OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Tip & Curb Side Finds A Four And A Two From Victa.

Came across these while driving to the shops. The man putting the rubbish out told me they hadn't been used in a long time and the owner had passed away last week.
One is a late 80s PT and the other a Tornado with Briggs Qantum 50. Body looks clean but has play in the front axle and wanders to the right as you push it.
As I went to take them away a guy pulled over in his car asking me if I was taking the mowers. I got to them in the nick of time. There's no doubt people have an eagle eye for dumped mowers and they are the first item to go in a hard rubbish pile.
I need to get more petrol before I can test if they run.

Excellent score there MF, well done

I'm pretty chuffed NK. Want too thrilled having to shuffle a bit of gear to fit them in the Laser sedan but I got there.

Very nice finds MF

Its the quick or the dead around here as well. I put out a stihl viking with quattro 40 a few months ago. 10 minutes, gone. Ran but smoky and knock due to bad main seal (before I got it).

I was fortunate enough to pick up a Tuscon wagon/hatch - with prep, I can fit 3 mowers and 15 line trimmers without any damage to car or machines (I keep plenty of folded towels in the boot to cover things)

2nd round of our curbside collections monday - got a 2011 Victa Corvette 450 last week. Beautiful condition (postcard sized lawn), but they hit a concrete edge, damaged blade boss but crank looks ok fingers crossed.

That thing's a bus compared to my vehicle. It will be my last sedan although it's surprising what it can fit sometimes, with the 60/40 split fold seat.
I'll be happy with a small hatch as it's the restricted openings that are the main headache with a sedan.
You really like working on weed wackers. I always view old ones as having no hope and regard them as a waste of space to have lying around.
I used to be fascinated with small petrol engine gardening tools but now just can't be a##d playing with the fiddly things.

I have also fitted a fair amount in a sedan with 60/40. The good thing about the tuscon is the passenger seat folds flat forward, so you can fit anything up to 3m (eg that free pine I got from the building site next door) No I didn't nick it - they pitched the roof wrong and pulled 2 units roofs down

Only thing that annoys me is no tow bar yet - quoted $690. Timing belt (plus brake fluid and fan belts while its there) is $920 on Wednesday. Tires are on their way as well.

Can't complain though, got 15000km in 18 months with just 1 major DIY service (new plugs, coolant, auto trans fluid, 3 rad hoses), and 5 DIY oil changes (short 3k interval to flush as I know it was on its way to start being run into the ground before I bought it).

Was averaging 12-13l /100km. With new plugs, similar driving now at 10l/100km and a nearly silent motor.

I am getting that way with trimmers as well - I only do adjustments and carby work now. Found a product at bunnings called mechanic in a bottle saves plenty of carby re-teardowns if I dislodged dirt the first time

I do like the old Ryan engines though

The amount of trimming I have, I can easily get away with anything small as 15cc - the old stihls have a nice feel to them.

hi MF,
I would have pressed the point and said, ok let's have one each, as i'm an old pensioner.
Try to make you feel bad.....
speedy

Speedy I got to confess that may have worked but the guy looked 40. I did feel empathy but would have felt worse later if I let him have them.
Tyles, well done on DIYing the "Undai". No doubt saved you hundreds for a worthwhile vehicle and saved it from becoming a basket case from neglect. Cars cost cash when you pay professionals so any work getting under the car is money in the bank.
Ryan's are very basic to tear down and reassemble but the Mitsubishi TU -26 feels like a Mercedes compared to those crude things. It seems the older they are the better. The green Ryobis from the late 80s were better than the more modern looking grey ones in the 90s.
There was a Victa catalogue shown here from 1982 with a red Ryan powered trimmer and it said "coming soon", suggesting it was the first to enter our market and was probably then a new engine.

Hi MF

The major service and hoses cost me $300 in parts (ngk, penrite, gates hoses, castrol only) - so saved a good amount considering labour +genuine parts cost

It wasn't in bad condition by any stretch - it was bought by my grandfather brand new with inheritance from my great-grandmother so has history in the family. He put 65k on it to 2016, serviced every 6 months. Then others started driving it (not significant car killers but not so careful) - put 25k on without even lifting the bonnet - I began checking it regularly for him when I found no coolant in the overflow and low oil.

He had it serviced right before I bought it and new brake pads fitted

I had first right of refusal at a very good price - otherwise it was going to another relative with 16yo daughter for her to learn to drive in. So that would have terminally stuffed it

Tyler, I hope the automatic (assuming it's not a manual) didn't get terribly abused as Hyundai autos cost as much as the car is worth to replace brand new so I used to hear, but they're well made as they're built in house.
Just because the previous drivers are in the family doesn't mean they're responsible people. At least you know what to expect.

Tried the PT two stroke and it won't start even with spark and fuel flowing well out of the tank. *Sigh* will have to start fiddling with the carburettor next.

Nice find Mf ,those two victa mowers look like they have some potential seeing as the bases aren't rusted through.

I've tried to not pick up mowers lately as finding spare space is a problem but could not resist a a free VC 500.
All it needed was a spark plug to have it running again.

Cheers
Max.

Good score Max
I haven't found anything worth bothering about for heading towards 12 months now, maybe even longer seeing we are heading to nearly 8 months locked down now

G'day maxwestern,
you just couldn't turn that beauty down. That will clean up top notch for a quick sale. I find cheap degreaser and a wet rag cleaned that same engine cover very nice when I did it.

Norm, I found these about 2km from my place so there is some hope. They seem to get grabbed very quick though.

Good news the PT started right up after pulling off the float chamber cover and cleaning all the passage ways with carby cleaner and checking the needle was ok.
It starts at the slightest pull of the starter. Very happy. It just needs new blades and it's ready to mow.
Onto the Briggs Tornado next.

Hi Norm and Mf,

The problem at the moment around here is mowers don't seem to be selling too well.


I would look in other suburbs Norm if your area is a no go for finding mowers but not at the moment with the 5 km radius travel
limit.

Cheers
Max.

Strange. With the lock down you'd expect more wanting to tinker or cut the grass.

Hi Max,
I have no idea when I last put fuel in my car and it is still over 3/4 full, only time I go out is to the doctors and that is a bit over 1k from home.

No one going to comment about me successfully getting the Powertorque to talk?!!

Its rare to find good things around here as well - have to go look. Probably stems from people knowing they can get 20-40 even for a non runner on gumtree

Norm, think of all the people who have e10 in their tanks - they are about to be stuffed

Yes it's strange Mf but apparently Firewood is selling well at the moment with the lock down ,I've made $500 with a few hours work.


I would start to worry Norm if the fuel has been in the tank for 6 months ,I had a mower that would not run on 6 month old fuel,I've
had a few vehicles that were left with fuel in the tanks for too long and had to buy replacement fuel tanks and pumps.

I would be using a fuel stabilizer Norm. I'm surprised I've used 3 tanks of fuel and have only traveled out about 6 km from home.

Cheers
Max.

HI MF,
I CARE ABOUT YOU GETTING YOUR PT RUNNING, I really do.
Hi Max, I have been really busy building shelving/racking for all the catchers and then a couple of sheds up the back and haven't touched the mowers since the lockdown started so I also haven't done any running around. My wife keeps an eye out for anything on the nature strips but there is nothing. I have gone through a fair bit of wood this year, still have plenty left here, I mostly use one log on the fire and feed it with old fencing or the never ending supply of pallets dumped out side the factories around here. I also still have a 44 of petrol here that I filled up right at the start of the panic buying in Feb, so long ago that even the servo where I got the cheap fuel has been bulldozed for the Skyrail over the South Gippy at the Princess Highway. So much going on and nothing really happening