OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Victa Service, Parts and Production - 1959 to 1968

During the heady years of the late fifties, Victa experienced incredible growth in both sales and infrastructure. A key component of Victa's success centered upon Merv's vigorous pursuit of long term customer loyalty through a dedicated after-sales service team.

Within Sydney, in addition to a fleet of thirteen mobile Van Serviceman, the service department at the Milperra site was staffed with many capable engine men, of which several had experience with motorcycle racing and the like. Under the control of service manager George Beecham, his team were well trained and expected to spend time working on the assembly line in order to familiarise themselves with the latest Victa model.

The Milperra service department was an incredibly busy workshop. During the month of December 1959, in which the photo below was taken, 722 mowers went through the facility. The focal point of each serviceman's work space was the 'service horse', which enabled the mower to be worked on from any angle.
I've included plans for the service horse, published in August, 1964, in case anyone wants to re-create an authentic Victa work space over the summer break . Enjoy!

Hello bestseller

The 'service bench' is so symbolic of more simple times.

The Milperra photos are amazing, and I guess, the first time
seen on the internet. A real treat. Thank you.

I wonder what that overhead rail was meant to do?

All very nostalgic.
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Jack

Thanks Jack. I'm guessing the overhead rail is an early form of A/C perhaps. Looks like a vent at each work station - may be wrong!

Here's another article detailing the Service Department during that hectic period:

February, 1960

What great info, thanks bestseller for sharing.

You're welcome, Squizzy. I'll be posting more articles from my collection over the next weeks and months, so keep checking back.

look forward to them, btw, that truck must be a Leyland, it has a 44 gallon drum in it;s boot!!

Bestseller, Great read, thanks for this. Squizzy, forgetting about the 44 I can't get Leyland to fit on the badge, I think it might be a Commer. Besides I can only count 420 mowers on the truck so why would they order 480 and then why would you order 480 in the first place, not just 500 and be done with it. Wouldn't you just say give me a price on 500 mowers, 480 is such an odd figure

Regarding the truck, I think it might be an old Commer, like this: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/len_rogers/2008/july/batch01/commer-knowles.jpg

I'd give my right arm for that old splitty WV bus though! Would be worth an easy 60k these days, I reckon.

Looking back at the first image I posted of just one small section of the Milperra Service Division, I thought it would be a good idea to demonstrate the scale of the facility. The following images date to July, 1964, and show what a massive complex it was. The Spare Parts and Service Division were in building three:

All this chat is well and good but I would like to know what the secret of success is for the Wico Pacy magneto ??? Talk about a cliff hanger bestseller ! Thanks for the great read :-)

It's like an Agatha Christie novel. What is the answer

Building No 1 (Administration) at Milperra was quite special.
Member prd found a great photo of it here:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=66238#Post66259

Commer Trucks must have been quite common then.
Victa used Commer vans in their service fleet:-



Yes bestseller, who said H.G. Palmer couldn't make good business choices:-


Norm, this was the pre-decimal mind. It's 40 dozen.

Entertaining post. Thanks.
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Jack

Good call Jack, never thought of it like that

As the 60's progressed the Victa service department's'spare parts division became an increasingly important part of the business model. Victa pioneered the concept of self-service 'bars'. I'm aware that several collectors have focused their attention on recreating such displays to accompany their collections, so hopefully the following articles will help in that task:

October, 1961


April, 1967 - Bob Moffat of Cowra sets up his retail display

Hi bestseller

Amazing photos there.
I have no doubt, the first time seen on the WWW. Thank you.

I have a question:
I wonder to what degree the self-service bar went hand-in-hand with the
Victa Code system. Do you have any date for when the Victa Code was intro-
duced. I'm guessing it was at this time.

My reasoning is that 'self-service' could not occur without user-friendly
prompts to make the bar function as intended. It appears to me that the
Victa Code was not about mower ID but about specific parts ID
for specific lawnmowers.

The Code seems only applicable to basic consumables: blades, filters,
spark plugs, ... fast-moving parts.

I like the way Victa advertised the bar in the Green Books:



All very subliminal.
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Jack

Thanks Jack. My personal opinion on the 'V' code system is it was launched around 1960/61. I base this on the fact that it conveniently glosses over any mention of the Automatic, and would have been a necessary system to be adopted with the impending introduction of a significantly expanded range (Sheerline/Utility/Fourstar etc).



As you've shown, the Greenbook was an essential item for keeping the Parts Division and the dealers synchronized - within that, I'm sure the 'V' code system was essential. This article tells a little more about the Victa Bible:

February, 1968

I'd reckon quite a bit later than that, more like 1970 [for the 1970-71 Model Year]. Codes for the older models were allocated retrospectively, I'd say. Which would explain a couple of discrepancies that have cropped up here on ODK.

When my family went into the OPE business in 1973, Victacodes were still quite new. Victa was still bringing out 'promo' items to encourage their use, like the 'Victacode Wheel' - there's a pic of one of those somewhere on the ODK site, that I can't find just now.

There is also evidence around on the ODK site, from members who have non-updated copies of the original 1968 'Green Book' - the Model ID pages in that version don't have Victacodes, whereas the later versions do.
Example in THIS thread.

Other evidence for this date, is THIS chart in the Powerhouse Museum collection - it ends at 1970-71, and I haven't found any earlier versions anywhere.

Possibly the most telling item though, is the date that Victa trademarked both 'Victacode'[241484] and 'Victacode Instant Parts' [241485] - 13th Aug 1970. Listings are on the IPaustralia website for these.


Yes, as CyberJack has commented above, the Victacode's intent was to make finding fast-moving parts quick and easy, as by the early 1970's there were quite a few different blade types, in particular. And many people weren't very good at identifying their mower from a line drawing or picture, even back then...

The main idea of the multiring binder format was to make it easy to update only some of the pages, as that became necessary. Rather than having to reprint a complete book! The heavy paper [and the 22 rings] made it a very durable item.

And as regards that 'self-service bar', Victa later offered a floor-standing version, pictured in CyberJack's 1967 brochure HERE. That's the one shown in that Bob Moffat display pic above.
My family's business inherited one of these - it had a very heavy cast-iron base! Took up quite a bit of floor space, though - we ended up replacing it with pegboard wall panels.

Hello bestseller and Mod Gadge,

This is such an interesting question because it has never been resolved.
I think Gadge can given cogent arguments for a later start date for the Code.

In retrospect, the evidence is there for this, as Gadge points out.
Victa Cuttings from the 1960s should have some reference to it to
indicate its existence at that time. No brochure mentions it either!
I do not know of a 1960s Victa with a Code on it (a feature of the
Code itself was its placement on the mower).

I do not own a 1970s range brochure, but the 1971 Range (1970-71) certainly
suggests the Code was quite recent:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=61949#Post61952

The Powerhouse Museum record is a great find.
One of these (in poor condition) is offered on Fleabay for a silly amount:- HERE.

Good ol' peg board.
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Jack

Great post there Gadge. I'd have to agree with everything you've said there. I'll have a dig around and see if I can find anything that gives a firm date so we can put this one to rest. Fingers crossed something turns up.

As this thread's focused on the service and parts aspects of the Early Victa years, I guess touching on the production side of things wouldn't be totally unwarranted. I was always interested in how the Special wheels were constructed. What we pay $200 per set today, were once churned out in their thousands every day:

December, 1959

Hi bestseller

another interesting story and important record.
It is interesting to note that the Plastics Division was
making plastic products for other industries: pharmaceutical
and cosmetics.

What a great job ... looking at wheels all day.

All very interesting.
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Jack

Anyone familiar with early Victa mowers will note the variability in paint tones and finishes. Prior to the opening of the dipping and spraying facility at Milperra, Victa contracted out the work to various companies.


February, 1960