OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Mustang Month !

Good morning all members

I was out looking through a pile of catchers which had been advertised when I spotted this mustang, same model as Tyler got this month. Did my best to ignore it and you know the rest of the story !
In better than average condition apart from missing a leg, it cleaned up well. Only thing wrong was the end had come off the decompressor valve and melted, engine runs great.
There was a lot of build up under the cowling and between the engine and shroud, I can't help thinking that these engines would have to run hotter than average with the muffler and engine block quite tightly covered ? and many must have suffered engine failure and the odd fire or two wouldn't be of surprise to me. As for noise suppression, there is a 72 dba sticker on the handle bar whereby 75dba is the standard, doesn't sound quieter to the ear though. Have no idea what the hand written 5hr with a tick next to it on the engine shroud means.

Cheers
wce

Good find wce. Looks in better condition than mine.

Maybe the 5hr was from its first service back in the day - though I have never owned a new mower I am fairly sure a first service is 5 hours???

Mechanic probably figured no one would notice it under there. But usually there would be a date after it otherwise its quite useless on its own

I think the 72db difference is overrated - though it is slightly noticeable. When new, with a tight carby, there probably was more of a difference.


Lawn is looking mint by the way


Regards

Hi wce and Tyler,
I heard one in 88 and it sounded just as noisy to me as a casual observer across the street.
I did find my yellow Vortex slightly quieter after a direct comparo with another Powertorque but that could be down to the individual engines rather than all the covering.
By looking at it, you'd think it would be whisper quiet.
But not going to happen with a 2 stroke.

I think any noise reduction worth noting is down to the lower typical operating revs required due to the lift effect of the Vortex cutting disc.

Im too late for mustang moth but I did get 4 mock up's put mostly together today for pictures. 3 Mustangs 1 PowerPlus
Here are the Mustangs running a month and a half behind with their advertisements.

These are just mock up pictures before they get put away until it's their turn for restoration.

I wonder, did the series 80 white top Mustang come with that revised catcher shape as used in the electronic ignition Mustang that followed it?

No, it isn't the correct one. I used the catcher that's actually for the next mustang model after that one that I bought the same day. Again, I have one lined up that will suit it closer but still isn't correct completely. In the advertisement it has no indicator hole and the Victa logo is white, in this picture I'll show you the one I have lined up but I might have to give it a paint with a slightly darker green to match the dark deck and then airbrush the Victa logo and give it a solid gloss to match the advertisement.

So to answer the question: No, I cheated.... 🤫

I think this one that's been on ebay since I started collecting is the correct one for one of my 80's Mustangs. It's $300 New Old Stock with box. I've blown my savings and I never had a match for it until now.

Please someone tell me I'm wrong!!!

Update, it's not the right part number, that fits the late 70's early 80's lightweight and some of the later 80's electric's according to the parts reference list on this forum (Probably one of the best sources of basic information to identify parts and mowers)

I knew straight away that was for the compact. Thanks for confirming about the series 80 Mustang catcher. I was pretty sure it still used the old shape catcher but I wasn't positive.

How do you find things like this. Whenever I look on EBay, I hardly ever see things of that calibre. Another member who hasn't posted for many months scored an early PT green base Mustang for $21.00 in Sydney in good condition for it's age complete with good catcher and it had an oversized piston meaning it had been rebuilt at some point. I had been searching the site at the time he announced he got it.
Is eBay playing tricks on me by an algorithm?

It's changing the search engine settings and the wording I put into the engine.

My ebay goes world wide. That's how I've scored some great manuals and memorabilia

It's difficult to set it to worldwide, but I have a roundabout way of doing it.
I used to also type the address for ebay in the UK and would find stuff you don't see with the "worldwide" setting, but they were items not posted overseas but you may get a seller to send it if you contact them.

Here is the correct catcher MF. I picked up today along with a heap of other stuff and I have more to pick up.

It certainly looks better than the green frog version but the SuperStart Mustang that succeeded this one with the same base casting looked more aerodynamic. This was starting to date quite badly by the late 70s.
The 125 III was a better looking all green mower.

Hmm, I disagree. I love the look of this Mustang and the way they put the cowl design back to the bone white, which in my mind is an homage to the first Mustangs with a cross over of the bone white (Like the red and white one) and the green, all be it a darker shade.

But I define agree that of all of the green 70's series that the 73-74 VC125 was the best looking green combination. There is only 1 that trumps it and that's the 72-73 Impala 2 125cc in the VC160 dark green and the red logo.

I don't like that shape catcher either. I never knew they made a darker green one. I do like it on the VC-125 III as an overall package though, but the Mustang with it's green all over cover that makes it look like an ugly lump is just too much.

I guess my issue with the all green Mustangs of the 70's is the different shades of green after the weather has discoloured some parts and not others....

Good to see you got your response in just in time (30 June). Mustang Month is almost over.

Honestly this is my favourite mower, out of all of my mowers.

It's in good condition for it's age. I just wish so many weren't scraped on the edge like that. I thought line trimmers took over the role of edges near cement and rockery years ago.
I recently reshaped a badly worn edge of a red Vortex base using a section of steel strap and grey epoxy filler for steel and aluminium. There was no metal at all up to an inch from the bottom. Wouldn't know it now.

Better picture.

Handy bit of work there MF, well done.

Cheers
wce

Hi wce,
appreciate the comment. I wish I had a before pic.
Believe me it was shocking. Base in good condition otherwise apart from wheels and rear flap spring.

Brought out the Mustang to mow with and grabbed the nearest catcher which is from a Corvette.
I have repaired the side of the base but not as comprehensively as the Vortex. Still looks better than before.

Very nice MF, I do plan on having all of my Mustangs as mint as I can get them. I still haven't put the engine of my first resto back together because I'm still waiting on surgery on my right wrist and can only do small amounts before I can't use my thumb and index finger for 2 days. That's why I spend most of my time at the moment collecting everything, reading and learning. Now my interest's have turned a bit towards the 50's Pace mowers before Victa bought them. I received 3 Scott bonnar mowers in pieces but with everything there to put them back together and my sunbeam to pick up and another purple VC-SPORT to pick up too and hopefully find some decent catcher's too this week.

I read that Pace mowers were considered better than Victas at the time Victa bought them out. They were fIerce rivals. It's a shame Victa eliminated it's competition this way and just used the name to badge engineer their own products.
I'm glad somebody is focussing on Pace products before the Victa takeover.

PS hope your hand heals soon. At least you're making the most of the situation.

Cheers mate, the one that I picked up today in good condition should be running tomorrow. But im going to fix the paint job on the base because it's not the original so I'll try and get it back to the original colour scheme and get the original "Automatic" decal put back on the front. It won't be mowing any lawns, it's done enough I think. But it will definitely get run quite often just because I like to sit there and listen to my mowers occasionally when the lawn doesn't need mowing I just start some of them up and let them run for a bit, just making sure they stay well lubricated. I do mow my lawns with my Mustangs and vortexes and I'm really looking forward to mowing my lawn with my cortina 2 with the old metal catcher on it. I have a long steep nature strip that leads down to on of the 2 main roads where I live so heaps of people see me Using them, I got a toot of the horn with my yellow vortex!

I like it best when girls watch.

😂😂😂 don't we all! But now I'm not a gardener any more the old gut has become less appealing and I'm old and grey

Come off it Sean, 30s and even 40s these days is hardly old. 60s is still middle age now, though I was a bit worried when I overheard two teen girls looking at a ripped shirtless jogger who looked no older than 40 and one of them said no way, that guy's 60!

With it's proper, albeit black replacement catcher as the green one I had was full of cracks toward the front so found this on Gumtree and disposed of the other. I like the look of the black catcher.

Also showing the repair I did to the base.

Of course you think it looks better in black when you don't have the green. The green is what makes it. All Mustangs that are green look better with the correct catcher. Sorry mate.

I have so many green catchers I could paint one purple easily to fit my VC-SPORT but in my heart I know that it's not the original. So I get the original. I could mock up the red and white 73-74 Mustang but I would know that it's not real!

Come on MF Original is best!