Oh my!!
Now this poor bugger is indeed a bitsa...
The base is a 1972-1973 Victa VC-160 MKIII, the V111... I can see the re-designed lower handle latches, the 2-peice catch flap and later height adjuster... however, that seems to be about as far as it goes...
I'll take a stab that the whole engine is not the original, as the cooling cowl, cylinder and carburettor clearly are not, at a guess I'd throw down MKI VC-Mustang engine transplant, based of the backwards carburettor, as I'm fairly sure the carby was not backwards on the sports, seing as there was room for the pip out the rh side... Also, that looks like a mustang tank, with the dress cowl cut to accomodate...
That Dress cowl was a bit later too I think, by memory, the sports-style dress cowl didn't come in black till the later 70's...
The wheels are even later I think... I don't think we saw the 2-part chrome's till the 80's?
And to top it off, it's even been repainted in a different shade of green, and in places the green was never meant to be, plus those black handle bars...
That is, through and through a true frankenstine you've got there mate... I'm seeing at least 4 separate mowers... maybe more... capped off with a backyard paint job! I'm not sure what to think, there is always a sadness to seing old machines taken beyond restore, but then, at least to me, i often find that balanced when I see such determination to ensure that "She'll be right mate, the lawn will be cut"
In a sense a true Frankie like this is it's own history, less a machine in Victa's line up, and more a battler in testament to the never die backyard mower mechanics of australia!
Any chance you can find the engine serial?
