How would you strip a scooter?

[dwilson]

My uncle just gave me a scooter, a 74 Vespa 90 cc.  I think it will make an awsome street legal pit bike!  His dad bought it new and it has 168 miles on it.  I got it running in a couple hours but it sat outside and needs paint and has some rust.  There is no frame, it's uni-body, all sheet-metal.  It's simple enough I'll take everything off it but what is the easiest and most thorough way to remove the paint & rust?  I've heard of giant tanks used to dip car bodies before total restoration but can't actually find any.  I figure sand-blasting would be my second choice.  Thanks for any tips!

[THE_D.O.C.]

first, i'd buy some champagne.
then it's a lot of flattering concersation.
shirt
pants
lingerie
etc.

[dwilson]

I was thinking more like rohypnol  :o

That was a joke by the way  ;D

[Super Dave]

Guess it depends upon how serious you want to get...

There's this paint called POR-15.  I think the POR stands for Paint Over Rust.  It will stop the rust, period, and protect it.  Dipping and blasting might remove too much metal and leave you with less rigidity.  

This might help...

http://por-15.com/

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Just for the record, that Vespa may be worth tall cash.  There are some fanatical collectors out there.  I'd do some online research before I started.  Who knows?  That scooter might finance your season! :o

[dwilson]

I've dealt with rust alot before, the por-15 and eastwood rust inhibitors work well.  I'd like to get rid of the rust though for a nice restoration.

The Vespa's are rediculously expensive.  I have a friend who is a scooter mechanic and he says in it's current state it's worth about $800, fixed it's $2200 and this is one of the less valuable ones...  I have a small collection and I hate selling my toys  8)
1940 Dodge, 1974 Suzuki TC125, 1976 CB750, 1974 Vespa 90, 1984 BMW 533i, 96 FZR600 and the police just recovered my driver, 89 Toyota Camry V6 (stolen in july).