Getting The Rolletta Ready

Well; here it is again. Almost time to head for Las Vegas & the High Rollers scooter Rally. I've made my reservations and am going to be staying in a new Airstream trailer. This is perfect for me as I love to camp and usually have my teardrop.

All along the plan has been to take my 1954 Rohr Rolletta. Many think I'm crazy for taking such an old scooter. Maybe they're right. But; I just have to do it. The new scooters just don't do it for me. I must need that little bit of "will I make it?" to enjoy myself. Most of the time I do; and that's the joy of it for me. Even when I'm broken down on the side of the road it's still fun for me. The only time it's a bummer is if I'm slowing someone else down.

Sorry I digress.

As usual I have hundred things going and am down to the wire on having the Rolletta ready. When getting the scooter home after picking it up in San Diego CA. it had been rattle can primered over the original paint. I decided to try sanding the primer off & get back to the paint. After several hours of sanding very carefully doing my best not to go through the original paint; the leg shield was done. I then took buffed it with rubbing compound and then a coat of wax. I was happy with this so on to the main body. As I started sanding it was obvious the same process wouldn't work as the original paint had been sanded mostly off.

I decided to paint the rear body in an attempt to make it more presentable. After trying several off the shelf colors that stank. I drove 20 mile to a paint store and had some paint mixed to match the spare tire mount. The store can put this paint into rattle cans for you. After painting the body (over dents and all) it has just been sitting in my dining room. That is untill last night. I made a lisence plate bracket, fixed & mounted the tail light, changed the oil, and put on the few pieces of trim I have for it.

This evening I took it for a short shake down ride and every thing seems in working order. This scooter had been sitting several years before I got it. Now I'm taking it to Las Vegas then San Diego and then a ride up the California coast to San Louis Obispo. I thinks she will make it. I haven't taken any pictures with the body painted but will and put them up later. I don't have a lap top but will try to post up here during my trip. These videos are three months old & poor quality but show you the Rohr.

Hunting For The Elusive Salsbury 85

I promised I would tell more about my search for the Salsbury model 85 scooter.

Well as I said in my last post I placed adds with no success. That is until I paid the big bucks on eBay for one.
One evening after work I get an email. It's from a man who says he just saw two Salsbury scooters in Phoenix Arizona area. He had been there with a friend who was buying a Cushman and had noticed them in the corner.
Needless to say that little shot of adrenalin kicked in and my mind started to run. (just a bit wild) Would they be nice originals that have been sitting for years, will they be runners, and can I afford them etc...

I phoned the man who sent the email to get contact information on the scooters. He was a very nice man. I got the low down on the Salsbury's. "They are projects" he said. look to be complete; but not sure. After a nice conversation he gave me the gentleman's phone number in Phoenix.

I called and reached a very nice man (I'll call him john) who said; " I haven't thought about selling them, but; would consider it." I asked him how much and was told ' I have to think about it call me back tomorrow"

I called John the next evening to see what the verdict was. I was told he would sell them but I had to take everything Salsbury he had; all the spare parts, "everything". At this point I was afraid to ask how much. We talked a bit more about scooters and found out he owned over 100. All vintage American. I new I had to make the over 950 mile trip to Phoenix just to see the collection if nothing else.
He finally gave me a price on the Salsbury's. It was a bit more than I had in mind. Just with my short amount of conversation with John; It was clear that trying to haggle over the price. The door would be shut. So we made the deal and date about a month away for me to come down.

On a Friday afternoon around 3:00 pm, I hooked up my little trailer,throw a sleeping bag and pillow in the van, and take off for Arizona. My plan was to drive into the night until tired and sleep somewhere on the roadside. I'm now about 81/2 to 9 hours into the trip. I'm tired and find out the Grapevine pass on interstate five is close due to snow. I pull over look at the map and find a way around the mountain range. I decide to stop for the night and park behind a gas station and climb into the sleeping bag. Then it hits me, I'm by myself behind a gas station, in the middle of the night, with a pile of cash. I'm not usually the nervous type. I don't have this much cash with me most of the time either. I hide the cash put a 100 dollars in my wallet. Thinking this would satisfy any would be robbers.

I woke up a few hours later and headed out on the remaining 6+ hours of the drive.
When reaching Phoenix I called John and received better directions than the ones from map quest that had me circling the city. I arrived at my destination around dusk; and was glad to be out of the car!
I was told to drive around back. I was surprised to see a very large brick commercial building. After the introductions, the door was rolled up and there where the two Salsbury. A little rougher than I had pictured.
I had second thoughts about the deal for a few seconds until I really took stock of "everything."

I could see right away that lots of boxes where needed. I asked John if he had any and was told no. So we decided to go eat and buy some plastic totes.
After getting the totes packing everything in the trailer, Johns friend shows up. We teased him about his good timing and had a good laugh.

I was still wondering if I was going to see the collection? The Salsbury scooters had been in this one little garage part of the building. Nothing else could be seen. I think John must have been sizing me up. He offer to show me his collection.

He took me through a double steel door and every scooter junkies dream appeared. A 30 foot by 40-50 foot room with scooters stacked two and three high on commercial shelving. One wall with box after box of hard to find spare parts. it was almost too much to take in.
Here is one shelving unit of mostly Mustang scooters waiting for restoration.

After drooling over several of the scooters for quite a while it was time for me to leave. As we head for the door John asks me if I want to see the other room? Other Room I think? I told him thanks for the offer but no. I have a long way home and it's really late as it is. So we shook hands said our goodbyes and I left for the long drive home.
OK; You really didn't think I said no thanks did you? Of course not; a scooter junkie offered the equivalent of a pile of cocaine!! "Hell yes;" I said.
We now go into a very nice show room type setting. The scooters are all shiny and lined up along the walls and down the center. John's friend says to me, " He must like you. No one gets to come in here" Needless to say I felt very privileged to be in that room.

We spent an other hour in there. He offered to sell some of the scooters at what I felt were very reasonable prices so I bought Two centaur folding scooters and a restored Cushman Eagle. I was just able to jam these three in my minivan.
My poor van was over loaded and had a trailer full of Salsbury on it. To top it off it was very late and I couldn't sleep in the back of the van anymore.

This time we did say our goodbyes and I left for Good old Northern California. I drove through the night and " slept" in the drivers seat somewhere south of Bakersfield.

Since I was near Bakersfield. I call a man only know through phone conversations and asked if I could stop buy and see his scooters.He said sure come on by. (he had a very rare Powell I wanted to see. but; that's an other story)

I made it home Sunday night tired and ready to sleep in my own bed. The next day I took these pictures of the trailer full of Salsbury. There turned out to be some NOS parts and a hard to find original speedometer among this pile of stuff.