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This is a running 1963 lawnboy auto mower a gentalman had in a box in his attic. This may well be my favorite lawnboy, or maybe they are all my favorite...can never make up my mind lol. It is the machine I plan on restoring next. Already have new wheels and decals ready and waiting.

those are great looking..love those old ones...can't wait to see how it will look in the end...

AMAZING!!!,,,never seen a Lawn-boy like that!! I had a great running Jacobsen turbo-cut 2 stroke I sold at a garage sale,,,(WHAT WAS I THINKING,,,LOL)!! Where do you get the correct decals for restoring old Lawn-boys?

Thanks for the pics

Jeff

ebay rsmotorsports_racing_collectables

how about that other one in the pic...looks like a great mower too

The other one is a 52 or 53 RPM Lawnboy Iron Horse modle 8fh11lb, it is my current project. I have a thread posted with some pics if you would like to take a peek.

very cool...thank you

unclelee said:

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This is a running 1963 lawnboy auto mower a gentalman had in a box in his attic. This may well be my favorite lawnboy, or maybe they are all my favorite...can never make up my mind lol. It is the machine I plan on restoring next. Already have new wheels and decals ready and waiting.

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That's quite a find -- congratulations.

I like the strange shade of green they used back then. :confused2:

Did you find it on CraigsList?

jp1961 said:

AMAZING!!!,,,never seen a Lawn-boy like that!! I had a great running Jacobsen turbo-cut 2 stroke I sold at a garage sale,,,(WHAT WAS I THINKING,,,LOL)!! Where do you get the correct decals for restoring old Lawn-boys?

Thanks for the pics

Jeff

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I wish I had been the buyer. :mur:

I found the Iron Horse on craigslist...the 63 automower came from an other Iron horse owner that I helped a bit. He told me when he got it down from the attic I had first dibs....I said sold sight unseen. I was not dissapointed.

well that is where i found mine..put the deal together last fall...just got them this weekend..40.00 for the pair...

unclelee said:

I found the Iron Horse on craigslist...the 63 automower came from an other Iron horse owner that I helped a bit. He told me when he got it down from the attic I had first dibs....I said sold sight unseen. I was not dissapointed.

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Do you know if there were dealers selling LBs in Texas in the 1960s? The reason I ask is that -- as far as I can tell -- LBs were not sold in Georgia until about the mid-1970s.

Just curious.

The gentalman I got the 63 from says the owner of a shop near galviston has some boxes of nos c and d parts that he could have and asked if I was interested....so it seems likely they must have been around for a while. The owner of my local shop has a nos lawnboy in the box that he said is 30 to 40 years old. That seems to be in your time frame. I have only lived here for about 15 years so it is hard to say for sure

we have had them around me since i was small..i was born in 69..western ny...

Box of goodies...lol

:thumbsup:love those box of goodies...my kinda find

Uncle Lee,

I definitely have Lawn-boy envy. Been a Lawn-boy fanatic since 1987,,,the first year I owned a home with a lawn to mow. I want to be your neighbor,,,is the home right next to you for sale,,,LOL!!!

Jeff

jp1961 said:

Uncle Lee,

I definitely have Lawn-boy envy. Been a Lawn-boy fanatic since 1987,,,the first year I owned a home with a lawn to mow. I want to be your neighbor,,,is the home right next to you for sale,,,LOL!!!

Jeff

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You would be a great neighbor Jeff....I will even let you mow with my 87

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Just a couple of pics I took today

That's one fine automower you got there. It's hard to find one with the drive still in good working order.

You got a very nice collection there. I was going to ask if you have ever had a snowboy but like the warden says she never got much snow in Texas.

JohnBoy1 said:

You got a very nice collection there. I was going to ask if you have ever had a snowboy but like the warden says she never got much snow in Texas.

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Not much need for a blower in the Big Horn....but a tiller would be nice.
Just haven't ran up on one yet.

JohnBoy1 said:

That's one fine automower you got there. It's hard to find one with the drive still in good working order.

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The gears have some wear but still work good...when I do the restore on this one I will try to find them new.
This may be my Favorite Lawnboy so I want to do a couple practice restorations before I jump into this one.
Lee

I found the right color discharge plate....lol...the more I look at it...the more I think I may just leave it unrestored...maybe just a new shroud decal

I think it's better to keep the original paint when it looks that good. :thumbsup:

I think you are right.....I have made a couple tries to remove the shroud sticker using a heat gun....but no luck so far....any ideas

Could try soaking it with some WD-40, if it doesn't damage or remove the paint. Or you could take a piece of dental floss, hold it taught like when flossing you might be able to work it behind it and then moving it back and forth get it to come loose. Or a combination of the two.

I think I would be alright if I could just get the end started....and I did hit it with some WD40....didn't seem to effect it...I just don't want to mess up the paint.

unclelee said:

I think I would be alright if I could just get the end started....and I did hit it with some WD40....didn't seem to effect it...I just don't want to mess up the paint.

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Razor blade?

May have to try that....but I have been staying away from that idea so far...maybe if I am gental.

The guys that own boats use Easy Off oven cleaner to remove boat graphics. May want to try it on an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn't harm the paint.

Jeff

Think I will try that on a diffrent mower and see how it works....thanks
Lee

That's one heck of a mower. Those are few and far between in my area. I have only seen one in recent years and I blinked instead of bought. Regrets. I do agree on the paint. That is still in nice shape. In my experience with decals, heat has always been my friend. I have even went as far as to place the shroud in the oven to heat it to the point of releasing the decal. The other thing I have had success with is using a razor to start a corner. Once the corner is free I will take a cloth saturated in rubbing alcohol (not dripping) and wipe behind the decal. It usually works well to free the decal and it seems to be safe on paint. Test it out first in a hidden spot though to be sure.

What is wrong with the decal. The mower is a all original survivor. Clean and polish the paint on the shroud, deck and wheels. and stop there. If you start painting or replacing parts you may as well do it all. Very few look as good as this mower. Leave it be. If you need to paint or decal something, find a rusted hulk to restore. Their only original once.

I dunno, that 1963 might be my favorite vintage Lawn-Boy. Unique green color, bricktop engine AND self propelled.

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This is the problem with the decal...the whole left side is blank.
I did find a matching fuel cap since last pic...also got a NOS gear set from Sam at rs_motorsports on ebay...and new capstan rollers from an old closed down mower shop that I got all the remaining LB inventory from, so I will freshen up the drive.
I must say...I think this is my favorite LB as well...but that may change if I ever get my 53 back from the paint shop.
Lee

The end of the decal in not great, But the mower as a whole or the whole picture is very nice example of a 1963 Auto Mower. A untouched example in the condition of your mower turns my head, wheres one that has had cosmetic work done or is restored not so much. Lee it looks GREAT as is. JMO I have a 1962 Auto Mower that looks like a twin to yours that I wish was as nice as yours.

LB8210 said:

The end of the decal in not great, But the mower as a whole or the whole picture is very nice example of a 1963 Auto Mower. A untouched example in the condition of your mower turns my head, wheres one that has had cosmetic work done or is restored not so much. Lee it looks GREAT as is. JMO I have a 1962 Auto Mower that looks like a twin to yours that I wish was as nice as yours.

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It is not completly untouched as I have given it a set of new wheels....the improvement in its appearance was dramatic..that is when I first considered a preservation as opposed to a restoration. My thought was that the new decal would would be a nice finishing touch, however you have given me food for thought.
I will give it a good detail and wax and look at it some more.
A side note on the history of this machine...the guy I got it from rescued it out of a snow bank in front of a mower shop in Pensilvania, brang it to Texas, got it running...then stored it in his attic for over 10 years before I got it from him...after all that time, it only needed primer seals to be back in running order.
Lee

https://youtu.be/i79I_xYLvh4

I made a video of the 8221 running if you would like to check it out.
Lee