A great gift from a great friend!

[vintagehoover]

A good friend of mine was kind enough to give me this on Wednesday evening, in return for some restoration work I've done on a couple of his cleaners.

What is so astoundingly generous about it was that he'd only just bought this off eBay. That was the whole reason he was visiting me - he'd come to collect it from the seller, and he dropped into see me on the way back, since I'm only 20 minutes away from where the seller lived. It wasn't like it had been sitting around in his attic for years.

As you can imagine, I was speechless when he offered it to me, but more than delighted to accept it into the Vintage Hoover Emporium stables! Naturally I told him he has a free 'restoration account' with me for life! He already has a couple of machines lined up for me to bring back to life, and I can't wait to get started!

It's in lovely condition, and runs like new. So quietly! The only thing missing is the upholstery tool, and the original hose, but I'm sure they're obtainable eventually. If Tom can find a Model 961 in a junk shop, anything is possible!

The photos don't do it justice, a fact I'm sure lots of us are familiar with!

 

[vintagehoover]

With hose attached...

The rotating hose design is obviously a carry-over from the original 822 (this is the 1956-58 Model 822A, the first floating model).

The hose arm is not quite as good in use as the later design, since the hose is angled downwards. While this might have been ok when the original 822 was stationary, it makes the floating 822A a little tricky to pull along, since pulling it yanks the machine upwards, rather than towards you. You have to lower your hand with the hose in slightly to pull it properly.

Also, you have to push the arm so it faces forwards when you want to pick the cleaner up with the handle. Not a major issue, but an added 'thing' you have to do!

 

[vintagehoover]

Set up for use:

...

 

[vintagehoover]

With the Dustette:

...

 

[vintagehoover]

The rating plate:

Not a scratch on it! This Constellation has been well-used, but well-cared for.

The serial number - 79801 - looks quite low. Can anyone date it from that??

 

[riccarlover]

beautiful!!!

 

[arh1953]

That is just wonderful of your generous friend to bestow that on you! I like the colors, and that type hose isn't too far off is it? I've seen a terrific orange and cream one on eBay, but what with some of the probs I've had with one of the sellers, I hesitate to buy from there.

 

[myhooverco]

Jack...

Congrats on the beautiful 822A. I really love the color on that machine. Is that the original plug and cord too? If so you have quite a find there and a truly generous friend. Happy Hoovering with your HOVER vacuum!

--Tom

 

[vintagehoover]

Hi Alan -

No, the hose isn't too bad. It's a later Hoover hose. The original should be blue, like the one pictured with the Dustette. Both the end-pieces of the hose are original, though.

To get a proper hose would be icing on the cake!

 

[vintagehoover]

Hi there, Tom -

The cord is original, the plug would have been the Hoover 2-pin type originally, like you have on your 652 and 1334. You do see those plugs on eBay sometimes...I'll be looking out for one!!

 

[arh1953]

Proper hose would definitely be icing on the cake! Has anyone seriously looked into vinyl spray colors? Especially if the correct hose never shows.

 

[aeoliandave]

Absolutely stunning, Jack!

You have discovered the pitfalls of the swiveltop arm.

Now, I'm curious about that colour combination with the flared floater rim. My non-floater 82 in that tri-tone blue scheme has the 'donut' rim, as do the floater swivelarm models 85 and Canadian 841E in my Constellation lineup.

Could it be the flared rim was introduced in Great Britian before North America? Or was the swivel arm in production longer in Europe?

In any event, I think the tricolour blue is the best looking of the swivelarm Connies.

Dave

 

[vintagehoover]

Hi Dave -

I may have been wrong with my dates before, it's all a bit confusing;

As now I understand it, in the UK, we had the 822 from 1956-58. This had what you call the 'donut' rim. I'm not sure whether it floated or not, different sources say different things! I thought it didn't, and like the G.E Swiveltop, you placed it in the centre of the room and cleaned around it. But according to Paul Linnell's Simply Switch On site, it does float.

Then we had the 822A, as pictured above, from 1958-59. Same colours as the 822, but with the flared rim and floating action.

Then we had the ivory and pink 862, which was the first to have the new hose-arangement.

I'm not sure how this compares to the US models. I see this one pictured in the ad below has the donut rim, and it does float. We never had this machine.

 

[myhooverco]

Jack...

The Connie in the ad is a model 84 and it was produced from 1956-1957 and changed for 1957 and 1958 as the 84B. The 84 had a flip bottom base like the 82. The blue 82 did not float. The pink (actually a mullberry color) one did float. The 84B got the "fixed" base like your blue machine. The 84 series was the first one to float. We had a total of 3 Connies with the central hose connection from 1954 to 1959's model 85. The model 86 introduced in 1958 (it was gold for Hoover's 50th anniversary) had the new hose arrangement that you mention. All further Connies used the same setup after that. Thanks again for your photos and the ad. That two wheeled nozzle in the ad is Hoovers BEST floor nozzle. No other nozzle from Hoover can compare to it. They are very scarce since they were only used on the 84s and the model 85.

--Tom

 

[hygiene903]

Beautiful Connie, Jack!

And so nice of your friend to give it to you! They are quite similar to our model 82, and the rug nozzle is almost identical, except on the US version the Hoover logo is red. I have an 82 that my maternal Grandfather bought for my Grandmother in 1955 for their last anniversary before he passed away. It's complete and in excellent condition for it's age, the only down side being that the tool caddy is kind of rough, and the hose (original) is permanently stretched. And like yours, it runs like new, and is soooo quiet!! Gotta love the Connies!!
Jeff

 

[camelotshadow]

cool color

Nice!
it looks new
didn't know they were 50's
had a mustard one in college
one of Moms extras
figured it to be 70's
but aLAS that was many moons ago
& I vaguely remember it but it was a hoover space ship mpdel
LOL

 

[74simon]

Great!

I think I can guess who that was from, bless him! Seriously, that's what I call a thoughtful gift!

Do you still have your yellow 867A too? Dig it out the attic, you've got the perfect counterpoint now hehehe.

I dug out my service manual, the 822A was built between January 1958 and December 1959, opening on HC 17,180 and closing on HC 91585, so yours is fairly late. The serial number for July '59 is HC 78,325, so I'd guess yours was about Augustish. They're far rarer than any 862/7, about 74,000 822As were built in two years, but in the first two years of 862 production, nearly half a million were made!

Might be worth looking out for a 638 toolkit, or a USA model 63 one, the hoses on them seem to survive more, I'm guessing because they always saw less use. Do you know if the 822/A used an upholstery brush or toothed nozzle?

Be nice to see your finished restorations too, hope you or their new owner post the pics somewhere!

Si

 

[petek]

Geesh what a great gift and it looks so new for its age as well. Just goes to show they're still out there, like the one Dave got not that long ago. Like Alan said, do you think you'd try color matching the hose with vinyl spray paint? I think some paint stores can even do computer color matching and put it in a spray can.

 

[vintagehoover]

See it in action!

Follow the link: