OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models POPE Model 82-203 - The Deluxe Pope - c1972

Hello ODK History Lovers
This History Record is a personal one ...

The Simpson-Pope 82-203 was Pope's last hurrah at lawnmower making, combining modern
styling features with old-fashioned quality in a De-luxe version. For a few more years, Pope
would continue making lawnmowers, but the 203 was their most stylish.

This was our family's second power lawnmower; the first being an earlier side-discharge Pope.
My dear Father bought the 203 for me when I was a teenager (upon my recommendation) for me
to earn 'pocket-money' after school. I did that - and I loved the Pope to death.

The Pope had a quality I didn't see in other lawnmowers of the day. It was anachronistic in
retaining an all-steel catcher and steel dress-cowling; when other mower makers were turning
to the more modern plastics.

And it had the teenager-demanded GT stripes, bright Pope Persimmon Orange baked paint,
and a wicked space-age dress cowling. I was the coolest nerd-kid on the block; and other
close-by blocks, if you wanted your lawn mown. Many did ... I was quite the lawnmower gigolo!

To give you an idea, here is a 2013 auction image of a largely original 203.
You know you want one ...



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - Specification
The last iteration of the Pope 2-cycle engine was a simple loop-scavenge design.
The first Pope 2-cycles were rotary-valve designs - where fuel was injected directly into the crankcase.
The later designs injected fuel mix via an intake manifold located on the cylinder itself (like Victa had done).

The last Pope 2-cycles used OEM ancillaries - with North American made Phelon magnetos and
Walbro carburettors. Interestingly, the lower crankcase was designed to meet a standard 4-cycle engine
mount pattern (no adaptor plates were needed).

The final specification included both air-vane governing and a friction-controlled de-compressor.
This differed from the Victa, vacuum-controlled design.

The base was pressed steel, which Pope used on all their rotary lawnmowers after their very first,
alloy one. Handles were bi-fold and all handle parts were in quality chrome. This was a handsome
and quality lawnmower on the showroom floor and in the field.

A Pope 203 appears infrequently.
They are rare machines today.

AUS MODEL HISTORIES: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/145/1/model-histories.html


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