Vespa GS160 toolbox fitting
The Vespa GS160 second series was the first Vespa to be factory fitted with a legshield toolbox; so popular was this accessory that Piaggio saw fit to sell these boxes as aftermarket parts to owners of the first series 160, also issuing a ‘technical instruction’ to explain in detail, with measurements, how to retrofit this item.
The pictures accompanying this brief article are copies of one of these rarely seen technical Instructions relevant to fitting a toolbox. The text has been translated into English for the benefit of the non-Italian or French speaking readers.
TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION NO.9
“To mount the front toolbox 97380 on vehicles preceding frame no. VSB1 00030201 follow the instructions below:
1: Mount the gasket 97378 on the toolbox 97380; application is helped by the application of rubber adhesive, excess of which can be removed after the box is attached to the chassis.
2: Place the box on the vehicle as shown in the diagram. By opening the toolbox lid using the box as a template, mark on the chassis the four attachment hole positions (‘F’ on the diagram).
3: Remove the box and drill the four holes. Starting with the top holes, fix the bolts S.8514 in place with the nuts S.1105. The lower fixings use the same practice.
4: Coat the front of the gasket where it fits to the chassis (see diagram ‘F’) with Bostic 322 or similar.
5: Using the nuts S.1105 and the washers S.3055, fix the box to the bolts anchored into the chassis as shown in the diagram.”
Although not mentioned in the instructions, the holes required were 5.5mm to allow for M5 fixings. These were rather strange items with a more or less hemispherical slotted head.
NON-FACTORY TOOLBOXES
Accessory suppliers such as Nannucci soon gathered that there was a sales potential in supplying these very handy toolboxes. Instead of acquiring the official item, the accessory people had copies made to sell and to advertise in their brochures.
Presumably these were cheaper than the factory product, but this is not known for certain. It should be noted that these accessories were not faithful copies of the originals, so items like the toolbox lids were not interchangeable and the box itself was of a slightly different shape.