I got this base in a job lot about 15 years ago. It had a dead Briggs on it and later found a rusty steel base Victa with a good working powertorque on it dumped on the kerb behind a mower shop and transferred it over to this base. It has served me well as both my yard mower and for mowing other people's lawns. You wouldn't believe how overgrown a lawn this had tackled in it's time. Two foot tall grass on a number of occasions without complaint, even after I accidentally straight fueled it once and the piston stopped dead in it's tracks. I pulled it out today for the first time in at least two years. After a few pulls and pushes of the primer, it burst into life. It spluttered and conked out early on but after a couple of pushes of the primer it restarted and settled into a rhythm and did my back yard. It was good to give it some exercise and know that it still runs ok.
I forgot I had fitted a pair of the older type hubcaps with Victa lettering stamped in them.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
They have a beautiful solid feel to them MF, really built to last, just a pity the catchers were not as robust. I have dumped so many of those bodies in good condition because I had no decent catchers for them. I was going to cut another one of those catchers for the bin this afternoon but couldn't bring myself to do it, I know I will never use it because of the repairs to it but somebody might need it one day.
These particular thumb latch catchers come in two parts top and bottom half. You can combine two halves to make one good catcher. I forgot this when I found one with cracks at the bottom and left it there. It would have fixed one I have with a missing piece at the top, bridged with a section of thin plastic and screws, with electrical tape over it. This mower goes strong despite most likely having a scored piston and/ or borec from my straight fuelling. Maybe some remnant two stroke oil in the tank saved it from worse damage than it got. Better not to look white all is apparently well!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
