Im not sure if I'll have the energy to post pictures tomorrow night but im picking up the rest of my Scott Bonnar mowers parts tomorrow afternoon along with a heap of other stuff. A large number of 70's 160cc and 125cc engines, carbys both G3 and G4 and I could go on but a picture says a thousand words so I'll show with pictures when I have them.....
So a very interesting early 80's Victa mower that came up for sale recently and I had a friend ask what I thought about it? Straight away my head thought it was just a bitsa but very quickly realised that the paint job was to legitimate for it to be repainted. Then the lug hole in the base was suspicious, the wheels looked like early 70's style and the base itself is larger, about the size of a twin.
So I started looking into it and I found an advertisement for it in the UK, then I looked at the advertisement for the mower properly and saw all the pictures and that this was the original owner who has the original paperwork that came with the mower, I then found the the catcher reference and finally in one of my parts reference manuals I found a Pro Deluxe Contractor from 80-81.
Im not sure if you have seen one of these before MF but I hadn't and I found it interesting, nothing I'd personally like except if I was still a gardener.
So one of the mowers I had to wait a long time to go and pick up is my 1974 build Sunbeam 160cc low arch.
I just gave it a very basic clean off yesterday and took some pictures. The engine case says it's a 74 build and it's got a G3 carby on it, so that all lines up.
Anyway here are some pictures of it and its immaculate catcher, also the serial number and pictures from my 75-76 dial a code with my exact mower except the Carby in the dial a code picture is G4 and the fuel cap is in a different position, otherwise it's a very very close match...
I would not restore that. Maybe replace the broken wheel cap, but that's in great sound survivor condition. I only restore far gone machines. That's got rich patina, particularly the base. The catcher is the right shape, but wrong colour. I never knew there was a blue version unless that's off an older model before the Victa association before they supplied the engine. That's certainly a unique base casting not used on any Victa. Later Sunbeams used the store brand type high arch base, making it a fully Victa product wIth only a unique engine cowl and of course labels and wheel covers.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Is this the correct catcher for it? Because I have 5 catchers that came with everything else I got that day and 3 of them fit. I found old picture of 4 other catchers I have.
Hi Seanoss, I dont think any of those are the correct ones for that model. If you put Sunbeam lawnkeeper in the search bar I am sure there are images of your mower with the correct catcher on it. Cheers, WCE
First one's a replacement low arch Mayfair/store brand catcher (like my KMart V170). They are a surprisingly easy catcher to empty out. Others don't empty as easily.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
So here is the brochure for the sunbeam I have. The catcher is a different colour but it does look as tho I didn't put it on the mower correctly and the light surface rust on the flap also really made it stand out. So if I can repaint the flap to match the catcher and if it fits like the brochure picture, then I'll be keeping this one sorry.......
I do love this mower too but unless I make changes to the flap I don't have a matching catcher and I don't think making changes is the right move. But I definitely agree that it's 1 of 2 low arch I love the look of. The other might have been on here. It was a Purple Pace low arch and was all Purple but sprayed, didn't bother me I thought it was awesome.
I've also found a faded Purple catcher, I've been offered and accepted a free Rover Ranger ride on mower that I have very humbly accepted and have finally got a time line on getting my impala 2 deck, cowl and engine. Also I have found a great source of parts for 1 of my Scott Bonnar mowers that came in pieces, it's the rover version of the mower with the exact identical villiers engine, just a different decal on the fuel tank really but I'm sure that SB might have made some changes to the engine they may not have. I don't know
So I picked up my 3rd powerplus and now have enough to make 1 good one from the 3, before I'm asked why I'm only getting 1 out of three it's because out of the 3 1 has an excellent cowl, one has a perfect deck (other 2 have holes everywhere) and the 3rd actually came with the wrong engine but came with the catcher, so 3 mowers that normaly someone else would have chucked out are being given a new life as donors to make one great restored one!
I also picked up my 73 Cherry Red Mustang, I picked up another model 5 special with all the bells and whistles for a great price and an early 80's super start utility cowl, the one with no hole or area for the starter assembly.
Then I also picked up 2 catchers, both are for store brand mowers and neither have a magic eyes, they are the opposite in design to each other but they both are the darkest shade of green that I've found in a high arch catcher so far. One of the catchers is pictured next to what was previously my darkest catcher in this shape and the previous darkest one came off my 80's series 1 Mustang that I've pictured next to the 73 Red one.
Nope, the red mustang was from 1 guy, the powerplus and dark green catcher off another, the model 5 off another and finally the store brand catcher off another person. I left my place early and didn't really sit to relax until 8.30 at night.
That PowerPlus 6 looks in nice barn find (hate that term -but gets the point across well) condition and I love that label, although very olde looking font.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
That powerplus it the best one I've found and its very very good. But I realised I have a base that might suit the dark green catcher I have. It's close but not quite right.
This base itself is quite strange because of its dark colour, the black victa logo, the lug holes for a large cowl and it's supposed to have a remote primer. The base itself isn't painted, I haven't really paid any attention to it since I got it because I didn't have a catcher and thus no interest. But now I'm Interested in it. Again, it's not quite a match but it's close.
But the base has lug holes for a large cowl and a remote primer, so it's before the change to the cowl. I think it's a store brand Mustang but different cowl to the typical style. SPECULATION
Finally after all of the waiting and pretending to myself that it's not the end of the world if it doesn't come together, the pictures arrived today! The stuff was still on the property and now my Impala 2 125cc base, cowl, Fuel cap and handelbars with the green throttle controller and the green air filter housing are soon to be delivered.
I found a few parts for my V6 sheerline resto. I found a stone guard windrow, the choke with victa embossed on it, a model 10 or 12 side catcher in great condition and all of the correct attachments, I have a model 4 side catcher in decent condition already and now have all of the correct brackets to use either model, handelbar badge and I have found someone who owns the original front and back Plastic Sheerline flaps and they do not look difficult to replicate at all. After making a silicone mould from an original all it would need is a bit of light sanding that should be about it. The amount of products available these days to make simple moulds and apoxeys that once mixed set into hard plastics that can be coloured too are readily available online and at bunnings.
Here is 2 pictures of the Impala 2 base I got today, 2 pictures of my stone guard, my sheerline badge, the side catcher, the choke (it needs a good clean up but will come up a treat)
I also have acquired an original Auto that I'm organising delivery of, it's not one of the very early ones as it has a green plastic fuel cap that's painted and the starter assembly is, I believe, the second generation and no oversized handelbar bolts but they could have been replaced.
The mower itself is serial number 124769, it still has the original front throttle cable attached to the very very rare clip that is attached to the cowl on the edger groove side and has 2 parts to it, one holds the front cable close to the cowl as to avoid it getting caught on anything and a similar clip is attached to the same spot on the cowl for the rear cable. The owner of this mower for some reason left the front throttle cable and the clip attached even after converting it to hand throttle control.
The mower is one owner, it's been sitting a long time but not completely unprotected, it has the handelbar badge, tool clips and an original straight bar tool, green painted fuel cap, correct carby and insert, cigar fuel tap, faded upside-down smile Victa embossed choke, edger cover and bolts, all 4 deck bolts to hold the skirts in place, obviously the front throttle and clip and it has an original, in poor condition but original, green starter rubber with a wire rope starter. Now adding that to the parts I've been piecing together here and there, when they are in my price range that is, and those would be my green and black reproduction starter handel rubbers, 2 cigar fuel taps, 2 second generation starters with wire rope, 1 set of excellent condition second hand wheels and treads and a set of NOS Bynorm ones too plus many others I haven't even looked at, I currently have 6 early model hubcaps that I consider excellent condition for any mower, 2 more special tools and clips, 3 edger covers 2 sets of bolts, 2 green fuel caps, 1 auto carby, 1 model 4 base, 4 deck bolts, 1 set of reproduction oversized handelbar bolts, 2 auto badges and another engine.
That's all I can be bothered posting tonight!! Happy New year mower peoples!!!!
