Many scooters arrive in time for a special birthday, but this one’s been gifted twice to the same man…
Words and images: Chris Wainwright
The Lambretta Li 125cc Series 3 was produced from December 1961 until June 1966, with just over 13,600 of this model rolling off the production line in Milan. It was the base model of the range, the less fashionable variant, and the plain Jane of all Series 3 Lambrettas. It was at the time, and is likely to remain, overshadowed by the more powerful, faster, flashier machines such as the Turismo Veloce, Specials and Grand Prix, with which it shared, essentially, the same skeleton. However, as this example of the entrant level machine demonstrates so well, when something is presented to such a high standard it is every bit as beautiful as these top shelf items.
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WYLR
Now 66, Gary Holmes is originally from Leicester and got into scooters in the 1970s. He moved north for love some 25 years ago and settled there with his wife. His mate, Eric Jarvis, is a local, being born and bred in West Yorkshire, and the two initially got into building scooters for their own use. These superb restorations began to get noticed at shows, on the road and at events, where they generated quite a lot of interest. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t too long before they were approached to build machines for other people. It was from there that their reputation began to grow, with more and more requests to build scooters for others.
About five years ago they decided to start up a small restoration business, naming the venture West Yorkshire Lambretta Restorations (WYLR), working out of premises in Normanton. Both Eric and Gary intentionally wanted to keep the business small, taking on about four or five full restorations per year so as not to get swamped with work and struggle for space. So far, the plan is working and suits them perfectly as they can combine their own jobs with what is essentially a hobby that they get paid for.
The project
Around late summer last year, they were contacted by a lady who had a job for them, if they so wished to undertake the work. She informed the guys that 20 years ago she had purchased an imported Lambretta as a 40th birthday present for her husband. His plan had been to restore the machine…
Like so many of us, myself included, our plans don’t always work out as we would have liked, and what were all good intentions and excited interest in a project can often cool off and in many cases freeze over completely. This is one such example of an ice age, as the scooter was completely dismantled, with parts getting lost and broken while getting moved and moved again, as the family (who wish to remain anonymous) changed homes. That was until the big freeze, when everything was forgotten about.
Fast forward 20 years and with the owner’s 60th birthday rapidly approaching, his wife began to think of a suitable gift to mark the occasion. Her thoughts turned to his 40th birthday and the imported Lambretta that had been cryogenically frozen, awaiting the day that her hubby could find the time and impetus required to complete the restoration. At this point she realised that if she didn’t take charge of the situation and make things happen, the scooter would never get built and be used as she had hoped for when it was originally purchased.
The thaw
After a recommendation, initial contact was made with Gary and Eric, who went over and visited to check out the remains of the now defrosted and very sorry looking scooter. A discussion was had, a deal made and the disassembled remnants of a 1960s base model Lambretta headed back to the business HQ.
After a full assessment of what was there and what was not, along with what could be salvaged and what was beyond repair, economic or otherwise, Gary and Eric rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into the project, knowing they had a deadline to hit and a head-turning machine to build.
Thankfully all the bodywork was salvageable, although it did require a lot of metal bashing to make it all perfect and fit like it should. Being honest, it’s probably a better fit now than when it originally left the factory. Thankfully the engine casings were reusable, so the machine is a matching numbers scooter. The gearbox was also perfect so was reused, with everything else being replaced to make a perfect, usable standard 125cc motor, as was specified by the customer.
Once the dry build was complete, it was time for the many layers of paint to be applied to the now-perfect tinware. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for Gary, just as he was ready to spray the scooter, as everything is done in-house, he developed pneumonia. As a consequence he was unable to go anywhere near any fumes, dust or contaminates that may irritate the condition. However, the show must go on and Eric took up the spray gun to complete the task. It’s an outstanding job, in fact so good that Gary, the company’s official sprayer, says that Eric can spray them all from now on!
Highly commended
After only three months, the machine was finished, registered and ready months ahead of schedule; the deadline being April of this year, in time for the big reveal as part the gentleman’s 60th birthday celebrations.
In that short period of time, Eric and Gary have turned a few boxes of parts into a thing of beauty, so fresh and perfect. Very proudly, it’s a standard machine, albeit there are a few little adornments for practicality, such as the floor runner embellishers. These were added mainly to protect the rear kick-start side runner board. A stainless steel stand and the WYLR trademark routings for the HT lead keep everything safe, clean and tidy.
The scooter’s first presentation to the public was at the Scooter World show which is part of the Winter Classic in Newark at the beginning of the year. The machine received a lot of interest and was awarded a Highly Commended rosette, which is a very worthy accolade as trophies are few and far between at this show. Walking away with recognition from the judges is a very big win in itself.
This is a story of how an ugly duckling can be made into a beautiful swan by just making time to get things right and doing the best job possible. As always, the best part of it is knowing that yet another Lambretta has been saved and is ready to be enjoyed by its long-time owner.
Happy 60th birthday. Look after it!
Thanks again to Johnny Walklate and the wonderful resource that is www.lambrettaframecheck.co.uk
