OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers My Victa 18 Special Restoration

Hi all, I picked up myself one of these mowers for restoration. Engine is good condition but the previous owner had left petrol in the tank hence now the fuel system is clogged up with oil

Can someone confirm for me that this is in fact a Model 5? I am also in process of restoring it and I do know that the cowling and base are painted in Avocado Hammertone, but what colour were the handles originally painted in? Brunswick green?

Any info would be great!

I am getting the impression of bolt holes on both sides of the base, to me that would be for a model 4?

Hi Joe,

as far as I know there are no holes on the base. I may need to check again..

I agree with Joe,there does appear to be the extra 2 guard mount holes on the EX side,but the Image is not real clear maybee they are just well placed scratches.Its real easy Luvpsi,If the base has four mount holes on it its a model 4 if it only has the 2 then its a model 5:)The engine no (assuming the engine is original)could also help in determining the exact model.The cowl on yours is still a very faded avocado,and Deep Brunswick green will be just fine for your handle bars and bracket.

Hi Mal. I have been led to believe that a few very early Model 5's Specials were produced with the Model 4 (4 side skirt holes) base and that was to use up the stock of the Predicta bases. These early ones sported the Special handle bar badge (instead of the 'Automatic' alloy badge)
This may be the case here.

Thanks guys. I will check for the holes tonight.

I have been able to source Avocado Hammertone with no luck.. seems like Galmet or White Knight do not make this colour any more.. the closes i have found it Alpine Green Hammertone finish which is lighter shade..

anyone know where in Sydney are I can source this paint??

Your Aboslutely correct Deejay!!!But the engine no is the only way to tell for sure(again provided it is original).Engine nos for the model 4 (non predicta)can go from 128,000 to over 300,000 so the odds of it being a 4 are good.If the nos fall after this or contain a different lower prefix then id say its had an engine change:)If the nos are relatively low in the 200,000 mark then I think what you say could well be the case,an early model 5 with model 4 base:)Im interested to know now,since shes a few shades of green,nothing like making her how she was when it came of the production line:)
Avocado hammer finish is available from any mitre 10 store that has a paint dept and some independant chains.you need to ask for it,but seriously consider this first,It is not a match as far as im concerned,ive had it tinted with wattle and dulux and both are incorrect giving it a more blue shade rather than green.while the coding is accurate the tinters appear to be different.Phoenix laquers in bankstown may be able to help you if you give them an accurate sample.they are cheap 33p/l compared to nearly 60 for galmet and the flow and patina is very nice,the best ive seen.If your not to fussy thier are a few greens in various brands of Spray,White knight and plasi-cote.If you want it perfect get it matched by a pro:)

Hi Mal, yes we will have to wait and see with the engine number....another give-away may be the left-hand front and back height adjuster....the Model 5's have a slit and a hole to allow the adjuster to be clamped in position with the use of the combined plug spanner...this was absent on the 'Predicta Automatic'.

Hey Deejay,Also Correct,But to throw a spanner in the works,NOT all Predictas had a solid front height adjuster,(Although that is one for speculation),just as only the earlier predictas had the oil nips on the Carby side axle housings.
I have 3 model fours currently (2 are automatics)one has the solid a very early one and the other slits Both were purchased from the original owners BUT they are 15,000 mowers apart.Ive let many basic 4s go and they all had slits for the axle housings:)

thanks for all the comments! i can now confirm that there are in fact holes on either side of the base and the engine jumber is 277963 :-) would it matter too much if i went with another shade of green?

Awesome!What is the number on the lower crank half Luvpsi?This will be the last piece of your puzzle for a close to exact model description as we can give:)I would at this point say its a model 4 still since the base and engine combined fall into the model 4 time line.The lower crank half single digit number would more than likely be a 4 or a 5?As for the green some would say it should be avocado,BUT its your mower and your preference,personally if im doing a rarer restoration of an accurate model then I will use Avocado,But different colours make for a change and also enhance the mowers appearance,As an example...Al(Alwil) has a vast colour array on a few of his specials and they all look Amazing go and have a look and see if they appeal.The choice is entirely up to you! and dont let anyone tell you how and what your resto should look like.Have fun and cant wait to see how you go:).

Brilliant Thanks for the info again. So would this mower be considered as a 'rarer' of the victa specials?

Hmmmmm,Rarer...Yes and no....Assuming your mower is 100% accurate engine to base then,yes it is slightly rarer than a common correct series run model 4 0r 5...BUT only slightly:)Ok I guess as most know the Predicta is the rarest 110,000 128,000 approx.I use this number as this is where the model 3 and four intersect.Anyways some say rarer,but truthfully ive owned more model 4s than any other special maybee over 50 and this is not by choice it was what came up or on offer at the time.other than the predicta the next rarest in my opinon will be the unmarked department store models.Im not going to go into the 3 series of model 5 but the way id work it out is like this.from model 4(non predicta through the model 5s any number sequence from 128,000 to 300,000 aprox is what id call a true series special.there are so many variants of numbers after this they become confusing and un accountable.The series got lost from between here and the sheerline model 6.In summery I guess apart from the predicta and dept models.The lower the series no the rarer/more appealing it will be.But there are so many factors to consider.The main ones are,is it in good original shape/unrestored,are all parts there,has it been changed moded or tampered with,this is what makes a model RARE.This is my opinion only.Hope i havnt confused you:)

Hi Mal, just as a comparison my Model 5 has the 2 side skirt holes, edger slot and cover (with spring clip attachment) base and height adjuster extensions and Engine No AA 14992 and single digit '6' on the lower crankcase.
Could you give me please the approximate year of manufacture? Also am I correct in assuming that it is an early Model 5 Special?
Thanks mate,

Noooooooo.Too much pressure,lols.
100% accurately...No but close enough.(As a comparison to Luvpsi whos mower at present we are assuming is a late model 4 or a model 5 series 1,is earlier than your model 5 series 2).Ok,So lets go back to numbers.Model 5 series 2(Yours)has an engine number that does not run between 200,000 and 300,000 which would cover the first model 5 series 2s.you do have axle extensions still so it doesnt place it in the model 5 series 3 era.OK So you have an AA.Lets assume that for each letter prefix Ie,A,AA,AAA,AAAA,AC
approximately 20,000 model 5 mowers where made.That places yours at 34,992.+ we will say another 50,000 mowers in the 200,000-300,000 run we will say 50% were model 5s (the other 50% being made up of the last model 3s and model 4s.So that makes your mower no 80,992.give or a take a couple of mowers lols.So since it has a groove cover,is a mid + range Serial No,Id say its late 1958,but definately not the first Model 5 series 2 Id say MID way.What was your conclusion Deejay?Since accurate model nos are not known you really need to work things out mathematically...Just a Note:The model prefix of A,AA,AA came after the 300,000 run.I see a lot of people by these model 5s with these prefixes and they go higher in price,I assume they think its because the number is lower than say 300,000?I personally will try and get the lowest nos of any model I can.My model 1 for example is one of the earliest Rotos ever made,While I place all model 1 rots in the rare category,A low number means a little more to me.When I look at the 8 millionth mower go recently for auction and I think to my self I have the first true victa numbered in the hundreds its pretty Awesome I reakon.Anyways Others know way more than I but these are my results on what ive learnt and have owned over the years,Im certain they are fairly accurate.Others may like to add more or make any corrections to mistakes ive made as there is still so much more for me to learn.

Thanks Mal, very interesting material and thanks for posting it....Yes mate, I had a feeling it would be late '58, but not being able to work out the numbers, I didn't know it was a Model 5, Series 2 for sure....thanks to you, now I do!

Hi Mal,

Where did you find out about that method of working out the numbers, I have heard so many different theories about the early serial numbers, and the letters assigned to some, but not this one before, it's quite interesting, can you tell me more about how you found this info?

Victa seem so sporadic with their numbering systems, in the early days it seems sequential, then they added the engine prefix and 2-digit year code in about 64, then mid 70's they dropped to single year digits, then then sometime early 80's gets confusing again, once they hit powertorques the year stamp comes back, but i'm yet to work out the rest.

Hi Ty,
Ok,Am I correct that its fairly common knowledge that the first Victa models 1,2,2a,3,and the Automatic number sequence is accurate.Based on mower experts,original information,original victa workers and actual models owned.
As for later models What ive owned ,seen,have in my possesion and recorded are number sequences from the point of the model 4 predicta.Ok so we know that the model 4(predicta) and model 3 Rotomo intersected at Approx 128,000 based on models owned.Example I have 2 model 3s @ 128 and 129,000.I have an automatic that is 128,000.and have passed on another example at 126,000 with addition of other owners mowers that fall into this numbers sequence.so its safe to say the intersection is correct.We also know that from here on the model 3 and 4 continued.The model 3 has shown examples of close to 200,000 before it was finished.the model 4 continued on still with examples showing sequence nos over the 300,000 mark.the earlier versions of these would be classed as the model 5 series one,which is what the discussion was about in a prior thread.Example model 4 base,edger clip,possible badges and obviously axle extensions.Examples of the model 5 sereis 2 have been at or around the 200,000 mark going again high up into the 200,000s.Ok so here it gets a little strange and disjointed.Numbers after 300,000 seem less and sporadic ive seen examples of up to 350,000s for model 4s still.How many model 4 bases did they actually make???? they where still being used!!!!ok so it is my opinon that this is where the model 5 series 2 changed between the late 300,000 and 350,000.The numbering changed and the A prefix emerged.I have seen many prefixes A,AA,AAA,AAAA,AC,AAC and a few others.(NOT including industrial Tiger,HG palmer and *possibly Dept store models)Nearly every model special that I see or come on ebay I have enquired as to the engine no to try and gauge "what and when"or which model has which sequence of numbers.So far with the lettered prefixes the run doesnt appear to go much above 25,000,(please correct me if im wrong).So assuming this is the case we will follow a sequence of numbers through MID model 5 series 2 mowers right through and up to the last model 5.(Again not including dept models).So assuming this letter number prefix also runs in order,and for every letter we say on average there is 25,000 models per letter prefix then we should be able to gauge a rough amount made.Unfortunately this is where my info stops and yours starts.I need more information from 61 to...YOUR 64 and on knowledge. IE, the SHEERLINE numbers to try and guage a more accurate ending of the model 5 series.
Again im still piecing things together,but with more imput and examples it will make a more accurate and clear picture.I have more info in detail of other examples but ive written enough for now.
Any addition,info,imput or challenge to anything I have listed would be appreciated,I want it to become as accurate as possible.
Also I would love some sheerline model 6 serial numbers if possible,as I no longer own any:)

ALmost there.. just waiting on new hubcaps and tank sticker..

Looks awesome.


Im almost inspired to keep the model 5 i just got and do it up.