Just do it!
I’vegot aconfessiontomake: “Myname is Stan andI’m acar restorationshow addict.” It doesn’tmatterwhich of the SOS-Find it-Flipit-Deal it showsappears on my TV,I’m instantlyhooked. There’s somethingabout drag ging an unused vehicle outofits slumberand gettingitroadwor thy that appealstosomething deep inside me.I cantrace my addictionbacktoinfantschool, when afriendofmyfather’srestoredabubble car. Therewas somethingabout theprocess that fascinated me.I’venever tackleda bubble carbut,overthe years, more scooters thanI cancount have passed across my workbench. Unfortunately, more of thosethanI care to admitended up beingsoldas‘unfinished projects’. Abandonedafter time,money or enthusiasm ranout.
My obsessionwithcar showsisone that’s not shared by MrsStan– “They’re allthe same” beingher verdict–and recently Imustconfess I’dcometothe same conclusion.Mostofthe genreseems to have movedawayfrombeing genuinelyinformative to thetwo opposite ends of thespectrum, eithercompletelysuper ficialor creatingrestorations that couldonlybecarried outwithaTVshow’sbudget.
Iwas ponderinggoing cold turkey when IstumbledacrossRoadwor thyRescues,a Motortrend show presentedbyDerek Bieri. He’s ahot-rodderwho clearlyknows hisway arounda workshop but, in this show,he’snot promoting in-depth restorations.His tenetisthatmost classiccarsrarelytravelmorethana fewmiles, so whywaste yearsofyourliferestoringone
to pristine condition? So long as it’s gotfuel, aspark,brakes, suspension,tyres andabasic electric system you’regood to go.Every thing else canbesor tedout in time,but most of all youcan getout thereand have funfor little expenditureinbothtimeand cash.Obviously if you’re planning to crosscontinentsorfilla cabinetwithshowtrophiesit’sanapproachthat won’twork, butfor most of us it’s aphilosophy that’s spot on.
WhyamItalking aboutcar showsin Scootering?Well, Bieriarrived on my screen at just theright moment.Iwas deep into preparing my newPXfor theseasonand wasmid-engine swap when IrealisedthatifIdropped theforks andspent an hour strippingout theancillaries, I’dbeready forpaint.Unfor tunately,Idon’t have themoney forpaint rightnow.However,inmy pre-Bieriera that wouldn’t have stoppedme, andinthe autumn,I’d stillbelooking at boxes of partswondering if Ishouldadver tise it as an unfinishedproject.Instead,Ifinished offthe basics andnow have aslightlytired lookingPX that’s runningand alreadydeliveringfun.Paint? That canwait. So,ifyou’reprocrastinating over your winter build, waitingfor nylocnutswiththe correctcolourinsetstocomebackintostock, stop worr ying.Get it runningand getitridden. If youdon’t thinkstunningresults canbe obtained with this approach,justlookatour FinalWordscooter on page 120. It’s ahome-builtbitza butit’sout thereand putting smiles on itsowner’s face. Isn’tthatwhatit’sall about?
If you’re planning forthe forthcomingseason, we’vegot youcovered.Our free-to-list events page is on 116 – so whetheryou’relooking for somethingtodo, or want to attractotherstojoinyou,it’sthe placetobe.
■ stan@scootering.com
CO NTENTS
3WelcomeStanencouragesusallto“bemore Bieri”
8It’snotalllightsand mirrors…
There’smoretoColinthanjustchrome
14BrilliantBrewers
BurtonBrewersmeansonlyone thing,theseason’salmosthere!
18TheKnowledge
They’vegotyournumber#2.This monthweexploretheworldofprivate registrations
24News
Rollup,rollup,readallaboutit
30Accessorise
Chromewon’tgetyouhome,but westillloveit.DavidDryexploresthe wonderfulworldofaccessories
36StompingReviewsandtributes
40Oldschooltuning Thewayweusedtodoit
44Showusyourscoots
Yourfavouriteridesand,onpages 46and47, atripdownmemorylane
48Telluswhatyou’re thinking Badtat’,dropus aline!
50PostcardIt’spartytime!
55Subscriptions
We’recelebrating40yearsoffun, andyoucanreaditallat adiscount
56Puredecadence ASeries 2Lammywithstyle
64Thereeldeal
Asilentmovietribute Vespathat’s stoodthetestoftime
68TheplainJaneproject
Innocenti’sbeautifulbudgetmodel
74Tradeprofile
Ifyou’re afanofwideframe Vespas,Nagy’s yourman
78Monthinthegarage
Danlooksatthepower improvementsfromswapping aJL3toa BGMBigBoxon aMalossi220 Vespa,as wellasreedvalveupgradesforan RT225
84Scooterspannersanctuary Settinguptheperfecthome workshop,partone
88PX-tremetuning:home-brewedspeedvs.propower PX200tuning,parttwo
92Gran TurismoSport HPE300
OurprojectGTSgets anewvariator
98Italianstallionrolling revival
Ourbuildprogressestopartsselection
102RaceChatThismonthPaulchats to ateamofNumpties
106Buyer’sGuideIfyoulovestatistics, grab abrew
111Talesfromthe vault
Allthegear(s)butnoidea
114Scooter Trader Lookingtobuyorsell? Looknofurther…
116EventsWheretogo,whattodo thisseason
120Finalword
Proofthatit’spossible tobuild abeautyon abudget
122 Nextmonth It’sour40th anniversary issueandwe’vesomerealtreats tocelebrate
Alternatively,scantheQRcodeonthispageandorderyournextcopytoday.There’snoneedtogo totheshopstopickupyourcopy –wewillsenditdirectlytoyou!
ThismonthStureportsfromBurtonBrewers ,w hichcanmeanonl yo ne thing:therallyseaso nisf inallyuponus .Ast hisarchiveshotof GreenfordLambrettaClu bs hows,that’sa feelin gw hichnevergrowsold!
THECOLINBUNN STORY It’s notall lights andmirrors:
He mightbek nown forown ingone of themostfamousMod mach ines of all time,but ColinBunn’s connection to scootering goes waybeyondthat.
Whetheryou sawthe ‘Chrome by Colin’ BASF advert in the early1980s or have seen it since, thereisnodoubt it hasleftaneverlasting impressionon many. Youmight be mistaken forthinkingthatthe Lambrettausedwas dressedupespecially forthe advert,but that couldn’t be any furtherfromthe truth. Thescooter had been createdbyColin Bunn alreadyand was thoughttobeideal fortheBASF advertising campaign.Adver tising is designed to gives us alasting perceptionabout thesubject in question and, forColin,the imagehas,ina way, typecast himeversince.Reality proves otherwise, andhis is amuchbig gerstory than just oneheavily accessorised scooter.
Chipping away
We allhavedifferent storiesortales of when wewere first inducted into theworld of scooters,but fewcan be more bizarre than that of howColin Bunn wasintroduced to them.His memory of howold he wasis vague, suggesting he was13and therefore only just ateenager. Thescooter in question wasa tattyold LambrettaLi150 that lived behind thelocal chip shop.The deal wasthat Colinand hisfriends couldrideitaroundin return forbuyingabag of chipseach. They wouldpesterthe chip shop ownertosellit, butitbelongedtothe shop’s previous owner, who hadleftitthere,soitwasn’this to sell. That changedwhenone of theladscameoff it andsmashed theheadset in.
Unlikemost adverts,which areheavily manufactured,this onetoldthetruth. Forgetthe rubbish aboutthetape;the scooterbelongedto theownerwhowas sittingonit,andthat washisreal name.
It’seasytoseewhyColin’sJetattractedattention.
It wasnow rendered uselessand scrap, so Colintookadvantage,bothering theowner even more andpointingout that selling it to himwas thebestway to getrid of it. Probably outoffrustration,and to getrid of him, theowner agreed,allowinghim to take it away forfree. Despitehavingtopushit back home,which included beingnickedby thepolicefor potentiallystealingit, Colin’s determinationmeant he wasnow theproud ownerofascooter.Not that it went down well with hisparents,who demanded that thepileofjunkshouldberemoved from theirgarden. By now, he was15, andhis rebellious nature wouldn’t allowhim to back down,claiminghewas goingtorestore it.
This waslate1978, andthe music mediapredicted aMod revivalthanksto productionstartingonanew film. Colin andhis matescouldn’twaittojoinin, but he hadthe advantageofalready owning ascooter that wouldsoonberunning.It mighttakeawhile forhim to understand theworkingsofaLambretta andhow to repair it,but once he had, it opened the door to anew world. Unfortunately, it didn’t quiteworkout that way, andthe ‘Chip Shop Special’ nevermadeitontothe open road,not legallyatany rate .Thislefthim in aconundrum becausethe revivalwas gatheringpace, andbeing scooterlessmeant he wouldbeleftbehind. Stillonly16, the only deal that wouldpleasehis parentswas anew machine, butthe only option wasa Vespa50and that didn’t excite him. That meanttakinga12-monthsabbaticaltoget somethingwithalargercapacity, butinhis eyes it wouldbewor th it.
ThebrightlightsofLondon
Beingscooterless didn’t stop Colinfrom immersinghimself into Modfashions. Thestandardparka adornedwithbadges became essentialwear, even if wearing oneonthe streetsofBirminghamattracted enemyfactions. Before long,the funds required to purchase ascooter were amassedand substantiallyboosted by hisUncle George,who hadlefthim some moneyinhis will.Plentyofmotorcycleshops around theWestMidlandswerestill clinging to theglory days when they sold lorr yloads of Lambrettas by offering theSpanish Serveta. This wasasclose as he couldget to anew Italianmachine,and once he hadpaid CriterionMotorcycles in Dudley thesum of £716,Colin wasnow theowner of abrand spanking newJet 200.
Therewereafew accessoriesadded to it, most likely becausethe shop wasgetting rid of surplusbarsand racksthathad been lying around sincethe 1960s. They werewelcome additionsbecause,let’s face it,atthattime ever yone wasbolting as much blingand crap as they couldtotheir scooters.Colin indulged by adding even more,allowing himtostrut up anddownthe road as proud as apeacock,justlikemostother scooter owners.Hetookitfur ther than just bolt-on extras,havingthe panels,mudguard, etc chromed, andthenapplied leopardskin
painteffectonthe legshields.Itmadethe Jet200 standout,creatingastirwhereverit went,but noonecould have predictedwhat happened next.
Easter 1981 sawthe annual pilgrimage to Scarborough, andalthoughthe Mod revivalwas oldnewsinthe media, it stillhad mileageleftwithinthe scooterscene. Colin wasinattendanceand as he stoodnextto hispride andjoy,hewas approached by two men. They introducedthemselvesasBilland Rupert andsaidtheywerelooking forthe best Modscooter to be used in an advert. Colinthought it wassomewind-up,but they commentedthathis wasthe best they had seen.Hegavethemhis phonenumberjust in case they were tellingthe truth, butdidn’t expect them to ring back.
Afew weekslater,the phonerangand as Colinpickedituphewas shockedbya voice: “It’sRuper tfromZetland Advertising. Your scooterwas thebestwehaveseen andwanttouse it in an advert.” It was forBASF, whichwas themarketleaderin
Colin’snextcreationwas arealstunner,LustyLady.
Colin(holdingthepoolcue)was aproudmemberoftheBrumRunnersSC.
cassette tapes(rememberthem?). Whata Lambrettahad to do with it allwas abit ofa myster ytoColin.Itwas then explainedthat thecompany waspromoting itsChromdioxid II cassette,which wassupposedtogive superior soundrecording quality. So,the connection waschrome, andinthe wacky worldofadver tising,any thinggoeswhenit comestoselling aproduct.
Thephoto shootwas at astudioin London,and it allsounded very flashy, so it wasa surprise when thescooter was picked up in abat teredold transitvan. Colinquickly raised doubts aboutitget ting to London in onepiece and, af terlengthy negotiation, only agreed if he went with it. Theactualdatefor theshoot wasafew weekslater,and they of feredtopay Colin’s expenses to getthere.Whenthe dayofthe shootcame, Colinwas takentothe third floor of abuilding(apparently,the scooter wascarried up severalflightsofstairs),and thereitsat undamaged. This wasmuch to Colin’srelief, as he hadn’t seen it for
more than amonth.The scooterwas on aplatformofpavingslabs with sand and seaweedscattered about, allset in frontof aBrightonPierbackdrop. They’d certainly gonetotowntomakeitlookrealistic.A modelwas booked forthe shoot, butthe photographer wasn’t happy, insistingC olin wouldlookbet terwithit. Howthe hell they thoughtanapprenticetoolmaker would bebetter than aprofe ssionalmodel was strangetohim,but with thelureofextra money, he accepted theoffer.
Atripwas made to theLondontailor, Dave Wax. This wasthe shopwhereJimmy in Quadrophenia gothis suit from before headingoff to Brighton.The shootwas completedtogreat success, Colinposingon hisscooter,smart suit andfinely combed hair to match. Theadver tising line of ‘ChromebyColin’was addedwithanimage of theChromdioxid II cassette underneath. Before long,itwas ever ywhere across the countr y, from magazinestobillboards. Unlike most adverts, whichare heavily
LustyLady’schromeworkandengravingshowswhatittook tocreate atopmid-1980scustom.
Like most others,Colin ditchedhis parka anddived headfirst into thedecadeof ralliesand custom machines.Thoughnot an original member,by1983, he’d joined thelegendary Brum Runnersscooter club, nowwiththe flightjacketasstandard-issue wear.The eraofmirrors andlightswas over, junked in favourof hacksawing thebackoff aLambretta androughingitinmilitar ygear in thebackofaTransit vanatrun-down seasideresor ts.
TheBASFadver tmight have slightly typecast Colin, buthis next scooterwould provetothe worldthatitwas thewrong way to judgehim.TakinganIndianGPhehad swappedfor an oldVespa,hedecided to buildafull-blowncustommachine.Thiswas 1984,and thelikes of ClockworkOrange, ItalianStallionand others were themajor influences, giving thosewitha creative mind thechancetotakethe concepteven further. Thanks to Colin’screativemindthe GP wouldemergeasLusty Lady.Painted by Marty’sMuralsinhot cherry candyapple redwithahintofflaketomakeitglow, it wascompleted by aset of murals basedon theworks of Peruvian ar tist BorisVallejo.It wasa real head-turnerand giventhatithad aDaveWebster 225engineitwas also fast. Complementingthismixture of paintand powerwas extensivechromingbyCustom Fasteners, whichmasterengraverDon Blocksidge finishedoff.Other unique parts included cut-down andedged footboards, whichwould laterbecomeall therage.
Strangely, Colindidn’tgaingreatattention forhis stunning creation becausehesoldit almost immediatelyafter it wasfinished to alocal lad, RussellProsser.His engineering background meanthewantedtocontinueto be creative in building otherprojects, which is whyhelet LustyLadygosoquickly.The intentionwas to buildachopper, butthat toowas sold before he couldfinish it.Colin wanted to continue attendingscooter rallies, butthe problemwas that thescootershe ownedgainedagreat deal of attention. The solution wastobemoreinconspicuous,soa standard-looking VespaRally 200would be hisnextchoiceofsteed.
Thecollector
Nomoremirrorsandlights.
manufactured,thisone told thetruth.Forget therubbish aboutthe tape;the scooter belonged to theowner whowas sittingonit, andthatwas hisrealname. Colinwas £500 better offand,for abrief moment in time,in thelimelight,but forColin allthatwas about to change.
Runner
Most that gotintothe scooterscene circa 1979 didsobythe Modroute.Likeany fashionthatexplodesintolife, it also faded very fast.Something else always takesits place, butthose whonowowned ascooter werehooked by what they hadtooffer.
Like many who’d experiencedthe scooter sceneofthe 1980s, thedecadethat followed didn’t quitehavethe same feeling aboutit, possibly becausewe’dall grown olderand takenonresponsibilitiessuch as marriage,mor tgages andchildren. This didn’t mean that thepassion forscooters hadgone; they were just pushed to one side as life took over.Colin wasone of those people,still in love with scooters butgoing in anew directionand onethatwould take himfar afield. It wasthe year 2000,anda massivelifestyle change sawhim move to Spain, wherehewould setupabusiness relatedtocarpfishing.
Whilethattookupmuchofhis time, what he hadlef tbehindwas asignificant loss.The Brum Runners, rallie sand,of course,the scooters were sorely missed.
However, rather than dwell onwhat he had lost,C olin decidedto pick up aL ambret ta, andwithSpain beingthe countr ythat manufactured hisfirstone,findingone wasn’t achallenge.The more he looked, themorehefound andslowlybegan to buildacollectionofthem. This bridgedthe gapofthe scenehehad lost,and before long,itbecameanobses sion.
Notlong af terstartingthe collection Colinwas askedhow many he had. The replywas:“Thir ty or so,and I’mgoing to tr yand getone of ever ymodel.” Amas sing thecollectionwasn’tonlyahugefinancial undertakingbut therewerealsothe logisticsofhousing them all. Thankfully, an option to rent alarge building near to wherehelived aroseand soon he hadthe challengeoffillingthe spaceitoffered.At itspeaktherewere 122machine sinthe collection,which wasway more than the number of models Innocentihad produced. Thereweremodelsfromall over theglobe, with some rarities as Colinscoured the worldfor newadditions.Totop it of f, there were signsand variousbitsofmemorabilia adorning thewalls,but it wasn’t amuseum
as such,moreaprivate dedication to the sceneheloved so much.
Taking stock
Theproblem with collecting anything is youcan only admire it forsolong before youbecomecomplacentabout it.With volume comesthe realisationofhow much is invested in it all, andthat’sprecisely what happened to Colin, so he decidedto sell it off. TheadventofBrexitplayedan importantpar tinhis decision to breakup thecollectionbecause gettingitfromSpain to theUK, whereitwas most likely to sell, couldbecomeproblematic once theUK of ficiallyleftEurope.
Therewereoffersfor specificmachines andpossiblythe wholelot,but in theend, he optedtotransport thecollectiontothe UK andleave thejob of sellingthe machines in thesafehands of DiscoDez.Onceadeal wasarranged, Colindidn’thesitateordwell onwhat he wasabout to do;the whole lot wasshipped over before he couldchangehis mind.Slowlybut surely,theyweresoldoff, withthemoney back in thebank; however, therewereafew he kept behind.Hewhittled
it down to just four machines andadmitted it wasadifficultdecisionwhich ones to keep.He’ll admitthat, sometimes, he regrets sellingthe collection becauseofhow long it took to buildupinthe first place, butknows at heartthatitwas theright thingtodo.
Legacy
Many people have ahistory in thescooter scene, thousandsinfacthavebeeninvolved in it forthe same amount of time as Colin. Each hastheir owntaletotellofwhatthey have achieved in that time.Noone within thescene is better than anyone else,and allthatmakeitupare equallyimportant. However, certainindividuals have been raised to prominence,and Colinisdefinitely oneof them.Whenhecreated hisModded-up Jet, he neverexpectedittobecomesoiconic, but that’s only part of hisstory.It’shis dedication to each evolutionwithinthe scooterscene that’s been so important. If we allhad to create aCVofour scootering history, then Colin’swould be oneofthe most impressive.
Words: Stuart Owen
Images: ColinBunn/Stuart Owen
Saturday,Februar y22, 2025
Mild weathera nd awar mwelcomemeteventgoersat theBur tonBrewers’customshowa nd pa rtsfair. Stu Sm ithfeels theheat, in itia llyinmorewaystha none…
Having movedfromthe National Brewer yCentreinBur tonon-Trent threeyears ago, the traditionalseasonopener hosted by Burton BrewersSCisnow firmly establishedatPaget High School.The venue offers greatfacilitiestosupport theday’s activities andbecause of thelarge number of dealersthisyearthe carparkatthe top of theentranceroadwas allocatedfor the traders’ market.Aswithlastyear, thesports hall wasthe settingfor themainevent,the custom show.
Pitchpandemonium
Igot to thevenue earlywiththe intentionof gettingmyselfintothe custom show to see thescootersbeing exhibitedastheyarrived
with theirowners. However, it wasn’t long before Igot myself in troublebecause when Iwas on my wayovertothe spor ts hall,I took it upon myself to direct atradertoa spot he hadn’t been allocated.
Afterhe’dparkedwhere I’dshown him, he wasapproachedbyone of thehead membersofthe rallystaff,NickEvison, who askedhim nottoparkthere.The fellasaid: “HesaidIcould park here!” “Who?” asked Nick.“Him,” he said,pointingatme. After I’dreceivedsomedevelopmentalfeedback from Nick,the trader wasdirectedtohis allocatedspot, andIquickly left thescene.
Deliciousdebuts
As theearly arrivalcustomshowexhibitors wheeledtheir machines into thesports hall therewas avibeofanticipationand excitement.One of theearly arrivals was Alex Wallace, who wasshowing forthe first time hisArmando’s Rambo-themed
VespaP225. “The scooter’stheme wasmy daughter’s idea,and shealsohelpedme developthe displaybybuildingthe rocketpropelledgrenade launcher on my exhibits standasacollege project!”Confidentthat therewasn’tgoing to be an armedpolice team intervention or thepolicehelicopter hovering overhead,Iwentovertochatwith Andy Randall, who wasalsoexhibitingfor thefirsttimehis amazingHarry Potterthemed S2 Lambretta.
WhileIwas discussing thejaw-dropping detail of thescooter with Andy,healso told me that,likeAlex, there’dbeensome daughterly inputintohis scooterdesign; Holly-Rose washelping himset up the scooter’sdisplay andher youngersister, Poppy, hadcomeupwiththe idea for thetheme.
Just behind Andy andHolly-Rosewas MichaelKershaw who,likeAlexand Andy, wasalsoshowing forthe first time;his
Somethingforeveryone!
scooterbeing aVespa T5 Mk1. Named Soul Dancer,itagain hada family inspired theme, whichhad been developedthrough Michael’sbrother who livesinCanadaand is marriedtoanindigenousCanadianInuit.
Showwinningfamily.
At thetop of thesportshallMar tin Mauser wasshowing hisMeteors-themed Vespaand he wasnexttoKev Franks who wasshowing his24HourPar ty People auto. Lookinground thescootersbeing displayed it wasclear to seethattheyrepresented adiverse andinteresting varietyofall typesofmachines. Therewas no doubt that thecustomshow, whichisalways thehighlight of theday,was goingtobea fantasticspectacle.
Sunnyscoots
Outside, thesun wasbeginning to break throughthe clouds andgroupsofclub rideouts andindependent riders were in acontinuousflow,zipping into themain scooterparking area.The riders were directed into orderlyrowsand as they parked theirscootersthere wasa senseof anticipation as ever yone wasbeginning to getintothe openingseasonfeel. Thefull day’sentry feeremainedat£5, whichin thewords of Burton Brewers’ No:1,Ian Vane s-Jone s(who said it with acheeky grin on hisface) represented“ totalvalue formoney”.
Ramboandhome-madeRPG.
CUSTOMSHOWRESULTS
Be st in Show: Lambretta, Harr yPotter, Andrew Randall
Br ewers’ClubChoice: Lambretta, Harry Potter,Andrew Randall
Be st Ve spa: Armando’sSpecial,Rambo, Alex Wallace
Skabucksdishoutthetunes.
Be st Lambre tt a: Harr yPotter, Andrew Randall
Be st St andard Ve spa: GS Messerschmitt, Andrew Punnett
Be st St andard Lambre tt a: SX150, Wayne Harvey
Be st Ve spaStr ee t-Racer: T5,Lee Brereton
Be st Lambre tt aStr ee t-Racer: GP cutdown,Kev Knott
Be st Pain t: OceanColourScene,Kev Mustard
Be st Bright Work: LambrettaGP, Jason Watson
Be st Engineering: Pepsi S1 Yambretta, ShaunHowell
Be st Au to: LambrettaLd, Neil Heppenstall
Be st NonL ambr et ta /Vespa: Czech Cezeta,Kev Salt
Be st Display: VespaT5, Hammer House: JasonTerry
Be st Club Display: Severn Boars
AbirthdaybiteforShy.
Asalways,there’s somethingforeveryone attheBrewers’do,whichneverfails toopenthedooroftheseasonahead.
By lunchtimethe main scootercar parking area waspackedand theoverflow scooter parkingareaonthe main entrance service road wasnearlyfull. Thetraders were busy, with scooteristsbrowsingthe stands which included alltypes of scooterpar ts,full scooters,vintage andnew clothing,scooter memorabiliaand vinylrecords.
In themeantime, theoutdoor seated dining area hosted avariety of food stands andthe inside seated dining area was also busy with scooteristsbeing offered aselection of hotand cold drinks andan assortment of beers, ciderand mini bottles of wine were available. WhileI wasmoving roundthe venueitwas greattohearhighspirited eventgoers chatting andcatchingup with each other, discussing thecustomshow scooters on displayand making plansfor the season ahead.
Wonderfulwinners
Among theindividualexhibitorswereseveral club displays,which included Severn Boars SC whowere exhibiting an eye- catching line-upofMar tyn‘Burty’ Burrows’ scooters; allofwhich haddetailedinterestingoneofffeatures, andatthe othersideofthe hall wasAlanMills who wasrepresenting theVMSC. Thecustomshowawardswere presentedbyIan Vanes-Jonesand this year therewas anew category,Brewers’Club Choice,which gave membersofthe event team abreak from theirallocated roles
to examinethe non-Brewers’scooterson displayand make theirchoiceaccordingly. When theresults were announced, daughters’ involvementand attentiontodetail wasrewarded. Andy Randall’sHarry Potterthemed S2 wonBestinShow, Brewers’ Club Choice andBestLambretta,while Alex Wallace’sRambo-themedArmando’s Specialwon Best Vespa. Best Paintwent to KevMustard’s fantasticlooking Ocean Colour SceneVespa,BestAutowenttoNeil Heppenstall’sinterestingly engineered Ld and as mark of appreciation each custom show entrantwas givena smallaward forentering. Afterthe resultshad been announced most people headed offtoget themselves organisedfor theevening do,which returned to TheComplex in thetowncentre. The evening’senter tainment gotoff to agreat star twithDJs ChrisOldsand JasonWatson
WESPOKETO…
Celebr ations
Janice and‘Nobby’ Easton,whowere celebratingJanice’sbir thdayand their eighth weddinganniversary.“We love the Brewers’ do.It’salwaysagreat eventand an opportunitytomakenew friendsand catchupwithpeoplewhowe’venot seen forawhile.The atmosphere’s fantastic andwe’ll be continuing ourcelebrations at thenight do tonight!”
Allsmiles
TheladsfromWho areWeSCand Shepshed ScooterScene,who’d metup andriddenintogether. They explained that,exceptfor aslightcable issueon Pete’s TV175, theirride-in hadbeen withoutproblems andtheywerelooking forwardtothe day’sattractions.
RichardBall, who wasonhis custom, ‘Ska’d forlife’ LML 125. “There’s always agreat atmosphere at the Brewers’ do andI’m hopingthatthey’ll letmesqueeze my scooterintothe custom show if they’vegot room.”
playingawiderange of scootertracks andthe live band,Skabucks, followed up delivering agreat performanceofska,2 Tone andscooter tunes.
As always,there’s somethingfor ever yone at theBrewers’do, whichnever failstoopen thedoorofthe season ahead.
Words: StuSmith
Images: StuSmith,Ian Vanes-Jones
Bitofa squeeze
TheKnowledge
They’vegot your
Last monthwelookedatwhatthe lega lreq uirementsa re foryournumberplate.This issuewedelve into theworld ofpr ivateplates.
canbetransferred that makesthe vehicle look youngerthanitis. Thisis to minimise theriskoffraud.
Q: IhaveaRoyal AlloyTG, obviouslytha t’s st yled on aSerie s2L ambr et ta.Can Iputa da tele ss number on it ,soit’smor einkeeping with it slooks?
A: Yes, youcan.Infact, that’s aver ypopular usefor dateless plates.However,you won’t be eligible to legallyfitablack andsilver plate. As we explainedlastmonth,the right to displaya blackand silver plateisgoverned by avehicle’s date of first registration and that isn’tchanged by fitting adatelessplate.
Q: Ibuilt acut down andw henthe DVLA inspec tedit, Iwas alloca tedaQpla te.CanI change that?
Loveorhatethem, there’snodisputingthe popularityofpersonalisedplates.
Few accessoriesproduce such dividedopinion as personalised number plates.Tosomethey’rea completewaste of money, while forothersthey’re theultimateexpression of individuality. This monthwepresent ourguide to thepitfallsand positivesof personalised plates.
Q: What sort of plat es ar eavailable?
A: In theUKthere arethree typesofplates: dateless,which aremadeupofnumbers andletters with acodeinthe letters that identifiesthe issuingoffice,but no indication of when theplate wasissued. People usuallythink of theseasbeing issued before 1963,but Northern Irishplatesalso fall into this category.Secondly, thereare ‘suf fix’plates. Thesecontain alocation code as part of thefirstthree letters, up to threenumbers andadatecode. Thisis in theformofaletterplacedatthe endof the registration;e.g., Awas for1963, butit’s worthnotingthatittooksometimefor local registration of fices to move on to thesystem andit’snot unusualfor machines registered in 1964 to have ‘dateless’ plates.Whenthe date lettersbegan to runout,‘prefix’ plates were createdbysimplymovingthe date code letter to thefront of theregistrationplate;in this system,Adenotes 1983.Finally,a new system wasintroducedin2001inwhich atwo -letterlocationcodeisfollowedbya
Part Two
There’ssomebad newsforframe hoardersasinspections onvehiclesthatare beingstrippedoftheir originalnumbers arenowroutine
two- digitdatecodeand finally threerandom letters.
Allthese registrationshavecombinations that cancontain initials or make up wordsto personaliseavehicle.
Q: HowdoI bu yaper sonalisedpla te?
A: They canbepurchased directly from the DVLA,which offers both fixed pricesales andauctions. Alternatively, thereare dozens of specialist dealers.
In either case once you’ve bought the number,you’llreceive aCer tificateof Entitlement(V750). This enablesyou to transfer theregistrationtoavehicle of your choice.Thiscer tificateisvalid for10years butcan be renewedifnecessary.
Q: Ar etheyint er changeable be tweenvehicle s?
A: Theshort answer is yes, butthere isa golden rule whichstatesthatnoregistration
A: No.AQ(or NIQ) platecan’t be replaced with apersonalisedplate,nor cantheybe sold or traded.
Q: Howf ar canI go in changing thelayou tof thenumberpla te so that it make sa word?
A: This is wherethingsget messy. Obviously, thereare plenty of combinations that don’t need to be messed with to make aword, e.g. MOD, SK A, or aset of initials.DVLA guidance states that “you cannot rearrange lettersornumbers,oralter them so that they’rehardtoread”.Onfacevalue that wouldmeanthatthe registration MR 55 TANwould in fact be easier to read as MR5 5TAN.However,the regulationsfor spacing of lettersand digits meansthatthere must be separation betweenthe various‘blocks’ of information. So,the easier to read plate wouldinfactbeillegal.
Themessy part in allofthisisthatthe DVLA’s ownlistingscan be searched by inputtingawordorphrasewiththeir search engine producingthe nearestresult. It’s oneofthose occasionswhere youpaysyour moneyand youtakes your choice.
What will land youintrouble is placinga suitably coloured numberplatescrew to alter aletterornumber, forexample conver ting thenumber4intothe letter A.
Remember,the main purposeof aregistrationnumberistoallow the authoritiestotrack andtrace avehicle.If youwerethe victim of ahit andrun andthe vehiclecouldn’tbetracedintimetosecure evidence becauseofanamended personal plateyou’d be justifiably annoyed.
Q: Howmuchdoe saper sonalpla te co st?
A: Howlong is apiece of string?Ifyou wanted to make an Indian GP look like it’s Italian, asuitablesuf fix platecan be purchasedfor as little as £25. Alternatively, 25 Osoldfor £518,000 in 2014.Aswith
anyproduct or service, theprice is affected by supply anddemand.
It’s worthnotingthatin allcases an £80 transfer feeischarged by theDVL A. It’s always worthcheckingifthisisincludedin thepurchaseprice.
Q: Doe saper sonalpla te af fect my insurancepremium?
A: It’s amodification,soshouldbe declared.However,it’sunlikelytoaffectthe premiumcharged.
Q: Are ther eany downside stoowninga vehiclewithapriva te plat e?
A: If you’re consideringaprivate platethen you’renotshy of attracting attention! However, thereare some administrative issues that need to be considered.Ifyourvehicle is stolen or writtenoff andyou want to retain thenumber, it’s vitaltoliaisewiththe insurancecompany at an earlystage.Shouldthe vehiclebewritten offbeforethe number is retained,all rights to it will be lost.Likewise, if youintendtosella
vehicleyou’llneedtoswapthe platebefore transferring ownership. Time forthe DVLA to processthatneeds to be factored in before the sale goes ahead.
Q: I’ ve checkedthe DVLA’s site,and the number I’dliketoown is neitherlis tedf or sale norshown as beingallocat ed toa vehicle. CanI asktobuy it?
A: Yes. There’sacontact buttonon the DVLA’s registrationspagefor youtodojust that.However,theywon’t reissueanumber that’s been previously allocatedtoavehicle that was, forexample, scrapped or exported. If thenumberisavailable forsalethey’lllist it in afutureauction. I’mafraidtheywon’t take acheekyoffer!
Q: There’snumbertha tI’m in tere st ed in bu ying,but it ’s show nasbeing alloca ted to anothervehicle.Can Iask theDVL Ato forwar dalet tertothe ow neraskingifthey’d sell it to me?
A: No.The DVLA will notcontact thecurrent keeper foryou. Thebestbet is to tr ypostingon the relevant owners’ forums.
Q: I’ ve ascoo terwithanumbertha tIthink someonewould want to bu y. Doe sthe donor vehicleneedanMoT?
A: There’ssomebad news forframe hoarders as inspectionsonvehiclesthatare beingstrippedoftheir original numbersare nowroutine,and adonormachine needsto:
be registered with DVLA in theUK
be able to move underits ownpower
be of atypethatneeds an MoTorheavy goodsvehicle (HGV)testcer tificate
be availablefor inspection –DVLA representativeswillcontact youifthey need to inspectyourvehicle
have been taxedorhad aSORNinplace continuously forthe past fiveyears
be taxedcurrently or have aSORNin place–ifit’shad aSORNinplace for more than fiveyears,itmustbetaxed andhaveanMoT certificate
If youhaveahistoric(classic) vehicle you’ll also need acurrent MoTcer tificate, even if your vehicleisusually exempt from MoTs.
If youhaveascooter with an interesting number andwanttosellit, we’d recommend talkingtoone of thespecialists that advertisein Scootering.They’ll be able to advise on theprocess andthe likely valueof your registration plate.
Q: I’ ve recently regist er ed an import ,and it hasar eallynicedat eles spla te.Can Isellit?
A: Firstly, congratulations, as interesting registrationsrarelyslipthrough theDVL A’s net. Unfortunately, you’ll probably find that your V5 will be endorsed as a‘Nontransferable number’. Thesameusually appliestovehiclesthatslipped offthe DVLA’s radarinthe 1980sbut have hadtheir registrationsrestoredafter the appropriateevidencehas been submitted.
Q: Will sellingar egis tr ationa ff ec tmy scoo ter’svalue?
OurprojectSeries2has anon-transferableplate.
Q: Ar ethere any combinations that theDVL Awon’t sell?
A: Some combinations such asGOD haven’t been used,and the DVLA won’tissue anything that can be interpretedina waythat’sprofane or obscene.
A: That’s adif ficultone to answer. Strippingavehicle of itsidentitystrikes to theheart of many people’s objections to sellingoriginalregistrationnumbers (as opposedtothose that have been purchased directly from theDVL A).Ifyourscooter hasa folder of provenance,withoriginal receipts,contemporar yphotographs or is awell-knownmachine,thenfroma historical perspectiveitwould be ashame to breakthatpattern of continuity.Inthose circumstances, retainingthe original number wouldalmostcer tainly be awisemove. Conversely,ifselling theplate of abarnfind with no histor ywould secure itssur vivalby fundingpar tofthe restorationand at the same time make someoneelsesmile,who am Itoargue?
Words: Stan Images: StuSmith/Stan
Withthanks to theDVL A, RobSkipsey and Gary Searle fortheir as sist ance with this ar ticle. More in formationcan be found at:w ww.gov.uk/ personalised-vehicleregistra tion-numbers
Thefinishingtouchto acustom.
Sincemid-1977,oneofthemain soundtrackstomylife(andI knowmany Scootering readers’ livestoo)hasbeenthemusicof TheJam.For arelativelyshort spaceoftimeTheJamwereTHEband. Inseparablefrommuchofthescooter scene,youwillalwaysseetributescooters (andpeople)atrallies! Youwillfrequently seesidepanelmuralsofTheJam. You’ll seepeople,evennow,45yearson, wearingthesameclothesandhairstyleof TheJam,albeitwith abitmoreweightand greyhair.GotoanyrallyandI’msurethat atsomepointovertheweekendyou’llhear TheJam’smusic.
Unquestionably,theywereoneofthe bestlivebandsI’veeverseen.Thethree bandmembersproduced acrazyamount ofenergyonstagethattransferredtothe crowd;thiswas araw,angryandloud sound. Withonlythreeinstruments,the triomanagedtomakeeachoftheir contributionsstandout,inawaythatwas distinctivefromotherbands.Thefront manandmainsongwriter,Paul Weller, splitthebandin1982topursueasolo careerandhasbecometheModfatherof music.Buttheothertwomembersofthe band,RickBucklerandBruceFoxton, playedjustasimportant aroleinthe soundofTheJam,butperhapshaven’t enjoyedthesamesuperstarstatus.
IwashugelysaddenedtohearthatRick Bucklerhadpassedawayafter averyshort illnessatjust69yearsold. Iremember speakingtohimbrieflyafter aJamgigin Paris,hewasverydowntoearth.Justan ordinaryguy.Hecouldbeoneofus.After TheJam,heplayedfor afewyearswith BruceFoxtonaspartofFromTheJam.In myeyes,twooutofthreemembersofthe originalbandmakesthatmorethana tributeact.
Ricklovedhisshed,tools,andfurniture restoration.Indeed,inthe90shestepped
awayfromprofessionalmusicand concentratedoncarpentryandfurniture, beforeeventuallyreturningtolivemusic withBruceFoxton. Watchinghimin interviewshewasanincrediblydownto earthguy.Ifyouwenttothepubwith him,he’djustblendin.Definitelynorock staregothere!
Afriendofminemessagedmewiththe news,sadthatsomeoneclosetoourages hadpassedawayandasweallgetolder, it’satimelyreminderthatnoneofusare goingtoliveforever.Unfortunately, funeralsincreaseinregularityasweget older.Imustadmit Ididfeelquitesad, butitfeltrighttogetmyoldvinyloutand sitbackwithcoffeeandcake. Taking myselfback,anditmademesmile.Happy times. Timesofexcitementandthe optimismofyouth.
Weller’swordswereoftenincredible,but Rick’sdrummingwasalsosuperb.Hewas rocksolidandthedrumswerevery dominantinsomanysongs.Thelive versionofDownintheTubeStation,with anextendeddrumsolothatmorphedinto abeatechoingatrainontracks,brought backmorehappymemories.ThedrumheavyFuneralPyreiswidelyunderrated. SeveralsongsontheSettingSonsalbum areamongmyfavourites,andlistening againnowin adifferentway,thedrums areamazing.ParticularlyLittleBoy Soldierswithitsmilitaryband-styledrum beat. Ispent agoodfewhourslisteningto thealbums,lookingatthesleeves.Itgave me awarmfeelingofgratitudeforthose soundsthathavebroughtsomuchjoyfor morethan45years.Allmyadultlife.
Movingonto YouTube Iwatched aload ofinterviewswithRickfromtheperiod afterTheJam.Heheldnobitterness towards Weller,whoessentiallyjust droppedhisbandmatesandwalked away.Rickjustshruggedhisshoulders despitehislifebeingturnedupside
down.Anincrediblyhumbleguywho deserveshugerespectforhowhehas handledhimself.Therearesimplynobad wordsorfeelingsthatanyonecouldhave towardsRickBuckler.Therewasnoego orstardomfactor.Just ablokewhowould chattopeople.
I’veneverfeltthesamewarmthfor Weller’ssoloworkas Ihaveforthetrio whentheyweretogether.Weller’s songwritingandwordsalwaystakefull creditbut IneverthinkthatBucklerand Foxtongettherecognitiontheydeserved forthesoundofTheJam.
ItissadthatRickhaspassedawayat such arelativelyyoungage,but Ifeel gratefulforhiscontributiontothemusic thathasbeenpartofmylife(andno doubtyours)for averylongtime. Iwill continuetolistenwith asmileand heartfeltappreciation.
Thanksforthedrumbeatsand memories.