OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Rover Ride On Mower Rover Colt 8 - Identification Issues

hi all great site ! any help to identify this mower would be greatly appriciated i think its a colt 8 but was sold as a scott b ride on , cheers john

Hi John, welcome to Outdoorking. It would help if you could post a larger picture - the one you have supplied would have to be strapped over one eye to get a decent look at it. Are there any numbers on the frame of the mower?

Definately a colt 5 or 8, but without a bigger pic I cannot offer any more information.

Hi brisy, and a warm welcome to the forum. we all like to learn new things and tinker here.
In order for us to help you, can you please post some large pics of your machine preferably from different angles; also any numbers on the machine plus the make of engine and the whole string of numbers for it also.
This will help us ID the machine.
I can tell you Scott Bonnar did not make a ride-on machine, however SB was taken over by Rover in 1980....and they did manufacture ride-ons.....so it may be a Rover

Once again, brisy, to OutdoorKing.

Unless you post a large picture we will not be able to help with ID.

thanks for the warm welcome and the info ,i will upload some decent pictures on the weekend , i m happy that a lot of parts are available in the shop , anyone know if the parts are ex Australia ?

Hi Brisy, in all probability you have a Rover Colt...we won't know exactly till you supply the numbers and the pics....Rover's were manufactured in Brisbane before being absorbed themselves by MTD.... your machine, assuming it is a Colt is an Australian product; I do not believe that a lot of parts would be available ex-Australia.

some images of the mower ,still confused scott bonner stickers all over it and rover id badge,seams to be push pedal to engage drive/ release brake which is missing return spring ive looked at the manuals for the colt 5,8,7-3 ,i can see a spring but not exactly where it connecets to a photo of this part would be awesome if anyone has one

The mower appears to be a Colt 5, Model 72721, with an 11 cubic inch, second design generation, vertical crankshaft Briggs and Stratton engine with a Pulsa-Jet carburetor, plain main bearings and a rewind starter. The engine was manufactured on 7 October, 1981. (The mower was probably made a few months later than that.) I have no idea why it had Scott Bonnar badging as well as Rover, but SB was a subsidiary of Rover by then.

Hi brisy, well the ID Plate confirms it, it is a Rover and that combined with the manufacture date of the Briggs and Stratton, which is 7th October 1981 means that Scott Bonnar had been merged into Rover Australia LTD by that date. They were then known for a time as Rover-Scott Bonnar.
As I stated earlier, my belief is that Scott Bonnar did not have ride-ons as part of their line-up at any stage, prior to the take-over by Rover.
In my opinion, your machine is a Rover Colt 5, Model 72721, manufactured by Rover-Scott Bonnar in late 1981 early '82.
Are you planning to restore it....I think it would come up a treat!

thanks for the reply's, yes deejay restore is on the cards ,as well as the missing brake spring also missing the deck brake spring if anyone has photos of these so i can see where they attach to i can then source a generic spring/s,
also have a b&s 12hp I/C elec start that might get transplanted just need a wiring diagram for alternator /battery and start switch wiring

Worth noting the rover ones of that age were red and the older models were a pale blue, this apprears to be genuinely green from original as the arrows next to the pedals are a transperant sticker and theree is green showing underneath, underneath it all it is originally a rover mower but I belive it is rebadged and was sold as a scott bonnar.

hi joe i was thinking the same ,although the green is original there is red underneath some of the chipped paint on the deck drive mech

Hi brisy and Joe, In my opinion, I wouldn't mind betting that this Colt was originally red and repainted green and re-stickered at a later time with the Scotty decals which would have been available from Rover as spare parts, at that time.

I've attached a couple of Colt pictures from Rover-Scott Bonnar catalogues from the early 1980s. I like mower catalogues.
Regards,
Grant.

Hi Grant, thanks so much for posting the brochure, (I like 'em too) that has given us the colour for the Colt....from the pic it appears more blue than green....so you are right as well Joe, it seems to be a later model than the red version, and is blue....good work, guys!

Im not folowing.
Same as the push mowers.

The older rovers were blue. Like a hammertone blue.

The newer ones were red.




Im thinking there might be a later or newer Colt major. Was the 'Major' tag just for the 8hp??

The earlier ones had the short steering shaft cowl, the angled back front edge on the back guards and the two props under the front of the seat. They were blue.
The later Major had a higher steering shaft cowl, the angled back front edge on the back guards and the two props under the front of the seat. These were red as the barn find one shows.


The later colts had a high and wider steering shaft cowl, a two fold rear guard shaped to the tyre profile and wide side pannels under the seat holding it up instead of the two props and bracket at the back.
Im not rich enough but i think the later late ones had a 3 speed box as well.

Well thats what i think ive worked out.

Hi brisy

Other than the motor and colour I dont see much mechanical / design difference to the colt Major model 7319 I found on the week end. Its still on the trailer I'll flip it over in the next few days and post a pic. every thing should be there so you can compare with yours.

See photo's



I put a 12" steel rule along the deck and engagement spring to help with purchasing a new one, although now I think about it you will need the wire diameter too....(I'll get back on that)....looks about 5/64" on a magnified photo..
Hope it helps,

Hey Fast Grass.

Not sure you are still around on this forum, but if you are please let us know. Chasing a few more measurements if possible

Thanks
Beau