OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Unusual Customisation Projects My Victa 18 Special Coffee Table Project

Hi to All,
Just an update, with many thanks to Bruce, I now have new wheels. A big thanks to Joe Carroll who came over from Leeton with his flywheel puller and the flywheel came off without a hitch. We removed the electrics (all surprisingly in good shape) the bottom plate and then disassembled the crankcase.

Now the cleaning has started; the base, handles, brackets, cowling and tank are at the blasters and will be primed as soon as the blasting is complete.
I have commenced cleaning of the alloy parts with the crankcase first on the agenda.
I gave them a good soaking in Kenco degreaser, which did a good job...for aluminium and alloys, it has to be diluted 1 part degreaser to 2 parts water.
Plenty more parts to do....Here's some pics...


Ahh well, back to it!!

Looks like the Victoria trip might not be till Australia day, if you want what I have here for you before then, PM me, and I will arrange a trip so you can keep moving with this one Darryl!

Hi Ty, no probs mate, I have just had the chassis, cowling, tank, handles and sundry fittings blasted and are now ready to be primed....I am busy on the alloy work at present.

Have now got a new rubber rectangular spark plug grommet, plug lead and pristine Victa 'smiley-face' fuel cap. I also have got a complete set of new gaskets, and have ground off the welds and removed the 4 worn stub axles, from the front and rear axles. I will now have to get a length of 12.7mm mild bright steel and fabricate some new stubs for them, and get 'em welded in place.

Just an update, here are a couple of pics with the completed flywheel and coil plate, fuel cap, HT lead and gasket set....all coming along slowly.

Thanks for looking,

I have seen that way of packing before on the gasket set, your probably using one of my suppliers

Hi Joe, I don't know mate, I got them from the Online Store right here.....
Here's what I've been up to over the weekend.

I thought this was an early machine, it's got the threaded hole blanked off for the cable to the top of the carby that would have been for the "Predicta" set up for the model 4 Automatic....here's more finished....the barrel needs its coat of gloss black!






Thanks for looking!!

Update...cleaned all brassware for the carby and re-assembled, fuel tap refurbished and completed and gloss black on the barrel, throttle polished...Here's some pics...





Just the little fiddly bits to go now, and back together it goes!!
Thanks for looking.

It looks like you are doing the thing no-holds-barred, Deejay, it should end up a real work of art. Who is going to get the job of dusting it and polishing the brass regularly?

Many years ago I knew a guy with an old Invicta, possibly 1930s. He had occasion to remove the headlining at one point and found that the aluminium hardware that held the roof down had all been hand-buffed when the car was built, so it would look nice for the occasional motor-trimmer who restored the head-lining when the car eventually needed it. I can't help thinking your fine finish on the internal float-bowl parts is a similar sort of concept.

Hi grumpy and thanks for your comments..re: the brassware...all external brass will have a clear coat applied so polishing will be not required for a few years, and the internals will be ready if ever the machine needs to run again. I guess I will have to dust it now and again, as per all furniture, and the glass top cleaned regularly.

Re: cleaning the brassware....I found a great method on the net that works....In a suitable large glass bottle place 3 tablespoons of salt and 2-3 cups of brown vinegar...shake well to dissolve the salt and place the brass into the solution. Swill the parts around in the solution and leave overnight....Result clean brass!!
If a polished surface is required, "Brasso" is the go!

Hi Darryl , looking good , all shiny .
Just a couple of questions , are all those silver engine and carby parts polished or painted ?
Is that fuel tap the correct one ?
Keep up the good work , will be nice to see it finished , how is the frame coming along ?
Cheers Al

Excellent looking pieces Deejay.The table will look nice when finished.
That silvery paint looks very much like the "Chrome" spray in cans I use for similar objects as on stationary engines, cream separators and very soon a Victa New Utility.
But probably is something different.
Stationary:)

Hi to Al and Stationary, and thanks for the kind comments.
To answer your questions, Al, yes, the alloy bright-work is painted; but I don't want to mislead any member to think that this is just an easy solution....A lot of elbow grease required, plus, I had the advice and help from an ardent Manly supporter who's restored many a fine Victa.

Firstly, the parts have to be very thoroughly cleaned and de-greased, then very fine wet and dry to remove any imperfections in the metal; cleaned with 'Prepsol" to remove any traces of contamination, then primed (Fiddly Bits grey primer), wait till thoroughly dry (to allow any residual solvents to be released) and finally topcoat with Auto One "Wheel Silver" (which is Stationary a much different silver than the spray 'chrome'...in the flesh, it is more subtle in colour and looks like polished alloy)
As a very wise man once said..."It's all in the preparation of the substrate"..(the article being painted)

Re: the fuel tap Al, I removed that from the tank that was firmly attached to the cowling that was on the mower when I received it, mate...
The machine appears to be a very early Model 5 and has a "5" with a dash, embossed on the carby, which from my research indicates it is a Model 4 Auto (Predicta) carby with the second cable blanked off.
Why do you ask about the fuel tap, Al....is there something I don't know??

Re: the frame Al, it has been blasted to remove all traces of rust and paint, primed, and is being painted later today....Can't wait to see it completed now.....Will have pics soon....

To sum up, the reason I have painted the bright-work is that this machine is for display as a coffee table, and a you would know, alloy corrodes and discolours...after 50 odd years, this machines bright-work was fairly stained and discoloured...I didn't want that to happen again, especially now it will be a piece of furniture!!

Hi to All, well coming down the home straight now.
Just a couple of questions, does anybody know where I can source a new (or good second hand) throttle cable from, and also the clips that attach it to the handles?
Thanks guys,

Why I asked about fuel tap is that I always associated that type of tap ( 90 degree ) with utilities / sheerlines etc. , you are most likely right in using it , as I have said before , I don't know the technicalities . Looking forward to seeing the colour , Cheers Al

Thanks for that info Al, I have since had a close look at Model 5's, and I think you are correct....Joe Carroll kindly gave me another tank when he was here last and it was fitted with the vertical flow tap....I gave it the salt and vinegar trick and it cleaned up nicely...

Unfortunately it is missing the brass slide retaining screw, and the screw in the other tap seems to be seized and I don't wish to break it trying to get it out....will try and find another, mate.
Here's some pics...



Will have the pics of the base,cowling, etc up soon...

***UPDATE***
I used some Penetrene on the brass screw in the 90 degree fuel tap and safely removed it...it fitted the other tap perfectly and have fitted the fuel filter as well. I will use this tap on the project, as I agree with Al, this is the one that seems to be fitted to the Model 5 Specials.

Well here we are, the frame is painted...just have to do the red on the Victa logo and the '18'....I hope you like the colour. it looks great in the 'flesh'....Here are some pics...Tadaaaa!!



Thanks for looking,

Darryl, that table is going to come up great! I quite like the colour you have chosen, does it look the same stormy metalic blue in real life?

I can't wait to see the final result mate, congrats!!!

Good stuff, looking forward to seeing it on monday!

Yes Ty, it has hints of blue and purple and the metallic really shines through depending on the angle you look at it...sort of like a pearl finish...it is an adaption of 'midnight blue'.
Also Ty, would you have a spare one of the little U shaped metal collars that sit under and over the axle before the housing bolts down...I just discovered one is missing. I don't know what you call them...a primitive bearing of sorts I guess.