Mmm, I've heard about the Vibrabeat and am gonna fire it up after I finish posting. Wheee...
Fascinating to have the 438 identified as Canada only issue, Tom. And thanks for the date & model info on that other thread.
I never really hankered after a Connie since all the ones I've seen over the years/decades are trashed, rusted out and severely dented or have furniture castors bolted to the rim by a helpful husband, one suspects.
Then I won an original two tone blue top swivel nozzle Connie in fair condition and cheap on eBay. Figured that's all I'd need. Famous last words.
But as we came around the building ( already pumped from finding the superb Viking 107) to the back yard of open shed roof bins, there it was...exposed to the open elements under mud, hay & organic debris beside the sad looking Eureka Roto-matic (which is a Model 910 C). I rooted them out into the sunshine, got down on my knees and discovered that all the pink rubber and the pink toggle switch, handle & rim were intact and good looking. The rim was just full of dried mud. And the all over Ivory (?) ball just looked so right set off with the pink accents. Sure, a few minor scratches to the ball's paint but no dents and the hose recepticle nameplate is flawless. Diving back into the stack of junque yielded two intact Constellation hoses and wands (with broken nylon latches, btw) and the complete hose for the Roto-Matic. Once again, under the grit & muck the Roto-Matic paint wasn't scratched too badly and the chrome top isn't pitted and the rubber rimmed cloth bag that fits over the motor was inside. Both original rubber cards in supple unspliced shape.
This is what we call a no brainer. They are unusual enough that I've never seen one in person and the likelyhood of obtaining them for the collection seemed slight. I've walked away from things only to find them gone a few days later. So...I think another week, probably in the rain, would have ruined them so I had to save 'em NOW! LOL
The next morning all the new vacs came out to the back deck one by one. I'd already inspected the hoses & fittings in Pete's garage workshop and shortened a Connie hose by 2" where it was split at the wand nozzle. A bit of soapy washing later, Pete magicly produced paper bags for the Hoover and the Eureka, we plugged 'em in and the hoses proved to be airtight and Suck-o-meter worthy.
Its still almost too much to comprehend the lovely vacuums I have on my livingroom floor now and gosh, I'm certainly not fussed about a bit of bottom pan rust you can't see from above anyway. We were surprised to hear all the motors run strong and quiet with reassuring long rundowns without squawking.
If the Connie represents a ringed planet Saturn, the Roto-Matic is a Vangard Satelite sent from Earth to orbit it.
lol
