Hi Glenn,
Well you've certainly picked up a Goodie there. This to me was the period of the nicest looking machines but with a few design flaws incorporated within.
The Briggs 3 Hp 80202 engine was one of the best in it's time and this one was built on the 10th of June 1977, thus the mower would've been built around October / November of the same year. It is finished in Apple Green and was one of the last to get the Aluminium ID plate here in Adelaide until the beginning of production at Eagle Farm in Queensland when the plate was re-introduced after the final lot in Adelaide having only a sticker used which generally disintegrated over time.
Did you get the catcher ?
The Land Roll clutch sprocket still has it's original bearing as they used an NSK sealed bearing by that time. In actual fact SB used a sealed bearing in that sprocket from day one of production in the model 45.
Honestly this one certainly looks like it could only do with a cosmetic rebuild and changing all it's bearings as a natural progression opposed to needing anything more.
Just one thing I would have a good look at is rail fracturing under the engine where it radiates out from the mounting points.
reel blasting and sharpening along with a new bed knife is all that is really required from where I can see visually at this point in time.
Cheers,
BB.
BTW $50 ????? Bargain !! as once rebuilt its a $1200 machine.
