OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Southern Cross KXD

This is my Southern Cross KXD I only know of 4 others any more out there

on a very nice restoration there. Great pics.

Hi IanOZ and ODK members,

That's the best restoration of any SC I've seen.
I love the inspection plate on these engines. Who else did that on a lawnmower engine?

I know one is currently at the QLD Museum; another at the Caboolture Historical Village.

The Southern Cross Windmill is an Aussie icon -
but who remembers their mowers?

All very Queensland.
---------------------------------
JACK

p.s. I hope there is a sensitive redevelopment of the Toowoomba Foundry site.

that looks awesome well done

Hi ODK Members

Thanks to Ian who put the word out there that this mower was looking for a new home. This is great unit the original owner was the foreman of the pattern shop at the Toowoomba Foundry. Mower is in excellent condition, missing the impulse starter and the fuel cap. Comes with another engine and a lot of spares including new gaskets and a piston complete with rings :-) his dad is still in Toowoomba and also has a workshop manual which he will post to me.

His son Mark tells me that his dad still has the patterns as well













i need to thank Ian Mathews for the tip off and also Mark who was so generous in giving me the mower and spares

Paul

He must have lots of stuff! Can't wait to see it all.

Details on the plane are engine -ECB and number is 77023

Hi Paul_c Great to see it has gone to a good home
Yes I would like to see the patterns

ECB 77023
Batch 76731-77060
Year 1967

Ian

Thanks Ian,
Would the starter pulley on top be a SC product or just a generic. I would like to hunt down an impulse starter for it and a fuel cap.

G'day Paul and all

It would appear that the SC rotary is a rare beast.
I suspect this is mainly because the distribution network was
largely agricultural - rather than domestic consumer.

The engines have always fascinated me.
The historical significance lies in the fact that this was a
manufacturer that made both engine and chassis.

I have a question:
Paul's machine is a KXD2.
Does this mean that the KXD1 was this machine:-


--------------------
Jack

I would say that you are most probably correct Jack, such a heavy duty machine built for tough Queensland conditions !

I flushed out the fuel tank and cleaned the spark plug

[video][/video]

This mower is huge compared to a Victa :-)

Hi Jack
The mower you have shown is KX-C
There was also a KX-A 2 stroke, KX-A 4 stroke, KX-B 4 stroke
You have got me what does the '2' mean
With sales of the SC mower the story goes like this
SC made a 20" mower to be bigger than Victa BUT
It was heavy and expensive to a Victa and
SC decided to only to sell them through Southern Cross sales offices SO if there was no sales office in your area you never knew SC made a mower unlike Victa every mower shop every where had a Victa to sell
Ian

Thanks Ian

It is amazing that such a 'classic style' was still being sold
in 1970, apparently when this Garden Festival slide was taken.
Perhaps beauty and the beast:-

Southern Cross mowers first sold 1962 to 1973 with about 5,000 mowers sold
Ian

Ian, very low numbers when you consider around that time Victa was selling about 1000 a day

Yes Norm,

it shows how important a distribution network is to sales.
1,000 per day was in '58 - when Boundy's mowers advertised
they were selling 1,000 per week.

Southern Cross's failure to tap in to the horticultural market
meant that they were pretty much just selling to the Ag sector.

Has anyone got one of those catchers? would look good on someones Southern Cross

Whah was the cost of a Victa in 1969 ??
Ian

1969 - average prices

Victa Utility - $99
Victa Mayfair - $99 + $10 catcher
Victa Corvette - $150 + $15 catcher

--------------------
Jack

Interesting, a sidecar catcher would be a nice addition. Jack the carby is a Zenith item.