COMMITTED

I've done it.  I've taken the original engine for rebuild.  This is an important milestone in the project because it represents a big capital investment and one I'm unlikely to get back in the near future.

Arch 219 at the end

Having exchanged Emails with Scooter Surgery over the past few days it was finally agreed that I should take the engine to them on Tuesday 27th July.  I had investigated the route to Scooter Surgery, it's in Hammersmith just off Shepherds Bush Green.  From their web site it looked a difficult place to park but Maude had said that it was possible to park right outside.  She should know.  I tried to look up the site on Google Maps just to be sure but you can't actually view the shop/railway arch in Street View, only what I assumed to be the access road as a turning off Trussley Road. 
June had agreed to come with me and so with the engine loaded into the back of her car we set off at 1030 hrs.  The traffic was reasonable and with the help of TomTom we arrived and hour later.  Just as Google had shown we found the narrow access road to Scooter Surgery, not helped by the fact that there was no signs to confirm we were right.  No alternative but to commit to the narrow road between the railway arches and a brick wall.  It really was quite narrow, I guess you can get a Transit van down but not much more.  We could see what we thought were Scooters in the distance so drove on in the hope of eventually finding arch 219.  Part way down I said  I hoped that you could get out at the far end because otherwise it was going to be a long reverse.

Mable and Patrick

We parked up behind a number of scooters and I went of investigate.  From the number of scooters I had expected to find a crowd of customers but in fact there transpired to be only one and he had come on a Ducattie.  Once inside the shop (is that what you call somewhere stuffed with all things scooter?) I asked the woman, I guessed she was Maude if I could speak to Paul.  This confused her and she asked if I had got the right place.  After a moment of embarrassment I realised I should have said Patrick (AKA Patch).  This cleared up Maude pointed to a guy on the phone, apparently he was speaking to a customer in Australia.  Why not?  Whilst waiting I chatted to the "customer"  who said he had a number of scooters and had used Patrick for many years and would not consider going to anyone else, "he's not cheap but it does get it right".  He could have been a "plant" but I suspect not. 
The best way to describe the shop is "organised chaos".  There were parts hanging from the ceiling, parts on shelves, parts beyond the counter and parts in what was more like a traditional stores area.  There were part built scooters and on a mezzanine floor to one side there were even more complete scooters.  This would not work without someone knowing their way round Lambrettas.  I soon became obvious that they were Patrick and Maude.  Perhaps I could now understand why their web site didn't have part numbers.  You told them what you needed and they produced it by just knowing what was required.

Patrick with his LD

Patrick eventually came off the phone and we introduced ourselves.  He had the engine out of the boot in a moment and was examining it on the ground.  He said he the corrosion on the casing was possibly due to it being in water and he didn't like the look of the crank and yes he could see no reason why the engine couldn't be rebuilt.  That was good news even if I could hear the disclaimer - for money.  He took the engine back to the shop to book it in to ensure it didn't get lost in all the other jobs he was doing.  I asked him about availability of parts like the rear light and head light.  Not a problem he stocks them.  One thing he does not have is any documentation for sale, apparently its never been reprinted.  I asked if I could take some pictures of his LD because I didn't know what the details should look like.  Patrick removed the side panels so I could get better access.  I have to say he really does use his LD on a daily basis.  We later talked about how to buy a Lambretta and he said it mostly down to luck as to what you get.  He has known people spending a lot on a model that looked great only to have to spend another £2000 to get it right.  On the other hand he has seen scooters bought for few hundred pounds that after a service worked perfectly.

The Workshop Arch

We started talking about the engine in the scooter at the moment.  Patrick said he would like to see it at some point because there were anomalies with the gear change mechanism.  Apparently it's a MK3 engine but with teleflex drive for the  gear change.  When I told him I had understood from Mark it was four speed that only confused him still further.  Lambretta did make a 4 speed box but it was never put into production he told me.  I must have miss heard Mark, if it is four speed it must be something of a rarity!  In order to explain the subtleties of the different gear change mechanisms Patrick took me back down the road to his workshop.  This is in another arch, perhaps ten arches away.  Having seen how crowded the shop was I have to admit I was wondering where he did his repairs, now I know.
 
Patrick had not explained what he was going to show me and I had just followed him to this new arch so when he opened the door I had no idea what to expect.
 

Three on lifts

The first thing I saw was a scooter in the doorway but I couldn't see much further into the dark interior until Patrick, who had vanished into the gloom, had switched on a light.  Wow-ee, what else could I say?  The entire area seemed to be covered in scooters in various states.  I stood to one side whilst Patrick wheeled out into the road at least eight scooters ranging from an L1 to a Mk3. and this only cleared the access to the bench.  There were three scooters on table lifts with others between them. 

The cleared walk way

There were others to the left of the main walkway that had been recently uncovered.  I couldn't help wondering who these scooters belonged to.  Surely if they were customers they would be outside chasing him for their completion.  I didn't ask because Patrick was already showing me the various bits associated with the Teleflex and MK2 gear change.  He was part way through rebuilding  a box , I think I understand the differences now.

We then talked about the cost of my rebuild.  Patrick had already said that from my photographs he estimated a cost of £1000 and to that I would need to add the cost of changing the crankshaft.  Total cost,  £1200 (perhaps). I heard myself say, "Go ahead", I was COMMITTED.  Perhaps the daftest thing I said was "I'm not in a hurry".  I may have to deny this later.    As we were leaving the workshop Patrick pointed out some of the engines waiting rebuild.  Have I done the right thing?  Will I ever get my engine back?  We walked back to the shop where Maude was talking to June.  I think she's seen abandoned wives before and knows keeping the wives happy is the way to get the husbands to spend their money. I took one last photograph of my engine all alone in the shop doorway and felt a bit sad abandoning it. I wonder when I shall see it again?



After the long reverse out the drive home was easy.  Looking back on the day I feel it was what I enjoy about projects, the experiences and characters along the way.  Scooter Surgery couldn't have been more welcoming I'm glad that I have decide to go ahead with them.