Project Upgrade - Not!Vespa

Another one from 2021 I only posted on Twitter, I think.  Every now and then I like to go through Dollar General/Family Dollar, if only because every one I've been in has that same chaotic-yet-empty Last Days of Kmart feel to it.  The one around the corner from the house here is like a literal cave inside.  That's where I found this $5 moped (and knockoff Kelly Chelsea clone) set.

Mmmm, yes, Bilious Pink and 90's Purple, the standard for girls' toys.

It's actually not half bad for Chinesium - there are some molded details, and the wheels actually turn, and it steers.  It's no 5 Below clone doll set, but it isn't the worst I've seen.  Looking at you, Dollar Tree.

Five whole pieces, if you count the two halves of the body as separate ones.  Not even glued together as these things sometimes are, which was a bonus in this case.  The minute I saw it I knew what I was going to do with it.  All these pieces got a pass with the sandpaper first.

I cannot remember what specifically Miami-ish shade of blue that is on the body, but it wasn't custom mixed - it's straight from the bottle.  Seat, fenders, and the detail panel on the front got a coat of plain white, and everything else metal got silver.  I also painted the wheels.  The basket got a Standard Three treatment, and the headlight and taillight I went over with metallic paint and then a layer of thick jewelry glaze that I pressed some hatchmarks into before it dried fully.

Some duct tape on the handlebar grips and footboards, and painstakingly molded craft foam for a seat pad.  I'll probably go back at some point and line the basket with either paper or felt.  The decal on the rear fender there is from a sticker sheet that came with the repair kit I got for my phone at the time; I'd had to man up and replace the battery before it exploded.

This one's actually a little too large for a Chelsea - the doll that came with it, her feet wouldn't have touched the footboards even if she'd had bendy knees.  It'd work slightly better for a Lori, I believe.  I have more dolls in the 6-10" range now, so I should give it a fitting.