OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Identification of Particular Machines Victa Model 4 Automatic Specifications

Cheers mate! Yep that funnel is pretty cool. Pretty rare I'd reckon!

So I was thinking through this whole issue of when the model 4 ended and the model 5 began and also how all this relates to the introduction of the label �Special�. I was preoccupied with the introduction of the �Special� badge, as I considered it the marker for the transition, when I realised the answer had been staring me in the face the whole time.
We know the Model 4 ran on the Mk 4 chassis and the Model 5 ran on the Mk5 chassis, but at no point had I thought to compare the two schematic chassis diagrams side by side. The Victa models were always named after the chassis they were fitted with, so logically, variations in theses chassis define the transition from one model to the next.

Much of the discussion had focused primarily on the skirt holes which appear on the edge of the die cast base. Four holes equal a Model 4 chassis and two holes equals a Model 5, or so I thought. A side by side comparison of the chassis schematics tell a different story. The diecast base alone does not define the chassis, but rather it�s the components those bases were fitted with that determines the model.

This early schematic of the Mk5 chassis (see below), is significant for four quite distinct reasons. First and foremost, the die cast base plate is identical to that of the Mk 4 chassis, ie four holes rather than two. Secondly, the only difference between the two chassis is the absence of a name badge on the handle bars, which is incidentally illustrated with a part number in the Mk4 chassis schematic. Finally of note, the absence of Automatic style side skirts (which is substituted with the round toe ring), and the edger groove cover, for which no cover is present. That�s it, no other differences. For all intents and purposes, the original Mk 5 chassis was simply a stripped down version of the Mk4 chassis with the substitution of a toe ring.

What to make of all this? I think it can be concluded that the �Special� was introduced on an early Mk 5 chassis, which, according to the schematics, originally had the same diecast base as the Mk4. It was released without a badge and with a toe ring. We know the �Special� was released on or before March 9, 1958 (see post 48987), and that it appears the plastic name badge was not introduced until late November 58� (see post 53190). This all supports the case for the Model 5 Special having been released unbadged, with a toering and without an edger slot cover, and most importantly, all riding on a four holed, Mk4 style diecast base.

In short, all those �stripped down Model 4�s� with serial numbers after 128,000 we've been seeing are actually Model 5 Specials without a badge.

Further confirmation of all this would be to check if later copies of the Mk5 chassis and Mk5a engine schematics for amendments, so if any of you fellas have one please post a scan here!