OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Commando Decal

I had a 1995 T4 Lexcen sedan (rebadged VS commo) Best car I ever owned with few problems. I fitted LPG and it saved me a lot in fuel but kept backfiring. A guy I knew online from Perth told me about a taxi driver who ran a Commodore taxi with spark plugs gapped to 0.8mm which he claimed eliminated this common problem with the 3800 V6 on gas.
I did it to mine and presto, it never back fired again, plus it had much better throttle response. It's a shame I crashed it 9 months later.

Holden family here as well - From FC onwards - EH HR, HT, couple HQ's, HX vacationer, 2 torana's, then a couple of Commodores. After faultless runs of Corona's, Camry's and Corolla's, there are only 3 Aussie cars left - Aurion, Camry and Camira.

I think the stupidest thing on a new model is (apart from sealed trans) the variable flow oil filter in the ford ranger engines - if you take more than 10 minutes to change the oil and filter you lose pump prime and the engine will blow unless you manually re prime (which either entails tipping 15l of oil in or ripping the thing to bits.

Is there any chance you'll be printing this decal? im currently doing a basic sympathetic resto on this one and its only missing the tank sticker.

Hi Joe_Carroll,

I don't actually produce decals that are ready to apply to a lawnmower, I only tried to make this one using the photoshop program as i've had one of these lawnmowers since new and I always wanted to one day replace the tank decal on my lawnmower.

I got hold of an original decal from another mower thanks to forum member Tyler who posted a link to a guy selling one on Gumtree that still had the decal on the tank. It was perfect as it was located only down the road from here. I pretty much spent $30 on a complete Commando decal and got the rest of the mower with it! LOL! As a bonus the mower is also in good condition!

When I get a chance I might see if I can add some final touches the the decal I have already made to make it even more closer to the original. I can then try and post it here so it can be printed off and applied to a lawnmower.

I have been thinking about asking a decal producer to see if they can make a direct copy of the sample I have here. I have helped a guy make some original automotive restoration decals for classic Australian cars many years ago. But I don't know if he is willing to make any lawnmower decals. I can only ask and maybe show him the sample and see if it can be copied.

Cheers!

JC, it's been available for a while.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victa-1970s-Vintage-Mower-Red-decalGreen-Repro-Decal/264244715820?hash=item3d8636612c:g:1BwAAOSwZ1BXeRBC

Converse, I saw this this come up on gumtree in melb and immediately thought 'oh s***'.

Fortunately no original decal haha

They made them too good.

G'day Tyler and Mowerfreak,

Hey you know what Tyler, I now check them to see if they are the early or late type...lol

I just checked out the one that you posted from Gumtree, and it's the later style you can see the hole in the deck at the front, also the wheels! lol

Another thing I just noticed on that later style FC Commando on Gumtree, the carby end cap doesn't have the idle screw on the end, it's one of those caps where it's blanked off. On my hard rubbish find FC Commando, it also has a filthy looking carby with that same end cap with no idle screw which is blanked off. I am starting to think that maybe these last FC machines that were made didn't have the idle screw fitted as the earlier machines did? Who knows I am only going by the one machine I have here and also the one for sale on Gumtree, they seem to both have the same style end cap with no idle screw in the end.

It's a weird looking end cap, it doesn't look like the one's fitted to the powertorque engines, which look like it's got a plug on the end, these look like the idle screw end caps did, but the hole is filled in where the screw used to be.

I have 2 of those later style FC Commando's here, and one has the idle screw on the carby and one doesn't. One must be slightly earlier than the other. I tell ya what it feels weird having an old full crank machine without an idle screw on the carby!

Also I checked out where the one on Gumtree is located and it's not down the road like the other one was, otherwise who knows I could start to have an army of Commando's here! lol hang on I think there already is!

Still a good looking tough mower though! Cheers!

I think there is 3 styles of diaphragm cap, could be 4. The G4 had the idle screw the others were just variations of the blanked off caps

Hi All,

Nice job on the Commando decal Converse.

Must be a few original Commando decals around but a difficult to locate.
I saw this Commando for sale recently still with the original Commando decal.


Cheers
Max.

Max, thats actually the one Converse saved


Converse, try not to scream to loudly haha

This one is actually over in my neck of the woods
Its only the cover though

G'day everyone,

Hi Maxwestern thanks again for the help mate but as Tyler just mentioned I luckily grabbed that mower as soon as I could again thanking Tyler for posting that Gumtree ad on here. I had to save that one purely for the intact complete Commando decal which I have been after for a very long time and thought i'd never find one. I had to save it to at least reproduce that original decal that has been lost on nearly all these mowers over the years.

Hi Tyler, that's a classic mate! It looks like about as much of that decal is left as was left on my mower! lol

I was thinking you'd only get that if you really wanted a spare petrol tank and metal cowl, as I noticed it's missing the fuel tap. Also going by the fuel tap decal with the extra information on turning the fuel tap off after use it looks to be from one of the later last FC Commando's made.

Cheers!

Your most welcome Converse, good to see another mower saved

With regards to the sticker, mine has the fuel direction sticker even though it is one of the earlier models.

Mine also has the round super start sticker (earlier than the one shown here) as opposed to the square sticker used later on.

Regards
Tyler

Hi Tyler,

Mine also has a fuel tap decal but it only says "On and off". Is that the same as the one on yours?

Ok so it looks like your mower is earlier than my one. Mine has the 2 year superstart engine warranty sticker on the cowl. On all 3 FC Commando mowers I have here they all have the 2 year superstart decal on them.

I am thinking that maybe the 1980 models and maybe into 1981 they used the round sticker like on yours, then they switched over to the 2 year superstart warranty decals.

I think on that Victa Mustang I found it has the round super start decal like the one on your Commando, and I think that one is a 1980 or 1981 model.

I noticed your mower still has the warning decal on the rear flap. I don't think I ever remember that sticker being on my mower, must have been lost many years ago...lol

Cheers!

Hi Converse and Tyler,

I thought the mower I saw could not be the same one because the ad I saw was not a Gumtree ad ,looks
like the seller listed the Commando in a few places.


Cheers
Max.

Hi guys,
Commando with Arnie himself will be on 7 Mate this Monday at 8:30pm. Alyssa Milano of Who's The Boss fame will feature also.

Hi Converse

I can't remember if it has the detailed 'turn off after use' bit at the top. I think it is just on/off.
I will try to check the cylinder head tomorrow or monday to see what year mine is - the air filter cap is a CE909A1 (which is a TAC edger) so no help there.

Yes, it still has the warning sticker on it - I can send a photo through one day if you want to make one.

I thought I had another photo, but can only find this 1985 Commando PT decal

By the way Converse, I saw another FC commando at the local mower shop. Looks like it has been parked under a tree for some time and won't be worth fixing (completely buggered). It was later style sticker with new style wheels.

on an off topic, the guy before me was after starter rope - he asked his 4 y/o grandson to get some rope out of the shed, and he came back with a few foot piece of rope with handle on end. Briggs quantum by the way haha

G'day everyone,

Thanks again Maxwestern, I ended up chatting with the bloke and he reckons that his neighbour was getting rid of a Victa lawnmower a while ago and he didn't bother to grab it as he already had this Commando which he never used it was just sitting under the house for many years, good thing was it kept the elements off the mower as the deck looks nice and solid with no rust outs. Anyway I said that i'm always after these old school type mowers and if he comes across any other mowers that he'll probably be grabbing them and listing them on Gumtree from now on.

Hi Mowerfreak, great for those who have Foxtel they can watch the first episode of that "Aussie Inventions That Changed The World" show featuring the Victa lawnmower at 7:30pm for an hour, then straight after that you can tune into 7mate and watch "Commando" at 8:30pm. LOL! looks like it's a feature packed Victa themed sort of night on Monday! lol

Hi Tyler, thanks again for all the help mate. I actually have that sticker on one of the other 2 Commando's here. The FC one is only a small red and white warning decal on the rear flap. I think it's the same one that has been added at the start of this thread by the original poster Waynec. I could probably just print that one out and use it if I had to. I also think that one is available on ebay.

What is that mower shop going to do with that stuffed Commando, it's not bad if you can get it for free? lol Always good for parts.

Cheers!

It was quite buggered Converse - all wheels torn up, deck covered in rust throttle lever and housing sun cracked, pull starter stiff, and the engine had (from what I felt whilst no one was looking) stuff all compression.