OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Unusual Customisation Projects My Victa 18 Special Coffee Table Project

Here is your machine the day I got it from the swap meet.

Well in most respects it looks better now, but it no longer has a spare wheel. From the amount of wheel trouble Victas have, perhaps it should have a mounting for a spare on the right side of the base, in that huge empty space with the useless mounting for a non-existent accessory. Perhaps your project has potential for upgrades, Deejay.

So I take it you need that axle housing as well then?

Grumpy...I can't believe it....are you suggesting "Tenants Improvements"....BTW, mine doesn't have its wheels on yet, and to my eye, in all respects, it looks better than it did when it arrived....

The answer is a definite yes to that, Jeffery, with my thanks if you have one spare...don't forget they are the Model 4 Auto housings with the overhang for the flap attachment, which are probably rarer....I guess I could have done this project 2 ways ...the easy...just cosmetic...or...as I have chosen to do, make it the best I can within my limited budget....I am extremely happy with it thus far...it's not meant to be original....it's the base for a coffee table....but could be a going concern with a couple of seals, a barrel hone and a new piston!
Thanks again for you advice, Jeffery and your help.

No question it looks better Deejay. The colour scheme looks classy but for some reason it reminds me of a Canberra bomber rather than an early Victa.
(I think I've seen a Martin B57 painted up like that when it was taken over by the US weather service - the crew reportedly called it the Batplane.) I'm not criticising, it happens I like Canberra bombers a lot. Here's an Australian one:


US version (same plane, slightly different model):


(Pictures from wikipedia).

Grumpy, As a matter of fact when I was in the RAAF I worked for a time at No. 3 Aircraft Depot (3AD) at RAAF Base Amberley (Ipswich QLD) in the Canberra hangar as a framie fitter on these beasts....Strange cattle a Canberra....all nuts, bolts etc were British Association...1BA, 2 BA, 10BA..etc they were made by English Electric PTY. LTD, and a very sturdy airframe and a great workhorse and the replacement at the time for the AVRO Lincoln (made in OZ by GAF...Government Aircraft Factory)... Avro had a link to one of your relly's...Harry Hawker.

Thanks Deejay, I don't personally know of a link between Avro and Harry Hawker, but there may have been one. Harry only lived about a year after H. G. Hawker Engineering was formed, following the liquidation of Sopwith Aviation in 1920. Tommy Sopwith and Harry were both on the board, and of course the new company did very well indeed after Harry's death in a test flight on 12 July 1921. A.V. Roe left Avro in 1928, and Avro itself was finally "absorbed into" Hawker Siddley in 1963 - the Avro name was abolished at that point. I suppose it is a matter of personal opinion whether the high point for Avro was the Lancaster bomber of WW2, or the Vulcan bomber of the nuclear period. I like the Vulcan, it was the only V-bomber that seemed like a world-leading design to me. Here are some early Vulcans at Farnborough in 1953 (picture from wikipedia):

Thanks for that grumpy...I may have been mistaken and confused Harry with Bert Hinkler..but I could have sworn that Harry had something to do with a handling problem with A V Roe's "Baby" aircraft....a lot of those guys involved in aviation in the great war era were mates, so I am led to believe.
OOps! we've gone off topic again....Sorry!

So you only need one.Done if you need any others let me know.I have a few spares here.Just so you know they are the easiest ones to find.They are more common.The ones that don't have the flap brackets.They are the harder ones to find.Not that hard but there is less of them.So do you need it before our trip your way,or can it wait till then? Let me know which way you want to go.

Hi Jeffrey, and many thanks for that, I didn't think I'd get a replacement. Yes mate, just need the housing and the 'U'block and spring.

The project is now stalled; just waiting for TY to get back to me re the axles, which is all I need (plus the housing and 'U' block, snorkel and air filter of course). Ty has said he will post some photos of the axles...

I am tempted to see if I could get the axles and the housing, snorkel etc. posted to me so I can complete the project. I will gladly pay the postage. The glass is cut, edges polished and is ready to go.
Do you guys know when you're heading this way?

I have a funny feeling the axles Ty was talking about was a set I have,as I remember him asking me if I had some.When I get back home I'll have a talk to him.As I'm currently in Batemans Bay for the next couple of days.I will see Ty when I get home and work out what he was talking about,as I'm not sure he has any model 5 axles.I will get back to you on that.

Thanks Jeffrey, I would like to get the project completed before I travel to Brisbane for my Dad's 95th birthday bash, and I all need is the parts to finish...
Glad to hear you're on the mend, and hope to meet you soon.

I have a full set of Axles aside here, they come from an old model five base i forgot that I disassembled a few years back, put all the parts in a box and only uncovered them while unpacking

I'll bring them, and the other M5 parts i have about on Thursday.

(I have the u-blocks too, plus the springs i think, and a bunch of Misc. Other)

Thanks a million Ty, thanks for the phone call, and its great to be meeting you on Thursday mate.
I gave Joe a ring last night and let him know you are coming over...he's gonna try to get here as well after work. Will have some 'New' on ice!

Ty I will pm you when I get home today with a proposition....

**UPDATE**
Hi to All, thanks to Ty who arrived yesterday with the axles and the front axle housing and 'U' block very kindly donated by Blumbly....after de-greasing, cleaning, priming and painting....they have been successfully installed back on the old girl and finally, it is back on its wheels!
Here's some pics....

Now you'll probably scratch that magnificent paint when you install the props to hold up the glass top.

I hope not....as it happens I don't have supports.... I made up a bracket that attaches to the upper right hand side of the fuel tank (as the tank was corroded inside and would not be used on a running mower) that supports the upper handle in the horizontal and level plane.
The glass is smoked and looks a lot darker in the pics...you can see the machine clearly through it...
Here's some pics...





Here it was when it arrived in Wagga Wagga...

We've come along way since then!!

It looks really great, Deejay, I hope the table top is rigid enough at the end furthest from the handle supports though.

Yes it's quite rigid grumpy, but I don't expect anyone to sit on it....after all, it is a coffee table. I just didn't want the supports to ruin the 'look', if you know what I mean...the handle clamps have locked up exceedingly well.

If you can put a 2 kg Christmas cake and half a dozen pints of beer on the end of the table without it deflecting or feeling springy, Deejay, it sounds like a success. It certainly looks outstanding.

Thanks grumpy, just the throttle cable, snorkel and air-filter to go, and its all finished...been loads of fun and a bit of learning curve as well.
Mmmm....what am going to do now???

That's easy Deejay, you need to make the world's first reel mower coffee table. I visualise an ATCO, for its chunky look and rigid handlebars (besides, I'm kind of an ATCO guy).

Hi grumpy....I think that Di would object to more than 1 mower in the lounge room....
But here's a thought....an unusual Bar-B-Que....



I can visualise Fords, Holdens, Valiants, Cortinas etc...

I think it would get all smeared and scratched pretty quickly if it was where I live Deejay. It only works as a neat project if you keep it looking immaculate. That is why barbeques tend to be matt black. I agree it looks great though, if you never use it, and polish it regularly. How about a D-type, rather than those boring production cars? Or maybe a Nessmobile, or a Model A, in the traditional dull black, with the big folding bonnet used to cover up the cooking kit?

Looks good deejay.You must use different glass than me.Besides it being tinted.I also tried it to start without brackets for the handles.It didn't work.I have also found as I have over time had two sheets of glass broken,that I needed a sheet that is 8mm thick.I now know that was strong enough as earlier in the year I had a 40inch 42kg plasma TV fall onto the coffee table.All it did was break the suction cups off.Killed the TV though.So good luck without the handle brackets.Also I guess with the weight of 8mm thick glass I couldn't do it without the handle braces now.I started with 5mm thick glass,even just putting a coffee mug down the wrong way was enough to smash the glass.

Looking Good Darryl,

I was curious as to how the tinted glass would look, and I quite like it!

That colour really looks great in person, and now that Elly is hinting for a Victa coffee table around here, I'll need to pick my colour.

Hope your Idea for the bracket free handle support works, I might have a few ideas of my own for that, I guess we will see when the experiments begin.

Hi Blumbly, I measured my glass and it is 8.3mm thick tinted plate glass. It is heavy, and I am concerned that over time it may crack the handle castings....I think I may have to use some support at the front...I have an idea that may do the job, without detracting from the 'look'.
Thanks again for your comments mate, and of course, the front housing and block for the axle. I think it all came together really well, just a few small bits to go...

Hi Ty, I must admit I think I was a little ambitious in thinking I could get away with no front support brackets...there's been no probs with it so far...but I do feel that I am putting a lot of faith in the integrity of the alloy handle brackets plus my tank mod....but if you read my reply to Jeffery, I have an idea which may solve the prob.
Many thanks once again for the axles. Glad to see you got home safe and it was great to finally meet you in person, Ty.