Nearly every car I bought I did it that way.
I only had one bad decision so far.
Almost all were used cars.
As I bought my last MB Sprinter pickup truck ( new) I did not see it before it was deliverd .
And I only looked at my AZU before I bought it, because I was not sure if I could restore .

Yup I need my head tested but you know how it is sometimes you just gotta dive in.

To get an Idea of the sort of thing I consider doable here is one of my long term projects.


Its called a Peripoli Guilietta, Its a little 1964 Italian Vespa wannabe.
These things are Virtually extinct, there is pretty much zero info on them bar a few grainy photos. No Surviving manufacturer, No Owners club, No Spares backup, No Forum, No Haynes Manual, and the little info I can glean is via Google Translate cos i cant speak Italian.
The bloke from Scooter magazine (A know all Scooter officianado with encyclopedic knowledge) had to go and look it up in his reference books and found about half a Paragraph on it.
...and thats why it is taking so long to finish it.
As and when a bit that looks right turns up, I buy it, Trial fit it, If it fits I stash it away, If it dont I sell it on again.
I will probably be an old man by the time its roadworthy.
It got crashed in about 1970 and left behind someones Shed
Looks ok dont it.
Now lets see the underside

Oh Dear...
Outer panel was long gone, inner was a brown Doily, and the outer spine was about to snap in half.
Nothing on this scoot is off the peg, even the headlamp is a wierd size.

Took me a month to find out what the engine was.

as said its a l o n g term project, but I am plodding away with it when bits turn up, but it is evolving.

Here is where it is right now.

Now if I can do that with something virtually extinct that nobody knows WTF it is. you never know I might be able to stitch a dead Ami back together.

I could be wrong though.

i daresay you have researched your rare scooter mr unhinged?-- great project btw
http://search.babylon.com/?s=web&babsrc ... +Giulietta
i love old m/cycles & scooters
i remember seeing an old scooter powered by a villiers 2 stroke 2t engine (250cc)
i had a "norman" m/cycle with the 2t in it
best of luck

Yup researched it until my eyes went square Its taking time, but slowly i am learning more all the time .
and the odd trinket comes through the post every now and then.
Thanks for the Link BTW.

There has been good and bad news today...
I expected all bad but the good stuff was a surprise.

Having a poke about the car is quite quite rotten and i have many hours welding to do.
Scuttle floorboards, cills etc all rotten, The long grass has not been kind to her.
Well I went expecting bad so its not that dissapointing.
So after my assessment I decided well i bought her i had better get her Mobile from her resting place.
Pumped up tyres and used my patented push a bit and put a rock under the tyre so it dont roll back into the hole method.
Luckily the handbrake was not left on so the wheels were free BONUS!
..

Then came the next problem the more rotten than i remember bonnet was seized shut and the release cable just gave up softly as i gently pulled it .
Arse! I dont think this car wants to live
So I got down into the mud and grovveled about, removed the grille via hand under the front valance, and then puled the remains of the cable "SceeeDUNK" and the Bonnet was open. Sounds easy but this is 2 hours into the rescue by now .
Im soaking wet and covered in brambles and ants by this stage.
but the bonnet was open.

It was looking surprisingly good under there (All things are relative)
So I assessed the situation, Grabbed the starting handle from Freds Boot and gave it a furtive but gentle tug, the engine was free
I then got ahead of myself.
I got the WD40 out pulled the Airhose off and gave a good old squirt down there.
I turned the handle.
I then robbed the battery off Fred.
Attached it, Jiggled an Old Padlock key I had in the Ignition and it clicked on... Nah I cant possibly can it?
I Pulled the starter switch Whurr whurr whurr, well that works.
The petrol is about 8 years old and sweet so there wouldnt be a chance, and thats if there was anything in there
I shook the back of the car and Either heard petrol or rust, I took a sniff and you could tell it was old petrol...this is futile.

I gave the Airhose a good 10 second squirt of WD, Pulled the starter Whuuur whurr Cough

More WD Whurr whurr Cough Chug Chug Chug Dumf Dumf Dumf .
One last squirt Whurr whurr Dumf dumf dumf dugaduggaduggapurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Shes alive and sounding sweet as anything
I then went to look at my handywork spotted the fuelhose doing an impression of a water feature and switched off sharpish
But it lives the undead have risen.

So whats the assesment ?
whats bad.
Russell was absolutely correct about the A panel is as rotten as a Pear there is nothing to hang the door on to at the moment
It will be living on the drive for a bit while I make a proper spot for it so that is a priority to get it secure.

No keys no idea whats in the boot

Bonnet and bootlid frilly but repairable.

Floors are dead.

as I suspect so is the toeboard.
Fromt scuttle needs a lot of repair work
One roof gutter is rough.
Back wings are a bit frilly at the bottoms
Dashtop broken
inside full of wildlife and spiders.
Petrol leak
No Keys and no idea whats waiting for me in the boot as i cant get the blody thing open yet.

Good
Its alive-ish
Cheap (Until I start paying for bits, Steel, welding consumables)
It seems to be complete and unmolested in the past
Front panel is good, doors fair and front wings are good too.
Brightwork is good.
Its as Cool as Cool can be as far as Im concerned, and I think worth the effort to make her live again:D

Plans ? Hopefully get her home tommorrow and watertight and go from there...

I might be some time doing this one

to be continued