Shiny scooters.

February 12, 2008 9:27 PM

Retro-future scooters. You can't buy them but you can try to make one.

Lime green sweatshirt not required.

posted by damn dirty ape (22 comments total)

Great stuff, damn dirty ape, thanks. I love the entire portfolio from your first link - some of his contraptions are awesome.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:53 PM on February 12, 2008

Neato.
Though that instructables link isn't very... instructive?

Step 1: Get some old junk.
Step 2: Assemble it into a scooter.
Step 3: Cool huh?
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:01 PM on February 12, 2008

brandcoindustries is cool and very obtainable as there aren't any compound curves requiring a bunch of english wheel work.
posted by Mitheral at 10:10 PM on February 12, 2008

Love the mask! Even if it is kind of begging for attention. Beautiful machines.
posted by christopherious at 10:44 PM on February 12, 2008

Here's another very cool (and my favorite) retro-future scooter. You can use the back link at the bottom of the page to click through lots of construction photos and non-English text of it being built.
posted by Staggering Jack at 11:25 PM on February 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Aw, I was hoping they'd look like the hoverbikes in the Venture Brothers.

Staggering Jack - That scooter is epic.
posted by spiderskull at 11:28 PM on February 12, 2008

madamjujujive's right; that guy's portfolio is fantastic. Thanks, this is great stuff.
posted by mediareport at 12:19 AM on February 13, 2008

*grabs toolbox and old airplane engine* Hells yah!
posted by dabitch at 1:11 AM on February 13, 2008

Sorry, his other stuff might be great but compared with the classic lines of a Lambretta SX 200, that original machine is just an ugly piece of shit.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:25 AM on February 13, 2008

The nixie tube speedometer is a nice touch but I have to think that road vibrations are going to eat the tubes.

Did you say old airplane engine Dabitch?
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 3:26 AM on February 13, 2008

And for the arts and crafts geeks out there: Vintage Lambo and sidecar restoration job.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:28 AM on February 13, 2008

Excellent find!
posted by Dizzy at 4:21 AM on February 13, 2008

Anyone else think the second on shares some lines with a Jawa Sandcrawler?
posted by sourwookie at 5:33 AM on February 13, 2008

I was really hoping this was about hoverboards.
posted by fusinski at 6:04 AM on February 13, 2008

Wonderful thread! That flickr one reminds me of a boxy old Cushman. Give me hope for the broken down old 80's scoots in my shed.
posted by dog food sugar at 6:08 AM on February 13, 2008

I read the RSS feed headline as "shiny cooters" and really wasn't sure quite *what* to make of it.

Great stuff, nonetheless...
posted by notsnot at 6:47 AM on February 13, 2008

I also like the fact that the guy with the lime green sweatershirt has a lime green screwdriver to match.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:08 AM on February 13, 2008

2nding Staggering Jack's link, this beauty of this sort of design practically brings me to tears. This FPP is Best of the Web certified!
posted by Scoo at 8:22 AM on February 13, 2008

If these guys could hook up with some steampunk folks, this could get really cool.
posted by rokusan at 8:41 AM on February 13, 2008

I had never really wanted a scooter till I saw a couple of these. Particularly that bit of awesome that Staggering Jack linked to.

If I had one of these, I would have to fit it with a loud speaker that played the sound of the Jetson's car on a loop whenever I drove anywhere. It just seems like it would complete the effect.
posted by quin at 9:20 AM on February 13, 2008

If only Yamaha would get off it's collective ass and build these things, anyone could have a deluxe retrofuture scooter.
posted by adamrice at 9:32 AM on February 13, 2008

2nding Staggering Jack's link, this beauty of this sort of design practically brings me to tears.

Here's some more pictures of that same scooter in a copper-ish color.
posted by Staggering Jack at 9:34 AM on February 13, 2008