Old Moped - Rebuild or Repair

To rebuild or not rebuild. That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of continuous breakdowns, or to take up tools against a sea of restoration and by repairing, fix it.

The ad for the moped I bought said that it needed a total restoration. Judging from the very low price I paid for it I assumed that description was correct. However, it was quickly obvious that it wasn’t in that bad a shape.

It needed parts alright, but nothing like I expected. Though, as I fixed one thing I saw that it needed another thing, then another and another. Don’t get me wrong, this is part of the fun, but at some point I wonder if I should have just torn the whole thing apart and rebuilt it that way.

The latest issue is oil leaking out of the magneto cover. The problem is that there should be no oil inside the magneto cover. I haven’t pulled it apart yet. There’s probably a leak where the pedal shaft exits the crankcase. This will either be a simple fix or a major overhaul. Sound familiar?

The problem is that I live in a motorhome. While we were staying at my sister’s I had access to easy cheap shipping. This Went away when we hit the road, and are moving every other day or so.

I guess it’s all a chicken and egg thing. There is no correct answer, just doubt. When everything has been fixed, right and wrong won’t matter. The journey is the adventure.