OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Identification of Particular Machines Victa Model 4 Automatic Specifications

Just saw one of these sell on ebay. Unrestored for $2600.00. Wow

Yes andyandeva, I would have loved to of had those very complete front and rear flaps, but that was all you got for your money as the rest was nothing really, $1300 a flap, I dont think so.

exactly! at 1600 I stated in a previous thread it had hit its peak....2600 for both flaps, crazy! 1200 tops for front and 500 rear...Hope they knew what they were buying as not much else was correct. ..

Photos of Instruction booklet for the Victa Automatic..

Hi Chris, and many thanks for posting a copy this important booklet. I feel it should be part of the Victa Model 4 Automatic Specifications thread, which at present is our most viewed topic.
I shall move it to that thread.

Hi to all ODK Members and Guests,
Here is a copy of a memo that was sent to all accredited Victa agents, dated 26th September, 1957, explaining the withholding the release of the Automatic from sale.

I feel this is an important part of the story of the enigmatic Victa Automatic.

Quite a while back this thread raised some interesting suggestions about the early development of the Predicta mechanism. Advertising images eluded to a possible first and second state of the mechanism, which was later confirmed by the above memo. Withheld from sale until the mower was updated to the revised second state, questions remained about exactly how the first state differed in its design. Where did the throttle cable run?Through the height adjusting trim rod? How many cables were there? What was it about the design that required such a drastic modification?

A patent application has now surfaced which goes a long way to answer these questions:







Somewhere out there, an original first state Predicta mechanism may just exist.

Hello bestseller

I do believe this is the first time anyone has seen the illustration
accompanying the patent application. Thank you, again, bestseller for
presenting this exciting information. I have now downloaded the patent,
thanks to your work.

What the application confirms is that Mervyn Richardson was the
'Actual Inventor'. What this does not show, of course, is whether
Mervyn claimed this as a proprietary right over engineers who were
Victa employees ...

Nonetheless, it does show Mervyn had a 'hands-on' approach.
What it does establish - for me - is that he wasn't a great engineer,
or that his engineering employees were more persuasive than competent ...

The important September 1957 memo is really peripheral - a production
or 'quality control' issue. The real failure of the Predicta was,
in my view, a overly complicated, overly mechanical, over-engineered,
slow mechanism for governing engine speed.

It may be that Mervyn wanted to match the impending fully-governed Villiers
7f design (released late 1957). That superb engine showed the true direction
rotary lawnmower engine design should take: an internal mechanical, or
external mechanical air-vane, or pneumatic vacuum system. A long-winded
mechanism of levers, cables, and a slide carby was just ... ridiculous.
[I'll put the kettle on love, shall I?]

The Ford Edsel - the running joke in automobile land - was rejected primarily
because of its styling. The Victa Automatic was rejected by the punters (and Victa itself!)
because it just didn't work reliably and predictably (pun intended) in the field.

I guess this is why the Victa Automatic is revered by some collectors, and now
commands unwarranted and commodified prices. It intrigues because of its
complexity and its rarity, and the story it tells. I love this mower!

It would take Victa a decade to even begin to get it right.

The rest is history.
------------------------
Jack

i have been reading this thread for a couple of days and it is quite interesting.
so
i have a question
what makes an auto/predicta and auto/predicta
have found a few things out
made in 1957
comes with front and rear flaps
has 4x spring side skirt bolts
smiley choke control
plastic throttle control
engine no 116 750, 0. the other one is216 506 1
clear plastic fuel cap, painted avo green
red tickler on the carby

sorry if this is construed as trying to revive an old thread.
but it is
any info would be great
sorry jack
ha

Wow, that must have been a prototype Mustang with a prototype G4 carby from the looks of the throttle and airfilter assembly on the mower in the far left. Unless this was taken in 75 or later. The only thing that gives it away is the fact that the throttle body on the handelbars has controls built into the airfilter assembly and it had the, to me, the correct shape for the G4 Throttle controller from 75-77.

I know it's a black and white picture but the shades look way to dark on the mustang compared to the others and leaves me thinking they were still at the point of using the darker green VC colour paint.

Hi Sean,

The Victa 18 Auto is just automatic throttle control ,the front and rear flap control the throttle speed there
is no manual throttle control lever on the handle bars.

It was supposed to work like a governor to automatically maintain the rotary speed of an engine ,the longer
the grass was the flap controls moved more, pulling on the cables to increase the engine RPM but this system
was a flop ,didn't work very well so Victa went back to a manual throttle controller on the handle bars.

Auto http://www.vintagemowers.net/Victa_Automatic.php

Different people have different ideas on engine numbers for an automatic .

Cheers
Max

Hey Max I think you might have thought this was me asking the above question. Even tho it isn't me, I'm loving the links and reading the thread myself 🙂

Hi Sean

Yes I had a fair idea that you knew how the Auto worked ,I should have said as we know ,
The Victa 18 Auto is just automatic throttle control ,the front and rear flap control the throttle speed there
is no manual throttle control lever on the handle bars.

I was just filling in a few blanks in your list ,that's why I put the link in .

* Victa 3.6hp 125cc Engine
* Predicta setup.
* 2 safety Rims (side skirts).
* First Victa to utilize the Alloy base.
* Alloy badge between handle bars.
* Automatic rewind starter with green Knob.
* Green plastic fuel cap.(hammertone green)
* Cigar shaped fuel tap.
* Large handle bar adjusting bolts.
* Edger assembly cover with retaining nuts.
* 2 throttle cables.

Cheers
Max.

The 2 throttle cables also entered the carby through 2 separate inlets in the same cap. I did heaps of reading up on them to make sure I don't miss out on something when or if I am put in an on the spot position and can't ask.....

Thanks for all of the information too!!! Never stop learning

Picking up my cortina 2 tomorrow morning 😃