OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Other Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Finished my Renovation 2 Stroke Masport Iron Horse

Well guys it only took 6 months but I've finally finished the Renovation

Well it looks magnificent, Pete. Does it run as well as it looks? Are those the original colours? And didn't it originally have a speed control on the handlebar? (Some mowers don't, they just run at maximum speed.)

A detail: if you can get wheels or tyres for it, those bald front ones are the only weakness in its appearance I could see.

Well done. For your first lawnmower restoration project, it is a remarkable outcome, especially considering how complicated that engine is, and that it isn't a mower that existed in any numbers in Australia. I think our most experienced restorers would be proud of it.

Hi Grumpy,
Thanks for the kind words, and yes she does run as well as she looks.
Originally it was just to get the engine going, but one thing led to another and i wound up doing a restore, To be honest Grumpy I think this has been good therapy for me in the way it helped me through dealing with the loss of my wife.

I think you might be getting this Iron Horse mixed up with My Kirby Lauson which has the speed control on the handle. this too has a 2 speed control which you can see in photo 5 its a blue lever on the back of the motor.
The Kirby is my next project, now that i have a manual for it, i can at least have a go at getting it going.

I'm moving up in the engine dept from 2 to 4 stroke, you may be hearing more from me with questions about the 4 stroke engine hahaha

edit:
Forgot to mention the Orange is Chevy orange by 3M which is as close as i could get to a match for the orange parts.
The body i took the grass flap to get a paint match as i couldn't find anything close that i was happy with.
the handle brackets, Handle and the silver center on the flywheel i used White Knight super Chrome in a spray can and was really surprised with the outcome, couldn't afford electroplating and the handle chrome was flaking off, chrome splinters are no fun lol

i definatly agree, youv'e done a great job and have a magnificent looking mower, cheers

Thanks for clearing up those points Pete - so it is an authentic full restoration. I have trouble believing it looked that good when it was new.

Of course we hope you'll keep us posted on your Kirby-Lauson restoration if you go ahead with it. We don't have much in the way of Kirby-Lauson threads, so it would be a valuable addition to the archives. Up to now we've had an assortment of questions on them, but not so many answers.

I'll wait a couple of days in case of questions and comments, then close this thread
for the archives.

Again, well done. I'm glad you benefited from doing it - we all benefit from seeing it.

Here you go Grumpy proof she sounds as good as she looks


[video][/video]

Sounds way better than a Victa 2 stroke to me, Pete - but it should, it's a more complicated engine. Well done and nicely presented. Was that from a cold start in the video, or was it pre-warmed?

The Video was just after a cold start only had it running for 1 minute. But just before the video i primed it once (first start since reassembly)first pull no go one more prime and away she went but the Pinion spring came off on the second pull, been having trouble with that i have a feeling its the wrong one for this motor. there are 2 types on the Net but that was all i could get second hand in NZ.

That is remarkably successful, Pete. I wish I could say that every car engine I've overhauled started that easily. Seems like it would be nice to sort out that pull-starter issue though, just so it would be perfect.

Hi Pete, and can I add my on a fantastic resto...It is a credit to you. I followed the thread with you and grumpy sorting out the engine probs, and we now have a very informative archive on the Iron Horse.
Best wishes for your next resto and I am looking forward to your posts.
also on your You Tube video; well done mate!

Hi Deejay, Yes I remember your input, thanks very much to you and Grumpy on your help and support through this rather long Restore.
And thanks for the kind words on the finished product
Cheers

All I can say is "Bloody well done!"

We had one of those when I grew up in Auckland - I can recall "buzzing" my fingers on the top of the flywheel when my brother distracted me as I was turning it off (missed the switch). I don't think ours ever needed high speed, except maybe once when we came back from holidays and the lawn was like a jungle.
I actually spent a short stint at Mason & Porter as a welder on their body fabrication line. (Didn't last long, though. 18 year-olds get bored quickly )

Thanks for the memories, mate.

Hi drjbeam,
I'm sorry about your mate, I guess some people just never face the fact they are going to be in a chair for life, I always say to people who ask "you never accept it you learn to face it and carry on" 27 is too young to die and i saw a guy with a pressure sore on his thigh you could fit your fist in ! i couldn't believe what i was seeing, how does someone allow that to happen to themselves, and i guess there are no easy answers every person is different and has different things going through there minds that we just cant fathom.
Good on you for being his carer, I became my wife's carer in the last 10 years of her life and i look at it as being a privilege that i could help her and try to make her life a bit easier. It takes a rare kind of person to do that for your friend and i would shake your hand and say well done, and i know just how you feel after they are gone. I feel the hardest thing i ever had to do was to carry on after she passed and to be honest i think that was harder than when i had my accident 30 years ago aged 18, But our daughter dragged me back from the brink to where i am now. Good for you drjbeam i bet it has made you a better person in the end.

Great job on that mower.


On the front wheels, a man of your talents could regroove the front tyres. Not new, but looks almost like it and essentially free.
Not sure how you would actually do it but im sure you will work it out.

I picked up a victa a couple of weeks back, looking at the wheels i thought they were new. Having a closer looks someone has hand grooved them, a bit deeper than i would imagine the originals to have been done and not quite straight. I had to ask myself why, must have had some traction issues. lol.

Whats next, a little baby ride on???
Not being rude, you strike me as the kind of guy that likes to do it himself. Not sure about NZ but little ride ons pop up here all the time on eBay. You would do an awesome job of restoring one of them.

Cheers, Bob.

Thanks Rodeobob,
That's an interesting thought, re grooving the wheels, I'll have a think about that.
I'm thinking my next project is my Kirby-Lauson that's under the house it's a 4 stroke but the body is exactly the same as the one I've just finished, different colour though it's a greeny colour.
Cheers
Pete

Hi Pete,

It looks great. I am just going through my first restore (started out just changing a gasket and now the whole thing is apart and ready for painting). Any tips you can give me on painting? Did you sand back the existing paint, or paint over, and what type of paint?

Thanks.

Hi Cosullivan,
Thanks very much.
That's basically what happened to me, i just started trying to get her going again after the starter spring unraveled next thing you know I'm doing a full restore.
Tips on painting: I sanded all my parts for painting back to bare metal including the body. Then primed everything with rust protection primer. Then put 2 coats of Enamel paint on the parts and finished with a clear coat after i put the decals on, i thought it would help protect the decals and the paint job and it has. the orange enamel i used was a 3m product i got from super cheap auto it has a good heat protection, which is important for the engine cover and air filter as they are close to the engine you don't want the paint melting off when the engine gets hot.
for the body i got a paint match done at a paint shop this was also enamel.
I hope this helps you.
Good luck with your restore, this mower thing can become addictive lol
Cheers
Pete

Awesome! Lovely result. Congrats.
What's next?

Jolly ripper mate, great job....

Mate, that is a ball tearer of a job.