OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Rare Finds & Donations It's Raining Corvette 2's

Since putting up in the wanted section for my search on a Corvette 2 model number 535 and or 545,it's been raining Corvette 2's.
Since then I have found a Model 523 and or 533.The 2nd Corvette Victa had produced (First top 3 photos) and a model 543.
It just seems that this model 535 & or 545 just seems to be avoiding me.I have decided though that the next one I find weather it is the same or not I'm going to transfer the engine I have onto it and make it that model.As I have all the other models that use the same base.So here's hoping I can find one more.Fingers crossed.

These 3 photos are the 1964-66 model 523 and or 533.I think due to the date it would more likely be the 523.





This Corvette 2 is the 1967-68 model 543



This is the 2 together


This is the model 535 and or 545 of which started this search.


This is the one I had years ago but due to the base being so bad I just kept the engine.I'm not sure that I still have the handles either.

Blumby, I just repaired a side pull for a bloke similar to the one you have in the last photo,he bought it 37 years ago when his daughter was born, it has been his only mower in that time, and after I repaired it we think it should be good for another 37 years. Tough machines they are

Yes indeed they are still had quality control back then.Certainly not what they are today.

OK just a follow up from all of this action I've been having in regards to the Raining of the Corvette 2.
I have had great success in finding the first 6 models in the Corvette 2 range.
Here they are.The first model (and possibly the more collectible) from 1963-64 model 513


The second model from 1964-66 model 523 & or 533


The third model from 1966-68 model 535 & 545 (this mower does have the wrong starter.It should have an impulse starter)


The forth model from 1967-68 model 543


The fifth model from 1968-69 model 563


and the sixth and final in my collection,from 1969-72 models 69VB-1-2-3,70VB & 71VB.There are different model numbers there as there were some slight differences between them,but they all looked the same.


Considering I wasn't going to collect the Corvette 2 but after I got the first model I thought I'll see what I can find and I've ended up with the first 6 models.

well done Blumbly, you even have one of the hard to get catchers, nice

Yes Blumbly,

It is great that there is, at least, one serious collector of specific
1960s and 1970s Victas.

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Jack

Makes you wonder,is the hi arch base that helpful for day to day mowing of dry grass?

the low arch works fine, i reckon they only introduced the hi arch
base to fill bigger catchers.....but i might get mown down that one

I used an old 125cc Mayfair beater and it did a beautiful job. A group of mothers smiled at me as they walked past with it purring away.

You're almost correct there squizzy - it was actually to be able to fill the big catchers with wet grass!

One reason that was done, was to target the 'wet tropics' market, basically north of latitude 18 degrees South, in Oz.
Where they have to mow wet grass, in their wet season...

Why were thay marketed everyone else then? Oh yeah, an excuse to up sell and it served as an advanced looking design on something that generally didn't need to be changed that much.

Yup, you got it. It's called salesmanship, in the trade.

By the way, the high arch bases were initially exclusive to the Victa banner; it was ~10ish years before a high arch storebrand was offered.

Nan had a badge engineered Pace with the Victa Monaro style hi arch base, also used as the store brand hi arch alloy base.
It would have dated anywhere from the late 1970s.
Clue: had the G4 carby with grey float cover without primer, facing outward with snorkel on the right hand side.

rationalisation gets in the way Gadge, after a few years of
the new fangle hi arch, the low arch seems old and is fazed out,
for not really any good reason...

Well, no good efficacy reason, for sure. The old designs do the job just as well as they ever did.

But other factors come into play; declining sales, and decreased profits. And those are the corporate/management lodestones....

Standardization of the catcher was a very good move by Victa for the customers benefit because replacement catchers became readily available

G'day Norm,
Yep, and Victa ran the standardised mid arch 'Mayfair' catcher through the tin to plastic transition, and for years thereafter.

Plastic transition must have quartered their production cost, and introduced pain to the consumer through cracking.
We were without a catcher through nearly all my childhood because of that. Only the steel decked series catchers got it right.

Yes wet season got none of that this year.Sounds like they are going to declare a drought up here very soon.I think I've even forgotten what mowing is too.When I do decide to I end up covered head to feet in dirt,not nice.Now that I have most of the Corvette 2's,I'd like to get some Corvette 4's.Those little buggers seem to be extremely hard to find.Haven't even had a chance to get close enough to get one.

You could always move onto Cortinas with the delightful 125cc.