ANOTHER great gift from ANOTHER great friend!

[vintagehoover]

Yesterday, our very own Seamus (seamusuk) came to visit me for the afternoon, and brought with him a totally unexpected gift. He actually carried with him on the train!

It goes perfectly with my recent gift from another friend, and is a welcome addition the Vintage Hoover Emporium!

Thank you so much for thinking of me, Seamus. It's truly appreciated. I'm lucky to have such great friends

It is, of course, a Hoover Constellation 862 (1959-63).

So onto the pictures:

 

[vintagehoover]

Ratings plate:

The royal crest isn't faded, it's just the camera flash!

 

[vintagehoover]

With it's older sister:

My 'gift' Connies, 862 and 822A, side by side:

 

[vintagehoover]

Completing the pink line-up!

Left to right -

Junior 1334 / Constellation 862 / Deluxe 652

 

[vintagehoover]

A closer look...

...

 

[danemodsandy]

Ahhhh!

A Royal Warrant! There's nothing like a nice Royal Warrant- it gives a cleaner just that, doesn't it? Quite the thing for hoovering the carpet before one of my candlelight suppers!

 

[vintagehoover]

The blue line-up...

...since we're doing colours! It's not my best 'display', I admit; I just threw them all together on the bed for illustrative purposes. I don't have much room in here at the moment! The 638 is rather sorry-looking, but I did get it for £4, and seeing as it's one of the rarer machines, it's a stop-gap until I find a better one.

Left to right:

Dustette 2614 + tools / Junior 1224 + tools / Constellation 822A + tools / Deluxe 638

 

[arh1953]

I'm drooling over here, I've had two nice vacuums drop in my lap, but no Constellations yet! The colours are lovely. Hyacinth, having married in 1961, it seems, what do you suppose her first vacuum would have been?

 

[petek]

Looks great and what a haul toting it on the train, that's determination.

 

[danemodsandy]

Hyacinth's First Cleaner...

...Was probably a broom, since I have an idea that she began her married life in a council flat, having married Richard not so much for reasons of love, but to escape someplace like Hounslow or even Sheppey.

 

[arh1953]

That makes a lot of sense. Probably left after living in the same place where Daisy, Onslow, Rose and Daddy live.

 

[seamusuk]

Sheppey!!

Hey Guys

Firstly- Jack nice Connie .

Sandy- The said Isle is about 40 miles from me, it even has its own website pointing out its "virtues".

Ive never been but my bosses sons GF comes from Sheerness and she seems nice enough lol!!

Seamus

 

[danemodsandy]

Seamus:

Just kidding! Actually, Sheppey is rather famous to anyone in my line of work. It was home to a factory making furnishings designed by Ernest Race, who was probably Britain's most famous Mid-Century designer. Race did work that was equal to anyone's, and better than most.

 

[camelotshadow]

Wow, that's a nice vac

love the color coordinated pics

see the 268 is almost a 63

didn't realize the constell was in the 50's

I had a mustard one
think it was one
I was in college so it must of been one of our spare vacs
can't even reme,ber anymore
it's like a dream

odd but guess I wasn't interested

 

[74simon]

Constellation season in Surrey!

Uh-oh Jack, looks like you're being dragged into the 1950s here! Is it just me, but are the plastic and rubber bits on the 1334 slightly darker than on the 652 and 862? I'd noticed it on my Deluxe and Junior, and put it down to different batches, but it seems to be the same with your beasties.

Si

 

[camelotshadow]

638

meant 638 is like 63
guess thats the secret
first 2 #'s plus 8
LOL

Pardon my dyslexia

 

[vintagehoover]

Hey, Simon!

No 'dragging' necessary! My interest in Hoovers goes as far as the early '60s, it's just I tend to focus on the older ones, because they're what interest me the most. I have my Convertible 1128, Junior Deluxe, Starlight Junior etc...

I've wanted some of the early Connies for ages, it's just my money tends to go on the older cleaners! The kindness and generosity of others have allowed me to build on a section of my collection I otherwise would have had to wait quite a while to develop myself - since I now have those last 4 elusive pre-war machines left to find. Not to mention a whole decade of pre-1919 American Hoovers!

Actually, I've just obtained another mid-'50s Hoover this week...from America...one we never had over here...a missing link...

As always...stay tuned!

 

[beerad]

Hyacinth.

"RRRRRichard!!!"

 

[junior1975]

Missing Link?

Jack, my friend.

How are you? I like the additions to your website. As always, the work of art simply gets better and better. (Must work on mine soon).

I am going to hazard a wild wild guess at the missing link? Have you, you lucky indiviual secured for yourself a model 12 or 14 Lark???????????

It would be amazing if you have. If I am right, is the motor in this machine the same as the 1334 onwards rather than the 119's? Having seen some underside pics of this model the location of the carbon brushes is vertically and towards the front of the machine, the FAN end of the armature. The 119/115 has the barbons horizontally mounted towards the rear.

Anyway, hope all is well.

Happy hoovering,

Clark.

 

[vintagehoover]

Hi Clark!

Good to hear from you!

Seamus knows what the new addition is, but if he hasn't told you already, I'll keep it a secret until it arrives. It should be 'winging' it's way across the Atlantic as we speak

Oh, while I remember, I don't need those Kirby G5 parts any more - I traded the G5 and the G4 in for a G7 Diamond Edition! I have handles for your models 800 and 262, which you're still welcome to, so drop me a line about those!

Jack

 

[junior1975]

G4/G5, e.t.c.

Hi Jack.

Nicely traded on the kirby's there! I would love one of the later ones but my G4 will have to manage for now. Well, it was expensive y'know. £10 is a lot of money!!! LOL.

I will have to speak to Seamus over the weekend then, but I am sure his lips will remain sealed. Keeping me in suspense!

Could you email me your contact number again as I lost this when I had to clear out the PC, (A+ certified tech and still I got a virus!!!!!).

BTW I just aquired a prewar 375, complete with black band down the front1 Not in the best condition, but genuinely an early one, and ripe for restoration!

Glad you are doing well, and glad to be back in Vacuumland again!

Happy hoovering dude, and to all Vacuumland!

Cheers,

Clark.

 

[seamusuk]

LOL

My lips are sealed

Clark- it is indeed great to see you posting again !

Seamus

 

[vintagehoover]

Clark...

I've just sent you an email with my numbers.

Congrats on finding a pre-war 375 - I still don't have a black-stripe example, although I have the manual and original chassis/bag-box to go with one! There's one on eBay at the moment I'll bid for, so watch this space!

 

[junior1975]

Email.

Jack,

Thanks for the email mate, I got that last night.

The 375 has not yet been fired up to see how she sounds, although the motor spins freely by hand and does not have any discernable play in the wrong places.

The bag is original as is the flex, but the bag has split around the connection to the fan outlet, as is normally the case.

I am hoping to get a plug on her and fire her up this evening, and then pick up one of the donor machines I have at my parents place to give her the bits necessary. I am also planning on taking the fan chamber I have from a previous donor and seeing what I can do with that as far as a practice run on stripping, smoothing and repainting is concerned, then I know that this old lady will have the best "spa" treament I can offer!

I will call you soon as I am really looking forward to getting the 262 and the 800 done and pictured.

Take care, and for now Happy hoovering dude.

Clark.