Looking to buy and restore a single cylinder classic.
Discussion
75cc of British wonderfulness...
A 1960s Suffolk Colt.
My Grandfather bought one new in the 60's. I was 3 when he passed away but my Grandmother kept the mower right up until she died in 1994.
When I was young it was my job to cycle to my Grandmothers house where I'd proudly fire the old Colt up and cut the lawns for here.
The mower eventually passed to my father who gave it away when he moved to a smaller house. I thought he'd kept hold of the old Colt and was gutted to find out he'd left it behind when he sold the house.
To my shame I've been using an electric Flymo for the last few years, hate using the thing and it gives me a bad back.
Which got me thinking, I want my mower back! Now I can either keep an eye out on ebay and Gumtree or could be really cheeky and asked for my Grandfather's back? (it has been 6 years since it was given away).
The plan is (when I do track one down) to do a full restoration.
Right, I'm just nipping down the road to my dad's old house....
Flip
A 1960s Suffolk Colt.
My Grandfather bought one new in the 60's. I was 3 when he passed away but my Grandmother kept the mower right up until she died in 1994.
When I was young it was my job to cycle to my Grandmothers house where I'd proudly fire the old Colt up and cut the lawns for here.
The mower eventually passed to my father who gave it away when he moved to a smaller house. I thought he'd kept hold of the old Colt and was gutted to find out he'd left it behind when he sold the house.
To my shame I've been using an electric Flymo for the last few years, hate using the thing and it gives me a bad back.
Which got me thinking, I want my mower back! Now I can either keep an eye out on ebay and Gumtree or could be really cheeky and asked for my Grandfather's back? (it has been 6 years since it was given away).
The plan is (when I do track one down) to do a full restoration.
Right, I'm just nipping down the road to my dad's old house....
Flip
Edited by Flipatron on Monday 27th May 15:19
Several on the bay, despite the fact that I hate everything it stands for.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/petrol-lawn-mower-SUFFOL...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/petrol-lawn-mower-SUFFOL...
LewG your thread has arrived!! I have one somewhere.
I now live in Dubai, but am currently in Australia (2 months for birth of son).
Give me a couple of days- if I can track it down, it's yours.
ETA- slightly different model to yours, fuel tank nearer the top of the handle, but still old! Metal bucket, none of the plastic rubbish.
I now live in Dubai, but am currently in Australia (2 months for birth of son).
Give me a couple of days- if I can track it down, it's yours.
ETA- slightly different model to yours, fuel tank nearer the top of the handle, but still old! Metal bucket, none of the plastic rubbish.
Edited by Dusty964 on Monday 27th May 14:54
Yep there's a few on ebay and Dusty964, that's a really kind offer but I'm after this exact model. The later ones have the fuel tank on the bars and a manual rather than centrifugal clutch. I think the casing is also a little wider.
The one pictured above that I'm after is the earlier model of Colt complete with fuel tank atop the engine and centrifugal clutch.
There's one quite local to me for sale but it's already been 'restored' and seems to have parts missing? Doesn't inspire confidence TBH.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281112651594?ssPageName=...
The one pictured above that I'm after is the earlier model of Colt complete with fuel tank atop the engine and centrifugal clutch.
There's one quite local to me for sale but it's already been 'restored' and seems to have parts missing? Doesn't inspire confidence TBH.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281112651594?ssPageName=...
That is quite astonishing, the Ransomes pictured either used to be mine or looks exactly the same! Sold it to a chap called Ivor from Hertfordshire? Used mowers to sort of learn basic mechanics on. Suffolks are wonderfully simple, robust and easy to get hold of. Sadly I don't have any now, just a 1930s Ransomes and Dennis, along with a 1950s Atco.
600cc of single cylinder glory :P
600cc of single cylinder glory :P
LewG said:
That is quite astonishing, the Ransomes pictured either used to be mine or looks exactly the same! Sold it to a chap called Ivor from Hertfordshire? Used mowers to sort of learn basic mechanics on. Suffolks are wonderfully simple, robust and easy to get hold of. Sadly I don't have any now, just a 1930s Ransomes and Dennis, along with a 1950s Atco.
600cc of single cylinder glory :P
My Dad bought a Ransomes Junior like mine secondhand in the mid 1950's and it was still working perfectly when it was sold in 1980. That mower was the first machine and engine I ever worked on, and I'd sometimes spend all Saturday earning pocket money mowing lawns for several neighbours with it. 600cc of single cylinder glory :P
I bought mine from a guy who lived on a canal boat in north London after seeing it on ebay. Cost me £20 and after an afternoon's work cleaning, greasing and setting up it cuts grass nicely.
LewG said:
That is quite astonishing, the Ransomes pictured either used to be mine or looks exactly the same! Sold it to a chap called Ivor from Hertfordshire? Used mowers to sort of learn basic mechanics on. Suffolks are wonderfully simple, robust and easy to get hold of. Sadly I don't have any now, just a 1930s Ransomes and Dennis, along with a 1950s Atco.
600cc of single cylinder glory :P
ooofff!600cc of single cylinder glory :P
my family owns a dennis like that, but its bigger, its got exposed pushrods etc
its early 1920's
Well a bad back has put a stop to me playing this weekend so I'm putting my efforts into sourcing the bits and services I need.
Looking to buy a light grey, heat resistant engine paint (aerosol). A few on the bay but they look too dark for what I'm after. May try Halfords and see what they have.
Also need to find a local blasting and powder coating company. Seen one or two locally but could do with a recommendation TBH. The plan is to hand all the metalwork over as a job lot to have it blasted and painted.
My biggest headache is the 'Suffolk Colt' stickers for the side casing and grass box. They don't produce them anymore so would have to get the image reproduced. Any idea what this would cost to get done?
Looking to buy a light grey, heat resistant engine paint (aerosol). A few on the bay but they look too dark for what I'm after. May try Halfords and see what they have.
Also need to find a local blasting and powder coating company. Seen one or two locally but could do with a recommendation TBH. The plan is to hand all the metalwork over as a job lot to have it blasted and painted.
My biggest headache is the 'Suffolk Colt' stickers for the side casing and grass box. They don't produce them anymore so would have to get the image reproduced. Any idea what this would cost to get done?
Flipatron said:
Well a bad back has put a stop to me playing this weekend so I'm putting my efforts into sourcing the bits and services I need.
Looking to buy a light grey, heat resistant engine paint (aerosol). A few on the bay but they look too dark for what I'm after. May try Halfords and see what they have.
Also need to find a local blasting and powder coating company. Seen one or two locally but could do with a recommendation TBH. The plan is to hand all the metalwork over as a job lot to have it blasted and painted.
My biggest headache is the 'Suffolk Colt' stickers for the side casing and grass box. They don't produce them anymore so would have to get the image reproduced. Any idea what this would cost to get done?
I've seen replacement stickers on sale for ~£15, which is a lot until you consider the cost of doing them yourself...Looking to buy a light grey, heat resistant engine paint (aerosol). A few on the bay but they look too dark for what I'm after. May try Halfords and see what they have.
Also need to find a local blasting and powder coating company. Seen one or two locally but could do with a recommendation TBH. The plan is to hand all the metalwork over as a job lot to have it blasted and painted.
My biggest headache is the 'Suffolk Colt' stickers for the side casing and grass box. They don't produce them anymore so would have to get the image reproduced. Any idea what this would cost to get done?
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