OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Rare Finds & Donations What to do with this??? Auto Drive??

Received this today as part payment of a repair debt,







Now, I will try and get it up and running in the next few days (hasn't been run for5 years), but I am not much of a collector and will most likely try and recover the debt owed.
Who would like to ID the machine, and I will offer anyone here to get in touch with any E.O.I before it goes up for sale anywhere else. (If i decide to sell)

It is the one and the only VC-160 Auto Drive Mark I from 1972.
The very same as this one of mine. VC-160 Auto Drive mark I

Wow very very hard to find the original green catcher.Even I haven't found one yet.I have to settle for the black one at the moment.Although may never find another green catcher.

The catcher has has seen better days, but then it is still usable.

The catcher could be repaired if you know what you were doing with a heat gun.. Just saying..


Kori

It looks really complete to me, quick clean up and flogg it maybe if it runs well.

However the drive and catcher alone could be worth more than the mower

What does the "repair" owe you?

Mick

I'm all for clean it up and restore it, it's a very hard machine to find, and personally, a favorite.

As Blumbly has said, this is the First Auto Drive, The 1972-1973 Victa VC-160 Auto Drive, V109. It marks a big shift for Victa with self propelled machines too.

Prior to the release of this model, the victa's self propelled models had retained the same principals since they begain, in which the rear wheels were driven by friction rollers resting on top of them on a low arch base.

With this machine the Self Propelled concept was able to be bestowed all the top end features of the premier model of the day, the VC-160, as it utilised the same sesign, and did so by driving the rear wheels internally, allowing the drive system to go through the base rather than over it.

It indeed looks to be very complete, and a great candidate for restore, even having the original black throttle control, and an unbroken catch lever. and provided it is all there, getting the drive system working is often not too tricky. further, if the engine is beyond repair, a replacement can be sourced from any machine with a Series 70 MKII Engine.

I agree with both Kori and Ty on what they are saying,but if your not a collector then I guess it just doesn't hold any appeal to you.Which is fair enough,I can under stand that.I would love to throw my hand up and say I'd like it (which I would)but the only thing for me is it would have to travel almost the entire eastern sea board of Australia to get here.Then all I would do is take the throttle control and the catcher put on mine,then make Ty's one here a complete mower.So I'm not entirely sure it would be worth it to me.Just a shame we are too far apart.As my rough guess on shipping is about $114.35 and that's from depot to depot,any variations would be more and seeing as I'm not sure where you are I'm sure there would be.Which would just push that price up.So as much as I'd love to (unless someone is going for a trip soon)it may be to much for me.Bugger bum poob.

IT GOES. Tank of fuel, 3rd pull, away and mowing.
Tries to over rev a little, but, goes and drives. Nice. Will try and post a vid soon.

BTW, the throttle control housing is complete, but very brittle. Very, very brittle.
Can i post how much the debt owes me here or not?

Preferably not, rusty. This is about your mowers, not what is owed to you in relation to other matters. At most, you could indicate what you paid for the mowers. That is, how much the debt was reduced by giving you the mowers. In other words, you could say "I paid xx dollars for the mowers, by taking them as part payment of an unrelated debt."

Where abouts in tas are you? We have a farm in bangor (a bit out of launceston) if the price is right.

I am 20 mins north of the Hobart Town

Some pics after a quick clean:

It also needs a new muffler. I did cut 1/2 acre of grass with it today though

Stop it you'll make me want it more.
Did you change the throttle control?

No, that's how i got it.

OH it looked like it had a black one on it in the first photo.
Well it won't be the original one then,but still the catcher is.

So it's meant to be all black, the throttle control? Gee, they would be thin on the ground.

[video][/video]
Here is a little vid of the beastie in action.

I'm not positive white is non-original, as both were in use in 1972, and I have seen enough white ones to feel that it might have indeed varied depending on where it was built and sold, it's quite possible that it is original as is.