Hi to All, this post is in reply to Aussie Blue. In the interest of good housekeeping, it has been re-posted here under the correct forum topic.
Re: Re-chroming the handle bars. I had a quote the other day, 120 - 180 which i thought was steep. I may have to prep them myself since they have quite a bit of surface rust and that is where the money lies - in the prep.
Can I buy a new set for less than this?
Also, one of the other members has a great looking front roller - Devoisi. It looks mint. Did he get it chrome plated or did he buy it like that?
Originality versus not for a resto? What are your thoughts?
The reason I ask is that if I can't get the bars re-chromed I will probably powdercoat them since it will be cheaper. If this ends up being this way I will loose the originality. So I was thinking of going retro. Silver hammertone bars and frame, black engine and reel with white and silver decals..
I prob would prefer to keep original though..??
Cheers, Craig.
Hi Craig, re-chroming is expensive. I got a quote to chrome 20 plastic wheel nut covers for my car recently and they wanted $130, so, by comparison, your quote does seem reasonable.
As Rover Australia has gone down the gurgler, buying a new set might not be a possibility. A second-hand set in good nick, might be the answer.
Similarly, deviosi, I presume, bought his front roller tube, brand new, from Rover whilst they were still in business. Whether or not they are still available NOS (new old stock) I do not know.
Originality or not?.....You have to make a decision here, which may be difficult to answer. In my opinion, the question I asked myself was...originality versus functionality...My Briggs engine was a lemon, so I scrapped it...I replaced it with a Honda...(best decision I ever made!); I powder-coated the engine shaft, clutch-cone and cutting reel...so originality for me, was now
not a factor. Plus the fact that the Scotty/Rover Model 45 was the most popular reel mower ever made in Australia...there are heaps of 'em out there....Just look up Scott Bonnar on eBay. I wanted a functional machine.
However another question should be is this. Are you going to use the machine or is it going to be a display piece?
My Scotty is a working mower, so I sanded smooth my front roller and sprayed it silver, rather than replace it, because I knew I would have to traverse over concrete paths, which would scratch a new one immediately, defeating the purpose. It all depends on what level of restoration you wish to go to...ground up or cosmetic. Mine, I hope, is a good example of a working machine, (original in some areas!!)
Craig, could you please post some pics, I'm sure we'd all love to see 'em.
Hoping this has been of help,
