Got me a Nippy

hi all, well, long boring story but to cut it short i have just acquired a 1959 villiers engined Norman Nippy.

Not an amazing machine i know but several family members had them and i must admit i have a soft spot for the old girl already.

She is a runner of sorts although cuts out the moment you try to pull away so need to investigate that or send it to a man that can. Hand painted with aftermarket stickers stuck back on.

The most interesting thing was teh history that came with it. original finance paperwork (first owner kept it 45 years), letter from norman, big pile of MOT's starting in 1969 and loads of blurb.

What i am unsure about is which model it is as it is minus an owners manual and i would like to get an old original one.

Can anybody shed any light? Any help or advice would be appreciated as i really want this up, running etc so she can be ridden again.

Finally, she has had a new non transferable number plate put on, does anybody know a way of getting the original one back?

Hello Nippyfan,welcome to Nippy World.What sort of engine has your Nippy got?(Villiers,Mival or Sachs)that could give us a clue as to what Mark of machine you have.Does it have rear suspension or a solid "rear end".If you look on Ebay you might well find literature about your bike.Trying to get the original registration number back is very difficult and unlikely to be crowned with success unless you have documentary evidence(log book or old tax discs)that tally with the frame number.A trip to the taxation office in Maidstone,with any relevant paper work,where you could ask their advice might help.I am assuming that you live in Kent,if not you should look for your local Vehicle Licensing Office.With regard to your running problem,as long as a two stroke has fuel and spark in the right places and at the right time it will go providing that the mechanical side of the engine is OK.The first thing to look at would be the carburettor,as the bike has not been used for a long time it could have dried sediment blocking the jet.Be very gentle when dismantling the carb,remember you are dealing with 50 year old aluminium.Lots of WD40 might help.Have funand let us know how you get on.Cheers Paul

Me again! I have just reread your message and see that I missed the bit that said your bike has a Villiers engine.This engine,known as the Villiers 3K,makes your machine a Mk 4 Nippy.It has 2 speeds and 2 b.h.p.at 5,500 revs.it will do just over 30 m.p.h. and goodness only knows how many miles to the gallon.The fuel mixture should be half a pint of SAE 30 oil to a gallon of petrol or 20 to 1 with proper two stroke oil.Parts for Villiers engines are easy to get hold of from Villiers Services.Paul