OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Mustang Month !

Hi wce,
appreciate the comment. I wish I had a before pic.
Believe me it was shocking. Base in good condition otherwise apart from wheels and rear flap spring.

Brought out the Mustang to mow with and grabbed the nearest catcher which is from a Corvette.
I have repaired the side of the base but not as comprehensively as the Vortex. Still looks better than before.

Very nice MF, I do plan on having all of my Mustangs as mint as I can get them. I still haven't put the engine of my first resto back together because I'm still waiting on surgery on my right wrist and can only do small amounts before I can't use my thumb and index finger for 2 days. That's why I spend most of my time at the moment collecting everything, reading and learning. Now my interest's have turned a bit towards the 50's Pace mowers before Victa bought them. I received 3 Scott bonnar mowers in pieces but with everything there to put them back together and my sunbeam to pick up and another purple VC-SPORT to pick up too and hopefully find some decent catcher's too this week.

I read that Pace mowers were considered better than Victas at the time Victa bought them out. They were fIerce rivals. It's a shame Victa eliminated it's competition this way and just used the name to badge engineer their own products.
I'm glad somebody is focussing on Pace products before the Victa takeover.

PS hope your hand heals soon. At least you're making the most of the situation.

Cheers mate, the one that I picked up today in good condition should be running tomorrow. But im going to fix the paint job on the base because it's not the original so I'll try and get it back to the original colour scheme and get the original "Automatic" decal put back on the front. It won't be mowing any lawns, it's done enough I think. But it will definitely get run quite often just because I like to sit there and listen to my mowers occasionally when the lawn doesn't need mowing I just start some of them up and let them run for a bit, just making sure they stay well lubricated. I do mow my lawns with my Mustangs and vortexes and I'm really looking forward to mowing my lawn with my cortina 2 with the old metal catcher on it. I have a long steep nature strip that leads down to on of the 2 main roads where I live so heaps of people see me Using them, I got a toot of the horn with my yellow vortex!

I like it best when girls watch.

😂😂😂 don't we all! But now I'm not a gardener any more the old gut has become less appealing and I'm old and grey

Come off it Sean, 30s and even 40s these days is hardly old. 60s is still middle age now, though I was a bit worried when I overheard two teen girls looking at a ripped shirtless jogger who looked no older than 40 and one of them said no way, that guy's 60!

With it's proper, albeit black replacement catcher as the green one I had was full of cracks toward the front so found this on Gumtree and disposed of the other. I like the look of the black catcher.

Also showing the repair I did to the base.

Of course you think it looks better in black when you don't have the green. The green is what makes it. All Mustangs that are green look better with the correct catcher. Sorry mate.

I have so many green catchers I could paint one purple easily to fit my VC-SPORT but in my heart I know that it's not the original. So I get the original. I could mock up the red and white 73-74 Mustang but I would know that it's not real!

Come on MF Original is best!

Remember these are mock-up pictures done before these mowers get full restorations

You know you can never mow with them again but you can bug the neighbours with them (assuming you don't get on with them -this is Australia) starting them up.
I actually fully agree with you there with the Mustang but I can live with having the right shape replacement catcher. Much better than non or a green one being held together by multiple rivets.
Would like to get a greenie so I can use the black one without worry about risking the plastic.

I painted up the red Vortex base with dark grey hammered paint ready to fit a painted up cover.
The paint turned out to be a perfect matching shade of dark grey to the original paint despite the cap suggesting it was quite a bit blacker.
The yellow line traces how much metal was worn away before I filled it with epoxy putty (pictured). It's good stuff easier to knead than the Selleys stuff.
Don't buy it at SCA or Auto Barn as they want $23 for it. I paid $7.00 at Aldi! Wish I bought more.
It sets very hard and bonds to whatever you attach it to.
I also straightened the slightly bent in front apron section using a hammer and metal rod (old Victa rear flap hinge rod) while resting the front on a piece of wood.
One I clean it, and silver up the handles, it'll look almost restored to the casual eye. This is just a light refresh for regular use.

That is worth chroming the handelbars, that looks mint!!!!

Very very good job

If a mower is older then me it deserves a good retirement! But retirement evolves being fired up and depending on the mower probably used to mow a lawn strip occasionally but then be cleaned ad detailed after then one or 2 photos and by then I'll have a new mission and probably sell some on. But by the time that's done, well who knows where covid will have led the the country by then.

Rear flap is next. The way this is going I will have it in unboxed conditIon. *fingertips on temples* not a restoration, not a restoration its not a restoration!!
I want to use this!

Thanks Sean, for the fantastic compliment. It means a lot. I wanted to also show what can be achieved with that stuff and a bit of bog and spot putty also.

Well I'll be doing %90 of my stuff at home so watching what others have achieved using simple solutions at home is excellent information MF! I'm looking forward to getting my tax return next week hopefully because I'm getting a sand blasting unit with a compressor big enough and It gets installed and I get a demonstration once it's in. Then I've got a special tent coming for painting too.

Finishing touches to the cover almost done before paint. A couple of cracks mended with builders bog (pictured) and some deep scratches.
Selleys builders bog is good stuff for this.
Paint I'll be using below.

Bravo! Great work, I bet you're almost all self taught? It's excellent work!

Thank you Sean,
That's pretty much the case. Consulting the Gregory's body work book helped on one occasion.

All but 4 of my mustang cowlings sitting out of the weather until resto.....