Volkswagens but enough to get ya by.

So the grandparents (my parents) got here around 11am and since they where here to help out on the new house I tried my best to stay away from the Chetak so we could get some work done. And I'm proud to say a wrench didn't come out until the house work was done!! (White lies don't hurt do they?)

So house work done for the day, and its time to play! Battery charged and she turns over, that’s a good sign. Started to remove bent up crash bars before I went in for dinner but that turned into checking the oil filter which after finding bits of the clutch, paper gasket and worst of all metal bits. put dinner in the microwave and I removed the clutch cover and what the hell.. Clutch came to pieces, ok I figured as much, But what in the world was a small rock and grass doing inside the engine?! Defiantly time for dinner...

~Brian

Ole Girl on the way home,

Wednesday 30th 2011

Up to early? Check
Smoked two cigarettes already? Check
Cup of Joe? Check
Modernvespa, retrobajaj and scoot.net? Checked!

Craigslist? Eh, probably nothing on there..

Few more cigarettes later and nothing better to do then wander craigslist to see what other crud I can convince the wife to let me bring home.

But wait! a 05 Chetak with a bad clutch for $300? Well thats not crud at all!! A bunch of txt's and a phone call later we where dropping our son off at the grandparents for a drive threw beautiful Atlanta, Ga(sarcasm to the fullest extent...). Few hours and white knuckles later we arrived at Brian’s place where I quickly made a fool of myself backing a trailer threw a needle but just as quickly made the deal and took off. 2005 Bajaj Chetak 4 stroke in tow we made it back onto 85 where a man drove past yelling BAJAJ!! Ok that was odd but cool. Start to hit the back country roads to the grandparents place and stop off at the carwash to remove the years of dirt and grease, she almost looks new!(more sarcasm)

Make it back to the grandparents safe and sound. Finally able to crawl all over the Scoot and get a good eye on everything, she looks good at least good enough for government work. Now me the wife and boy gotta get back home and the Chetak will follow this Saturday!

~Brian