Another Canadian Electrolux collection void filled.

[aeoliandave]

5 day warm spell ended overnight. Woke up to foggy cold rain.
Stanley & I decided to head down to Woodstock to the Walmart to get him a set of stick-on LED strips for under his dashboard, because he too has a black interior in his new Ford Ranger XLT truck so he can't see his ashtray or much else in the dark. Walmart is the only place around here I've seen these 12-14 VDC LED strips. They come in blue, green red and white and they are very bright. I have 12" blue strips under my dashboard lighting up the floor mats and two under the front seatbacks lighting up the back seat floor. both sets wired in and on independent switches. Very useful in a black interior at night when needed...and a soft pretty blue ambient glow when desired just for fun and claustrophobia comfort.
They come running off batteries but you can connect them by splicing in to the cigarette lighter harness.

The reason the top of the console is lit is because the garage lights are shining through the windshield. I have fifth 5" blue LED strip at the front edge of the console armrest that shines across the console topside.

 

[aeoliandave]

Now for the vacuum find of the weekend.

Naturally we had to stop in at the One-Of-A-Kind Junqueporium factory.

Because I always look under and behind things imagine my delight at spotting a wand end sticking out of this box and pulling out this!

nice looking grayblue woven hose and look, the vacuum is blue with black ends.

Could it be an actual ZB55!?

 

[aeoliandave]

It is!!! I didn't have an example of this model.

Flash pic gives a better idea of the vibrant gray/blue basketweave leatherette.

OMG, it still has the original Mechanical Maid sticker!

Last patent date on the plate is 1956.

 

[aeoliandave]

Imagine my thrill at seeing what was all in the box...

I couldn't wait to pull out the accessories for an impromptu inventory of this astoundingly intact and complete treasure find.
There's not one scratch or blemish on the cylinder, the dusty blue rubber tool bumpers or TWO !! crevice tools. The only deteriorated rubber is on the floor/wall dusting nozzle and from the wear, I'd say this was the most used tool.

To quote Doug Smith:
"The biggest changes came in 1953 when Electrolux began producing 3 models - the standard model ZB55 which now boasted a blue covering, hose, round dusting brush, floor brush and flip-over carpet tool bumpers and included a blue plastic upholstery nozzle and new style blue plastic crevice tool (rather than painted fibre).
The 2nd model was the step-down ZB54 - blue with blood red Bakelite ends & painted side trims, which was equipped with only three tools - the US dual rug nozzle, US dual folding upholstery/dusting brush and new Canadian plastic crevice tool."

The 3rd machine was the brown tweed ZB57 which was the Deluxe model. It came with all brown tool bumpers, a chrome or later brown flip-down cord-reel retractor and rear wheels on the skids, a brown painted piggyback tool saddle and/or either a folded cardboard accessory caddy, or a vinyl covered cardboard tool carry-all like the one this ZB55 came with. The ZB57 also featured the ability to use paper dust bags which connected to a spout tube glued to the inside of the front cover.

Also in the box were a spare un-used cloth dustbag, a gray bumper-ed flip-over floor tool and plastic upholstery nozzle, three wands and a supple power cord.

 

[aeoliandave]

After a magic Eraser going over this flash pic really shows the spectacular dusty blue colour and gunmetal gray vinyl carryall.

This certainly looks like it is an original cord and ends but perhaps it is a vintage replacement, as it is only 10 feet long and has no Electrolux logos on it.

Anyway, I am such a lucky feller to find this missing model to (almost) complete my line of Canadian ZB30 through ZB89 Electroluxs.

 

[aeoliandave]

A couple of other things jumped into my line of sight on the way out.

Shiny RIVAL polished stainless steel 14" diameter formal serving dish with domed lid. $5.

 

[aeoliandave]

But wait!

It's an electric Griddle with detachable temp controller up to 400 F degrees and a flat bottom.

Fancy schmanzy for Fine Hostessing delivery to, or prepare at, table? Pancakes? Crepes? Omlettes? More elegant than a square electric frying pan, anyway.

 

[eurekaprince]

Beuatiful Electrolux, Dave.

You know as a child growing up in Montreal, I had the opportunity to see the Electrolux factory every time our family ventured out to visit my cousins who lived in a suburb called Dollard-des-Ormeaux. Right before our car would exit off the Trans-Canada highway to DDO's main access road (Sources Road), I would peer out the car window to see that famous Electrolux sign with the maple leaf in the "e". It was right next to Montreal's headquarters for the Boy Scouts of Canada.

One day, when I am back visiting my hometown, I'll try take a pic of the building for everyone. It's no longer owned by Electrolux/Aerus of Canada, but the building is still there!

 

[aeoliandave]

Examined and snapped a picture of this cream & green THOR wringer washer. It's all there but I can't have it and besides it had a price of $400 on it with a 25% discount.

Yes, that's the lid on the table beside it.

 

[aeoliandave]

One last minor thing but something I've been keeping an eye out for for ages.

An actual 1960s period record player wire stand with album storage that isn't rusted or bent out of shape with busted welds.

Perfect for this RCA Victor RecRoom portable and all those Liberace LPs...another $5 well spent.

Dave

 

[suckolux]

Nice Dave, lucky bugger! Great finds.

 

[petek]

Wow it's nicer than u described on the phone
Wonder if anyone on the washer site is looking for that Thor wringer washer. A bit too much $ I think

 

[arh1953]

What a lucky bunch of finds, especially the Mid Century hi-fi rack.

 

[aeoliandave]

When it rains, it pours...

...in Twingledavyland.

I passed through Woodstock again on Tuesday morning on my way to Hamilton (to get some Weathertech Canada floor liners for the Subie and visit Dundurn Castle - see link) and then on to Toronto for a Toronto Theatre Organ Society event held at Casa Loma (another thread)

Stopped into the Woodstock Sally Ann and lo & behold another wire frame phonograph stand for $5.
This one is essentially identical BUT! it has all 4 casters intact and the top platform is taised and level with the side rails.
The previous one has the top shelf sunk below the side frames, like handles.
Which is good because the other 1960s stereophonograph, the turquoise Electrohome with changer that I want to put on a stand, is much wider and would not have fitted. Yeah, more LP storage.

Speaking of Rain, it absolutely poured all afternoon and evening...was a heck of a 90 minute drive home from Toronto at 2am in pea soup fog through Hamilton then torrential high wind rains.

Dave
Dundurn Castle google page - watch the youtube video.

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=...&aql=&oq=dundurn&gs_rfai=&fp=7149fcbaab2ae638

 

[arh1953]

Good for you! I was wondering about that other slick portable you got the other time!

 

[aeoliandave]

Hardly worth moving the whole thread to the proper Forum but since I've gone this far...

Did a test fit of the big blue Electrohome Stereo. It kinda overwhelms the stand and there's no place to put the detachable front speaker other than ingloriously on the floor.

 

[aeoliandave]

So I'm going with this arrangement...the little red plastic picnic-portable (as long as you have AC at the beach).

The cover-less book album on the shelf is a collection of 78 Foxtrots from the same Stratford Sally Ann today. I rifled through the 78s bin discarding Polish Marches and religious songs and filled the album with 13 Foxtrots I knew I didn't have; they sell these at 25 cents per. Can never have too many bouncy 78s from the 30s & 40s.

The 78s stay downstairs with the 78 machines; these two stands are moving up to the Attic Vacuum Lounge with the LPs & 45s now that I have rack-age.

 

[aeoliandave]

A vacuum designed to be left out? Aren't they all...

One more thing bringing it all back to vacuums, even tho it's contemporary.

Got a Dirt Devil KURV in Spice red. Heck, it was only $4. And it works. Good deal considering they still sell for $40-60.
I am surprised at how unusually powerful the suction is after a full charge. This will actually be a useful as well as decorative sculpture. LOL

Got me to thinking how good these battery-packed utility vacs would have been if they all had Dyson Digital Motors. You'll know what I mean if you hold your palm over the business end of the Dyson Handvac.