I'm still bothered as I have been waiting years to find a close match to the original only to find this is more different than I expected.

I take the point from Bonner Bloke that the Ultra Color green is a very attractive shade of green that really pops and this gold certainly does that just as well.
It does fool my eye into thinking it is more or less the original colour without the direct comparison.
It would be such a shame to sand back such a successful hammertone finish just to make it exactly as it was in the late 1970s, should the other paint turn out a better match. I think I'll run with it seeing as it captures essence of the original without being exact and it looks excellent.

I'll move onto other parts of the mower while I think it through.

Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!