Atco needs an age!

[Ian 2,417]

Morning all, I'm trying to help out a chap on another forum (a retro car forum if your wondering) age his Atco mower, so I thought I'd ask the font of all knowledge which is you lot

 

It's powered by a 147cc Villiers engine..   Where would the engine numbers be hidden as the owner can't find any. All he can find is "Made for ATCO by Villers" and "1 1/2 hp" on the barrel..

 

Anyone any ideas?

 

 

 

[Darmic1 447]

There is usually a little brass tag, somewhere on the frame where the fuel tank mounts meet the mower side pieces. On that will be a date code. Sometimes these are painted over..........

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

As Darren says re the Tag. The 147cc Villiers (mk15) was introduced after Dec 1953, there is also an HS version that produced 2.5bhp and had a conversion kit available for running on Paraffin (Kerosene).

If the Grass Box is original to that Mower, the 'By Appointment' transfer will refer to H M Queen (Liz II) . 

The Handlebar Style is also a giveaway that tells us it is fairly modern (post WW11) in Atco history. 

It looks unmolested, so the Tag should still be there somewhere and these were used during the 50's.

Another way to get a rough age on some Villiers is to inspect the Flywheel for a date stamp. This may narrow down the date a bit further, but bear in mind that Villiers 'Stock Piled' manufactured parts and so a 1953 stamped Flywheel could be on a 1955 built engine. 

You can get the manuals for the engine.

[Darmic1 447]

Here is what the 'id' tag looks like on my 1949 14" Villiers 79cc 2 stroke.  The 14 refers to the cutting width and the 49 to the year of production.

[Ian 2,417]

Thanks Guy's, I will pass your replys on

[Ian 2,417]

Here's a reply from the owner, it sounds to me like it could be a mix and match mower.. What do you guys think?

 

"That's brilliant.
Would suggest it's not as old as I thought then.

There is no tag on the frame that I can see, but I remeber seeing one inside the primary chain case.

The 'by appointment' transfer is one for George, not Liz.

I arrived at my date from the construction of the mower itself using the old mower website as reference. They state that the steel side plates, rather than cast iron frames, put it at post 1935, but the pressed steel kickstart makes it earlier than the cast pedal used later on ?!

I've also yet to find anymore images than the one I've seen, with the full cast aluminium cooling duct.

I'll happily be corrected on anything though"

[Wristpin 400]

Here's a reply from the owner, it sounds to me like it could be a mix and match mower.. What do you guys think?

 

"That's brilliant.

Would suggest it's not as old as I thought then.

There is no tag on the frame that I can see, but I remeber seeing one inside the primary chain case.

The 'by appointment' transfer is one for George, not Liz.

I arrived at my date from the construction of the mower itself using the old mower website as reference. They state that the steel side plates, rather than cast iron frames, put it at post 1935, but the pressed steel kickstart makes it earlier than the cast pedal used later on ?!

I've also yet to find anymore images than the one I've seen, with the full cast aluminium cooling duct.

I'll happily be corrected on anything though"

 

I cant remember the exact time (possibly 7 years?)  but "by appointments" can be used for a number of years after the initial issue unless renewed so in this case  the appointment couldn't be later than 1953 but could have been used for a few years later but at a certain point has to be changed to "...the late King ....) . However, just to confuse things I have a Ransomes with just "By appointment" with no reference to whom!