OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Other Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Villager Mower With Villiers 7F Automatic Engine

Started on the restoration of my Villager Automatic, I purchased it off Gumtree early last year





I have had the mower stripped down for a while now but other jobs got in the way of making a start. The base and engine cowl received their first coat of paint stripper





I was about to hit the cowl with its second coat of stripper when I spotted this



It's not a sticker but what looks like a heat stamped transfer, first I have seen of this association. More to come :-)

Hi Paul

I think that's the first time I've seen the Ballaarat stamping.
I guess the paint tends to camouflage it.

It always amuses me - the spelling:
The spelling of the name was a source of constant confusion.
It originated from two Aboriginal words "balla arat", meaning "resting place".
The municipality used the spelling Ballaarat as part of its corporate description,
but the town itself came to be known as Ballarat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Ballaarat

p.s. The A.M.M.A. transfer is new to me too.

--------------------------
Jack

Up very early this morning as the forecast was for a very hot day, finished stripping all the old paint off and had the undercoat on by 9 o'clock





Top coat all on by lunchtime

I painted the base Septone hammered silver but I must say the finish is disappointing, just looks silver








All the painting is done now so it will sit for a while to harden up, I have already attended to the engine which has great compression so I just have the carb and fuel tap to service and to tidy up the wheels :-)

That's coming along a treat. What stripper did you use? Is the cowl aluminium? I ask as I know some stripers are caustic and caustic doesn't play well with aluminium.

very nice! much better looking then my villager haha!

Hi slashnburn,

The cowl is pressed steel, I used Diggers brand gel stripper, I guess it is caustic as if you get it on yourself it burns instantly. It removes paint quickly, paint it on and use steel wool to remove the loose paint before it dries. I use gloves.

Thanks mate. Looks like the stripper worked a treat. Always good to get a review/advice on something before shelling out the hard earned.
That Ballarat stamp is interesting as I'm not too far from Ballarat. I've come across a few collectables made there it would have been a very busy town in it's day.

Hi Paul_c,

Your restoration seems to be coming along nicely. Thanks for the info on the paint stripper- my next 'learning experience' will probably be about surface prep. Just wondering, are there times you would use other techniques, e.g. wire/flap wheel? Other?

Also, how many undercoats and top coats did you do, and what was the undercoat (metal primer, etch primer, etc)?

I'm glad to see you hang your parts up by coat hanger off the porch/balcony/hills hoist/etc. too, at least I'm doing something right!

Hi Patrick,

Rust is the killer, that's when you have some work with sanding and filling etc. On this one there was no rust so I chemical stripped it and gave it a light sand. Undercoat is from Supercheap and its just a budget brand for metal, 2 coats light sand in between. Top coat is always a quality paint, usually 3 coats with a light sanding in between.

Thanks for the info Paul and I look forward to the finished product!

What grit and/or type of sandpaper do you use for your light sanding, by the way?

I use Scotch pads, they are like a pot scrubbing pad but for automotive use. They come in various grades and are different colours, I use green and brown.

Putting the frame back together





I would have liked some nicer wheels but they are the originals



Nice to have easy to fold bars, would have been a good selling point

Engine on



Couldn't resist a trial fit

looking good Paul!

Thanks Kye,

Had everything fitted up ready for a trial run, I found an original fuel tap and fitted it up. I know they are prone to leaks hence the abundance of plastic Victa fuel taps which last for nearly a lifetime. Well where it didn't leak from, ditched it and fitted a new tap









All good now, I will be using the mower so I don't want fuel leaks

Hi Pauland Contributors,

I can't believe how quick you work!
Just collecting the day's mail from the letterbox is a major project for me.
The new Villager decal should look awesome on the silver base.

The fuel tap is a sensible approach for vintage mowers that are used.
The fuel bowl style tap was always a Villier's option - the standard tap was
a push-pull brass one.

Here's the original UK release one from January, 1957.
Villier's Australia would have them in production by late 1957.
Your machine, as you know, dates from the early 1960s, when the more
common engine fitted to these was the Kirby 4-stroke.



Another sensational restoration (in progress).

-------------------
Jack

Interesting info Jack, Villiers just releasing a 98cc motor when the Victa started as a 125cc and by 1957 they were heading into the 160cc, obviously the need for a bigger motor was there

Had a bit of a fail with the fuel tank, after fitting the new tap fuel leaked and a aged some of the paint



It wasn't the tap but it had leaked from the braising around the threaded insert for the tap. I had a spare tank so repainted it and fitted a brass fuel tap with new o rings



Also fitted a newer type after market air filter supplied by John at Rustic spares. I had repainted an original but the filters are old and very worn, the new one is easier to maintain and much simpler to service







I can touch up the damaged area so no real harm done :-)

All fitted up with not a drop of fuel anywhere, a few little things to sort then I will apply the decals








Mowed some grass and it did a great job :-)

can't wait to see it done Paul, looking great!

Looks great Paul and look forward to seeing it with decals.

Thanks for the tip about the Scotch-brite pads- I've used them at work for several years to polish metal, hadn't occurred to me to use them here- bit of a "d'oh!" moment for me!

Great job on the restoration. Did you get the decals fitted? Updated Photos :-)
I see the aftermarket air cleaner was also colour matched. :-)
Was paint used just from normal enamel spray cans, like KillRust?
Did you use a spray can clear coat to stop damage from fuel?
I've painted a mower using enamel spray can, but even after several months (no clearcoat applied), spilt fuel still affected the paint.
Cheers
Daryl

Hi Daryl,
Paint was KillrRust red and a hammered finish silver, air filter comes in red plastic. The air filter is an aftermarket item but is very close. I'm not sure if clear coat protects the paint but should protect decals.

I have this one here.
Wheels were knackered, so used Victa wheels, but had to shave the back down. They fit a little loose, but it's better than the three it had.
Cleaned the carbie and fuel bowl, replaced spark plug and boot, checked compression and spark. Replaced stop/start toggle, but still won't start. Any suggestions?