This page was exported from The Vespa Guide [ http://vespaguide.com ] Export date:Sat Apr 20 6:36:20 2024 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: Star Vespa - Restoration Process --------------------------------------------------- Originally Published StarVespa.com We start with original Piaggio - Italian unmodified matching number Vespas. The Vespa are stripped right down to their component parts prior to a full 1st Class restoration. Below is a brief run through of the restoration process. We always start with un-restored Vespa which is still in good condition.   Due to the climate in south Vietnam rust is not such an issue as it is on bikes that have spent the last 40+ years in Europe. To start the Vespa are taken apart carefully and all items removed from the body. The body is then stripped to bare metal and replacement metal welded in if necessary.   As a matter of course we replace the floor plans on all our vespas with a thicker grade of steel, these floor pans are imported from India and come off the original Piaggio presses. Once all traces of rust have been removed, Any dents or imperfections are beaten out this often as long as 2 days! Unlike other restoration companies we avoid using excessive body filler! The next stage is to put the scooter on a jig to check for 100% trueness. Next the steel of the bodywork is polished to a High finish, to remove any tarnish or oxidization. Immediately all panels are acid etch primed . Acid etch primer firstly etches into the metalwork sealing the bare metal and acting as a bonding agent between metal and zinc primer. The zinc primer is an anti rust treatment- very tough and durable. This is followed by 2k ICI high build primer, and finished with 2k ICI acrylic color. Depending on paint used (either solid or metallic) we finish off with 2k ICI Clearcoat. Quite a process- both in terms of cost and labor. The end result it a perfect finish that lasts for many years. Infact ICI research quotes a 30 year life expectancy. Quite different form the average of 2 years for a typical restoration in Vietnam. We are the only scooter restoration shop in Vietnam using this system, we are also the only company using a heated spray booth. Which is itself the only ICI spraybooth in all of Vietnam! The booth belongs to ICI international for whom I personally have trained Vietnamese body shops in modern painting techniques. We spend on average 19 times the amount on body restoration materials than other local Vietnamese scooter restorers. Are bikes are painted to last! Once this is done and all metal work is sealed the bikes go through the usual process of painting. However unlike any other company restoring Vespa in Vietnam all our paint products are tough, durable long lasting 2 pack acrylic. The final painting process is done with high quality Baked Enamel paint. This is a multi layer painting process then it is cured in a clean booth at 140 ° C for 3 hours. This hardens the paint and allows a more rapid curing process. ALL our materials for the body renovation are imported ICI products.   --------------------------------------------------- Images: http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration008.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration025.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration010.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration015.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration027.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration028.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration003.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration018.jpg http://vespaguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/restoration002.jpg --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2016-05-05 23:35:17 Post date GMT: 2016-05-05 23:35:17 Post modified date: 2016-05-05 23:35:17 Post modified date GMT: 2016-05-05 23:35:17 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.com