1959's The New Look in Vacuum Cleaners
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I know they weren't as safe as our current cars,
but, they were beautiful! Classic American designs. American pride. Some were driving up Main Street today in a parade. You can't NOT just look at them and think: "wow".
I'll soon post pics of what "I" think are HOOVER'S finest vacuums. I truly bwelieve they were HOOVER'S finest hour. Some of you might agree. of course, 'my genration' (like I went to school with Jesus!) could purchase vacuums that would last. Actually, it was my parents' generation. I found an old phone (landline) that had "Olympia-4" on the dial. Yes, it is a DIAL. Thankfully, 'Mummy' didn't have to wash the laundry down at the river. We had a Westinghouse (yes, I'm SURE it was a Westinghouse! Did y'all get that??? If not, perhaps you're just a mere child. It plugged into the WALL.... we had electricity all the way back ... in 1958.... when thyey bought the house (then only 80+ yrs old)... with The Oldmobile 88 in the driveway. In 1961, the HOOVER 67 made its way into the house. STILL running.
but, they were beautiful! Classic American designs. American pride. Some were driving up Main Street today in a parade. You can't NOT just look at them and think: "wow".
I'll soon post pics of what "I" think are HOOVER'S finest vacuums. I truly bwelieve they were HOOVER'S finest hour. Some of you might agree. of course, 'my genration' (like I went to school with Jesus!) could purchase vacuums that would last. Actually, it was my parents' generation. I found an old phone (landline) that had "Olympia-4" on the dial. Yes, it is a DIAL. Thankfully, 'Mummy' didn't have to wash the laundry down at the river. We had a Westinghouse (yes, I'm SURE it was a Westinghouse! Did y'all get that??? If not, perhaps you're just a mere child. It plugged into the WALL.... we had electricity all the way back ... in 1958.... when thyey bought the house (then only 80+ yrs old)... with The Oldmobile 88 in the driveway. In 1961, the HOOVER 67 made its way into the house. STILL running.
hydralique
Well-known member
I grew up with a Hoover, I believe a Model 61 though am not sure. My parents bought it second hand from a vacuum shop shortly before I was born and then used it for the next 20 years. Every time it had a problem some vac shop would fix it and tell my mother "you can buy a different vacuum but it won't be better". I am sure at some point it was taken in for service in the trunk of the '58 Plymouth four-door hardtop, black with a white vinyl and black cloth interior and of course a pushbutton Torqueflite to push those tailfins down the road!
Eventually the Hoover was profoundly worn out and my mother got a self-propelled Eureka that she liked quite a lot. She is decidedly an upright person, while I always liked canisters with some real suction, something the Hoover didn't have when using the tools. For me, my aunt's splendid GE swivel top and my grandmother's Kirby were far more interesting. Mom never liked the Kirby but she and my father recently moved halfway across the country and didn't both shipping whatever vac replaced the Eureka since I told them I had plenty of vacuums. When they moved into their new place here I had already stashed a Kirby Legend II in the hall closet so she's having to use a Kirby for awhile, we'll see how long that lasts! I did make her admit that it does a really good job on the carpet . . .
Eventually the Hoover was profoundly worn out and my mother got a self-propelled Eureka that she liked quite a lot. She is decidedly an upright person, while I always liked canisters with some real suction, something the Hoover didn't have when using the tools. For me, my aunt's splendid GE swivel top and my grandmother's Kirby were far more interesting. Mom never liked the Kirby but she and my father recently moved halfway across the country and didn't both shipping whatever vac replaced the Eureka since I told them I had plenty of vacuums. When they moved into their new place here I had already stashed a Kirby Legend II in the hall closet so she's having to use a Kirby for awhile, we'll see how long that lasts! I did make her admit that it does a really good job on the carpet . . .
DesertTortoise
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Hmm, from what I have seen Hoovers canisters were leagues ahead of their uprights in terms of quality. It is almost like the uprights and canisters came from two different companies. Electrolux, Kenmore and Panasonic you see some shared genetics between their uprights and canisters, sometimes shared parts, while it looks to me like Hoover put all their best talent to work engineering their canisters and left the newbies or Wallys (Wally from Dilbert) to worry about the uprights.
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@smow69, do you recall what brand and model floor polisher your mom had? My mom had an Electrolux E-Automatic vacuum cleaner with the polisher attachment when I was a little boy. She used Johnson Wax Beautiflor liquid polish with it. I've always loved the unique scent of that particular wax because it "takes me back to days of yore."
I am just about as crazy as floor polishers as I am vacuum cleaners, and I have plenty of them! My two favorites are the first-version Electrolux air-powered scrubber & polisher, and the RP & HP series of Johnson-Wax electric floor polishers. Love 'em love 'em love em!!
First some Electrolux polishers, then in an update to the thread some Johnson polishers.
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@smow69, do you recall what brand and model floor polisher your mom had? My mom had an Electrolux E-Automatic vacuum cleaner with the polisher attachment when I was a little boy. She used Johnson Wax Beautiflor liquid polish with it. I've always loved the unique scent of that particular wax because it "takes me back to days of yore."
I am just about as crazy as floor polishers as I am vacuum cleaners, and I have plenty of them! My two favorites are the first-version Electrolux air-powered scrubber & polisher, and the RP & HP series of Johnson-Wax electric floor polishers. Love 'em love 'em love em!!
First some Electrolux polishers, then in an update to the thread some Johnson polishers.
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Some Johnson-Wax polishers...
The eight B/W images are prototypes made by Brooks Stevens, the designer of the fabulous Modern-Hygiene tank vacuum cleaner. While I haven't ever run across any definite proof, these prototypes leads me to believe that he was the designer for the RP and HP series polishers.
I also have quite a few other "miscellaneous" polishers that I can post photos of if anyone's interested.
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Some Johnson-Wax polishers...
The eight B/W images are prototypes made by Brooks Stevens, the designer of the fabulous Modern-Hygiene tank vacuum cleaner. While I haven't ever run across any definite proof, these prototypes leads me to believe that he was the designer for the RP and HP series polishers.
I also have quite a few other "miscellaneous" polishers that I can post photos of if anyone's interested.
rugsucker
Well-known member
Johnsons and design
Johnsons wax had great ads,store displays and packaging in their early days.They became even more well known with the F L Wright association in the 30s with the office building,research tower and home for H Johnson.(Wright wanted to move all operations to a new site,but Johnson wanted to remain at the old location and add on.)
The Brooks Stevens drawings are great and show dual handle idea that seems to have never been produced.Another project Stevens worked on was a custom travel trailer for the Johnson family to use on trips to South America to buy raw materials for making wax.
Johnsons wax had great ads,store displays and packaging in their early days.They became even more well known with the F L Wright association in the 30s with the office building,research tower and home for H Johnson.(Wright wanted to move all operations to a new site,but Johnson wanted to remain at the old location and add on.)
The Brooks Stevens drawings are great and show dual handle idea that seems to have never been produced.Another project Stevens worked on was a custom travel trailer for the Johnson family to use on trips to South America to buy raw materials for making wax.
RE Chrysler Automatic..
NO transmission has ever equalled the Torqueflite...thats a proven fact!it took GM until the mid 60s to get one even close..the Turbo 400 was good and the Ford c6 was good, but both were still not as heavy duty or reliable as the 727 TF...ask any tranny shop owner!
NO transmission has ever equalled the Torqueflite...thats a proven fact!it took GM until the mid 60s to get one even close..the Turbo 400 was good and the Ford c6 was good, but both were still not as heavy duty or reliable as the 727 TF...ask any tranny shop owner!
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I was in Hollywood last night and saw a couple of trannies.
Oh, wait...
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I was in Hollywood last night and saw a couple of trannies.
Oh, wait...
Just have to ask-have you run all of those polishing heads at once-bet that would be neat-Really like the polished chrome one-BEAUTIFUL!!!It would require a huge air supply to run them at once!!!Glad to be back to vacuums instead of cars!
DesertTortoise
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Kencart, every Torqueflite I ever owned had the same fault, the second to third upshift was too slow, and the heat build up from this eventually led to failure around the 100K mile mark. A GM THM-350 is every bit as good a slushbox as the Torqueflite. The Chrysler products I owned all had crappy interior materials everywhere you looked but the arm rests on those old Mopars are particluarly offensive with their chromed plastic and guaranteed to split open cheap vinyl covering, unsupportive seats, disintgrating seat foam (I used to get a swirl of foam dust going in one Plymouth from the rotted seat foam that fell to the floor and subsequently blew around the interior with the windows open), interior door molding that always shrank in the heat and pulled away from the door, wing vent windows that whisteled practically from the say you bought the car, garbage Carter carbs that would not start when cold or the miserable Thermoquad bodies made from some plastic that heat warped, leaked and cost over $100 just to replace the plastic body, dieseling after shut down, undersprung and under damped suspensions, too much unsprung weight combined with primative leaf spring rear suspensions, numb over boosted steering yet if you tried to turn the wheel too fast while parking the power steering pump could not keep up and it was like the steering wheel hit a hard stop even though you had more steering lock left, just junk. Terrible cars, but every US made car then was terrible. Plus most Chryslers had huge C-pillars making it feel like you sitting down inside a big dark cave. I look at them now and marvel at all the wasted space they had and how much car overhung the wheels at each end. The best thing to happen for drivers was competition from better engineered foreign automobiles (and motorcycles, Harleys were even further behind the rest of the world in terms of their engineering).
Anyway, I'm done with those cars, and with automatic transmissions of any kind. My two cars both have manual gear boxes, one of which has 185K on the original clutch and has never been apart.
Anyway, I'm done with those cars, and with automatic transmissions of any kind. My two cars both have manual gear boxes, one of which has 185K on the original clutch and has never been apart.
Im not going to argue!...
LOL, im just passionate about Chryslers, and, if I could afford the gas, I would drive a big old vintage car everyday..a little background, I grew up with Oldsmobiles, my Mother loved them as did most of my Aunts and Uncles, our next door neighbor always drove Dodges, when I was 16 he let me drive his car...I have been hooked every since, I love a big old car, the only new cars I really like are wayyyy too expensive unless you are a doctor or lawyer LOL, but if I had that kind of money, I could retreat into the past which is what I dream of anyway,,in the 80s and 90s, my everyday driver cars were old Dodges and Plymouths, a 62 Fury, a 68 Sport Fury,a 67 Fury 3 4 door hardtop, and a 53 Plymouth Cranbrook, I drove all of these and truthfully have never been left on the side of the road, so you see I have confidence in them...GM on the other hand, has been bad bad bad as far as im concerned, ive been stopped several times waiting for a wrecker with them!My main thing about new cars is...not everyone wants a BMW..I want isolated cushy comfort...a bench seat, power steering that is full time and super touchy brakes!
LOL, im just passionate about Chryslers, and, if I could afford the gas, I would drive a big old vintage car everyday..a little background, I grew up with Oldsmobiles, my Mother loved them as did most of my Aunts and Uncles, our next door neighbor always drove Dodges, when I was 16 he let me drive his car...I have been hooked every since, I love a big old car, the only new cars I really like are wayyyy too expensive unless you are a doctor or lawyer LOL, but if I had that kind of money, I could retreat into the past which is what I dream of anyway,,in the 80s and 90s, my everyday driver cars were old Dodges and Plymouths, a 62 Fury, a 68 Sport Fury,a 67 Fury 3 4 door hardtop, and a 53 Plymouth Cranbrook, I drove all of these and truthfully have never been left on the side of the road, so you see I have confidence in them...GM on the other hand, has been bad bad bad as far as im concerned, ive been stopped several times waiting for a wrecker with them!My main thing about new cars is...not everyone wants a BMW..I want isolated cushy comfort...a bench seat, power steering that is full time and super touchy brakes!
DesertTortoise
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GM has and had awful bodies. I had an Old Gutless Supreme once. Every panel gap was uneven, the doors were hung crooked in their frames and you could see where some chimp slopped some lead on the seam where the roof panel butted up to the C-pillar, took a quick swipe with a grinder and called it good to go. You could see the lumpy surface and grind marks through the orange peeled paint. What a pile.
I drive a lot of rental cars on work related travel and the best US made cars now are the Ford Focus. It puts boatloads of other small cars on the trailer for the quality of interior materials, seat comfort and all around tightness. They feel pretty close to good German iron until you try pushing them past 8/10s, then they get loose. I haven't tried the Focus ST yet. Modern GMs still blow, the seat cushions are too short and the controls and instrumentation just don't have a high quality feel.
You would like a Toyota Avalon. I hate them but fiancee is weird for them. Talk about numb feeling floaty boats! On some desert roads the suspension alternates between being fully topped and fully compressed, and not all corners of the car are doing the same thing at the same time. I get sick riding as a passenger in it. It's just like an old American boat. Room galore front and back, the back seats recline and you can stretch your lets out even with the front seats all the way back. It is the only Japanese car with enough front leg and arm room for me. Usually I don't fit Asian cars, only the Germans seem to build a car that fits my frame. The real laugh, or groan, is that the darn Avalon has a higher domestic US content than any other car made. The plant is in Kentucky and all the suppliers to it are in the US as well.
For me I have a pair of Audi 90s, one a five banger and the other a V-6, both with five speed manuals. Both are way faster than my old 440 Dodge Monaco ever was, both would leave the Dodge like a bad habit on a twisty road, and both are more comfortable for me to drive. They are just what I need and not an ounce or millimeter more. Both have double sided galvanized steel bodies that will never rust and everything feels like a much bigger German sport sedan. Where they shine is when you push them to the limit. They will break traction gracefully and never threaten to do anything bad. Wish I could say the same of the American cars I've similarly pushed. That darn Focus feels so good up to 8/10s then it all starts to come apart at the seams. I really want to like that car too.
I drive a lot of rental cars on work related travel and the best US made cars now are the Ford Focus. It puts boatloads of other small cars on the trailer for the quality of interior materials, seat comfort and all around tightness. They feel pretty close to good German iron until you try pushing them past 8/10s, then they get loose. I haven't tried the Focus ST yet. Modern GMs still blow, the seat cushions are too short and the controls and instrumentation just don't have a high quality feel.
You would like a Toyota Avalon. I hate them but fiancee is weird for them. Talk about numb feeling floaty boats! On some desert roads the suspension alternates between being fully topped and fully compressed, and not all corners of the car are doing the same thing at the same time. I get sick riding as a passenger in it. It's just like an old American boat. Room galore front and back, the back seats recline and you can stretch your lets out even with the front seats all the way back. It is the only Japanese car with enough front leg and arm room for me. Usually I don't fit Asian cars, only the Germans seem to build a car that fits my frame. The real laugh, or groan, is that the darn Avalon has a higher domestic US content than any other car made. The plant is in Kentucky and all the suppliers to it are in the US as well.
For me I have a pair of Audi 90s, one a five banger and the other a V-6, both with five speed manuals. Both are way faster than my old 440 Dodge Monaco ever was, both would leave the Dodge like a bad habit on a twisty road, and both are more comfortable for me to drive. They are just what I need and not an ounce or millimeter more. Both have double sided galvanized steel bodies that will never rust and everything feels like a much bigger German sport sedan. Where they shine is when you push them to the limit. They will break traction gracefully and never threaten to do anything bad. Wish I could say the same of the American cars I've similarly pushed. That darn Focus feels so good up to 8/10s then it all starts to come apart at the seams. I really want to like that car too.
Avalon...
in 05 when Greg had the wash in at Omaha, Jerry Gay had a new Avalon, we drove it and yes I was very impressed, we drove about 800 miles the first day and were not a bit uncomfortable, my idea of a sports car is a 1960 Chrysler 300 F..!!!
in 05 when Greg had the wash in at Omaha, Jerry Gay had a new Avalon, we drove it and yes I was very impressed, we drove about 800 miles the first day and were not a bit uncomfortable, my idea of a sports car is a 1960 Chrysler 300 F..!!!
Hamilton Beach Hatbox...
What a nice design, I have the Eureka and Singers, dont use them much because bags are darn near impossible to fing, the GEs are also favorites,as is the Constellation, oh to go back to the days of these being new...I can see my Youngstown kitchen now!!LOL
What a nice design, I have the Eureka and Singers, dont use them much because bags are darn near impossible to fing, the GEs are also favorites,as is the Constellation, oh to go back to the days of these being new...I can see my Youngstown kitchen now!!LOL
super-sweeper
Well-known member
Kenkart, there's a Chrysler 300 in the same lot as my 1961 DreamSoto! Not sure if it's the 'F' One you speak of, though!
Robert, thanks for sharing! Isn't it wonderful to look back at the past? Land-Barges, easier living, and Hamilton-Beach HatBox canisters, I love you, 1959!
Robert, thanks for sharing! Isn't it wonderful to look back at the past? Land-Barges, easier living, and Hamilton-Beach HatBox canisters, I love you, 1959!
DesertTortoise
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There are modern DOHC V-6s that will put those old 4-bbl carbed big blocks on the trailer. And they are both more drivable and quieter while putting more power to the ground. One of my fiancées two Avalons, the 2007 Touring model, has 285 horses, quite a bit more SAE horses than my last big block Dodge had and it turns 0-60 mph in about six seconds flat. That big block thing couldn't begin to touch that Avalon, even with all the CHP hot rodding done to it.
Ever drive a BMW M3 with a straight six and manual trans? That's an engine. Six cylinders standing at attention, smooth, flexible and big power, more than my Dodge or my fiancées Avalon. Dodge Dart weight and more than big block power on a suspensions that just begs you to get sideways. The car talks to you through the wheel, pedals and seat. None of this floaty boat suspension and numb steering stuff of old American iron.
Ever drive a BMW M3 with a straight six and manual trans? That's an engine. Six cylinders standing at attention, smooth, flexible and big power, more than my Dodge or my fiancées Avalon. Dodge Dart weight and more than big block power on a suspensions that just begs you to get sideways. The car talks to you through the wheel, pedals and seat. None of this floaty boat suspension and numb steering stuff of old American iron.
hydralique
Well-known member
M3s and RS4s . . .
A good friend of mine has had an M3 inline six four door for years and I’ve driven it a few times. Nice car for the most part, the only thing that gets me (and him too) is the way the clutch engages right at the top of the travel. It did have a replacement gearbox under warranty but that was for gearbox issues and didn’t affect the clutch feel. The chassis is good and manages some compliance in spite of being fairly firm. A better compromise IMO than an older 750 another friend used to have, that was a real barge but still rode poorly on city streets.
M3 bud once had an Audi RS4 on loan when he lent Audi some nice collector cars to display at their design center in Santa Monica. That car was schizoid: it felt like a very, very heavy and plush A4 until you punched it then all hell broke loose, IIRC it had a V8 out of the big A8 and made well over 400 hp. We all took turns driving the crap out of it up and down La Tuna Canyon. Hard on it out of corners it reminded me of my sister’s old deTomaso Pantera because it would pull like a freight train to 100 in third accompanied with a lovely V8 wail. The problem for me was that the car didn’t feel special until you got on it and then you were instantly at go-to-jail speeds. It was certainly lots of fun on a Sunday morning though. My friend liked it as well but after years of trying to keep an ‘82 urQuattro coupe on the road he’ll stick to the M3, it’s far more reliable.
A good friend of mine has had an M3 inline six four door for years and I’ve driven it a few times. Nice car for the most part, the only thing that gets me (and him too) is the way the clutch engages right at the top of the travel. It did have a replacement gearbox under warranty but that was for gearbox issues and didn’t affect the clutch feel. The chassis is good and manages some compliance in spite of being fairly firm. A better compromise IMO than an older 750 another friend used to have, that was a real barge but still rode poorly on city streets.
M3 bud once had an Audi RS4 on loan when he lent Audi some nice collector cars to display at their design center in Santa Monica. That car was schizoid: it felt like a very, very heavy and plush A4 until you punched it then all hell broke loose, IIRC it had a V8 out of the big A8 and made well over 400 hp. We all took turns driving the crap out of it up and down La Tuna Canyon. Hard on it out of corners it reminded me of my sister’s old deTomaso Pantera because it would pull like a freight train to 100 in third accompanied with a lovely V8 wail. The problem for me was that the car didn’t feel special until you got on it and then you were instantly at go-to-jail speeds. It was certainly lots of fun on a Sunday morning though. My friend liked it as well but after years of trying to keep an ‘82 urQuattro coupe on the road he’ll stick to the M3, it’s far more reliable.
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