Gerry Goldberg's A2 Repair Journal
by Michael McWilliams
July 6, 2004
Don't you hate it when you discover that your scooter has been owned by a butcher? I have a Vespa 400 that puzzled me for many years. Why would the engine compartment be an original red, while the battery area an original green? Answer, the car was actually in a wreck and the rear end was welded on!
While waiting for parts to arrive, I had begun disassembling the engine. During disassembly, I found a few disturbing "fixes" on Gerry's engine.
Whomever tried to repair this motor previously, had used a ton of silicone to fill leaks. That wasn't the bad part, there are bolts missing in the swingarm and silicone appears to fill the gap. I also saw at least 1 missing stud from the engine that holds the muffler bracket.
I became very worried about what horrors lie ahead.