I have once taken off the belt and turned it on. It is really really loud without the belt. Like I can't even hear my own voice. This is why I no longer trust vintage machines at Goodwill. They always have problems. That is why I now order them off ebay. Even if I have to pay a very expensive price, it's worth it for vintage machines that actually work. And I did not know that plate belonged to a Metal Convertible. I might just replace the entire vacuum overall if it's going to be like 100+ to restore the entire machine. Although I really do like this Convertible. Then again, I could probably get a close to mint 60s Convertible for a cheaper price than the cost of fixing this machine.
I usually do put the outer bags on right on this machine. However, somehow, the spring detached and made a huge mess once I was cleaning it. Like a huge mountain of sugar was on my carpet. I had to get the Hoover Wards to clean it up, and it cleaned up very well.
