When Ghislain contacted me about restoring his "blue Solex," I thought I'd be restoring a blue 3800 or a blue luxury model.
But when he told me about his favorite 3300, I understood that we were embarking on a full restoration if we wanted to restore this rather rare Solex model to its original appearance.
Released between the well-known 2200 and the essential 3800, the 3300 remains a connoisseur's Solex: with a "modern" frame, which would be reused on the 3800, and an engine directly from the 2200, the 3300 is a link between tradition and modernism.
For Ghislain's Solex, we will undertake a bolt-by-bolt restoration and a minor engine tune-up, minor because the bottom ends of 2200 engines are not known for their great robustness, so there's no need to look for trouble; a Solex should be a reliable vehicle.
To follow its restoration, the first photos are of the "before," always interesting to compare with the "after" and to see what work has been done on the moped.
general view
the engine
the "cockpit"
detail of the pedal set, note the bolts and chrome painted light blue
detail of the rear wheel... we need some chrome!!
Front view...
..and from the rear
.
No hesitation: complete disassembly and separate handling for the various treatments:
Chroming and engine parts to be treated:
Frame to be stripped:
The screws, for their part, will be sandblasted to remove paint, then re-zinc plated.
To be continued!