Could this be a rare early model of the Rainbow D3A?

[gj3476]

Hi everybody! So I was looking at vintage rainbows on eBay and found this interesting model that appears to be a D3A but I’m guessing this is probably a rare early model from 1980. It looks almost like the D2, what do y’all think?

 

[kirbylux77]

I highly doubt it. My guess is someone with old Rainbow parts put together a FrankenRainbow to sell. That logo doesn't look even remotely original, & the D3 decal under the handle is missing too.

Rob

 

[kirbyvertibles]

The logo also appears to slant downward a little. At least to me it does.
Where are you seeing the model D3A? I didn't see that in the pics.

 

[sleepdoc]

I can't read the label on the back.

I wonder if the label says D2 or D3. My first impression is that it's a D2 with the original dome removed and replaced with a D3 dome and inner motor cover. The "Rainbow" on the front looks like something someone added much later, since it's not even scuffed and the vacuum is almost 40 years old. I'm putting my bet on the side of FrankenRainbow... which is a moniker I'd seen applied only to Kirbys up until just now.

 

[dysonman1]

absolutely NOT

That's a bastardized rainbow. The dark chocolate chrome dome D2A was the immediate predecessor to the D3A. I sold the D3A in April, 1980 at the St. Louis home show. We had just received the shipment of the first D3A's that week. I kept one, brand new in the box. The rexair-built power nozzle wouldn't come along until October - we were selling out on the Eureka-built nozzles.

 

[dysonman1]

This is Evan with the Dark Chocolate brown D2A. NO metal lower bodied Rainbow had a plastic upper housing.

 

[gj3476]

Dysonman1, you’re right. Because they stopped making the copper color around ‘79 and replaced with chocolate color, and then went plastic. Yeah there’s absolutely no way that Rexair went back making that color again, especially metal. But I kinda like the logo on the motor housing.

 

[kenkart]

The very LASTOf the D2s

Had the new D3 motor I think.

 

[dysonman1]

Yes Hans, there was one shipment of D2 "A", which had a unique serial number (don't know why) and had the firs 'bypass' motor, which was used on the D3A models. After those were sold, we got the D3's.

 

[huskyvacs]

It does look really tidy though, I like it. Maybe a vacuum shop owner built it out of spare parts he couldn't sell to make a cooler-designed model. I can't imagine a single person other than a collector having that many spare parts laying around.

 

[dysonman1]

It definitely was built either by a vac shop OR by a Rainbow service center. It was done to disguise the age of the machine. Only one in three people who see a demonstration of a new Rainbow actually buy the machine. But the other two would buy if the price was less. That's where rebuilt cleaners come in. Taking an old chrome dome and disguising it to look a lot more 'modern' with the plastic dome and new dolly is no different than putting current model vinyl trim and bag on an old Kirby in order to 'freshen' it up for sale.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

I am ashamed of myself. I didn't even pay attention to the color lol Had it been chocolate, then there would be a good reason to go hey wait a sec, but the fact it's copper screams it was thrown together lol

 

[kenkart]

Truth is

The D2 is a FAR better machine than the D3..

 

[dysonman1]

Hans,

I totally agree. The flow-thru motor used on the D2 (but NOT the D2A) allowed for tremendous airflow. The D3's bypass motor cut the airflow way down.

It's so easy to see. Fill a D2 and a D3 with water to the top of the post in the pan. Place then side by side on a table and start them up. You'll see the water level depressed all the way to the bottom of the pan on the D2 by the airflow. The D3 will only depress the water level half way.

Of course, for really good airflow, one only has to look at the 1955 gold Model D. So much power being pulled through the cord, it blew fuses in people's homes (like the Apex Strato and Sunbeam Dual Deluxe did). They had to dummy the motor down by almost two amps to keep that from happening.