Electrolux Model E with polished front cover

[charles~richard]

The Electrolux Model E (sold from 1954-1957) you'll most likely come across has a hammertone-blue painted front cover and rear cover, and a chromeplated cord "halo" (rim on rear cover to store cord).

Recently, an Electrolux Model E came up on eBay with a polished front cover but a hammertone blue painted halo.

(See link below.)

It's obvious going by the cheap plastic attachments and the non-standard halo (not only painted but also the wrong shape) that this is a bojack set, but seeing the polished front cover gave me an idea.

You see, I have a Model E with a chromeplated rear cover, along with a chromed halo. This was the way that the very last run of the Model LX (called LXI) was treated. So I am pretty sure this E is original, and from very early in the run before they began painting the rear cover instead of chromeplating it.

So, I thought, just for fun, it would be nice to fit this chromed-rear model E with a polished front. I have several spare Model E front covers. I chose the grottiest of them for this special treatment.

I stripped the paint off with spray-on paint stripper, then machine-polished the cover on my electric buffing wheel.

And here is the end result!

Ain't that purty! This is the "daily driver" I use at church to keep the wood floor of the organ loft clean. (The loft is kept locked and only the pastor and I have keys - for security. So the custodian does not go up there to clean.)

That's why I have a coiled vinyl hose on it instead of an original woven hose, but I do have the original hammertone-blue suction coupler. This hose, btw, was from a set of Royal upright attachments -- the silver color perfectly matches the silver plastic trim on the Electrolux Model E, so it makes a very lovely and aesthetically correct replacement.

If I get tired of the polished front, I do still have the original hammertone front that I can swap back onto the machine. Very easy to do since the front cover comes completely off.

Just a little bit of Electrolux fun on a quiet Thursday night!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350081131424

 

[aeoliandave]

Good call, Charles and results are spectacularly 'just right'.

 

[eluxomarty]

Charles

I have a Model E that was refurbished by Metropolitan. It has a polished front cover and a Metropolitan cord halo in matching hammertone blue. Why they didn't use a Lux halo, well who knows?

I really like the way the E looks with boths ends polished.

 

[charles~richard]

I should have mentioned one of the most fascinating distinctions about the Model E: It was the =only= Electrolux ever to have a painted machine-end hose coupler, instead of chromeplated. Why? Don't ask me. I vividly remember seeing our next-door-neighbor's Model E many times when I was 3 to 4 years old; and clearly remember noticing -- even at that age -- the differences between her E and my mom's E-Automatic, including the blue hose end.

The first photo shows the E-Automatic on the left, with the new saran hose and standard chrome coupler, then the E is on the right with the cloth hose (same hose as the LX and LXI except for the hammertone coupler).

The Model E was also the first Electrolux to feature the combination rug/floor and dusting/upholstery tools. The ads proclaimed, "Cleans your whole house with only two tools!" — "Like magic, two tools clean your whole home!" — "Two tools do the work of five!"

The Model E ads also highlighted its "feather-light" weight, addressing criticisms (including from Consumer Reports) of the Model LX's heft -- 37 lbs fully loaded with cord reel, Companion and on-board tools!

A beautiful Model E-Automatic Christmas ad, one of my favorites:

 

[camelotshadow]

Looking good, Charles

I've been out of vac mode over a month.

They are such lovely machines

 

[lux1521]

Charles, that is one of the best looking Lux cleaners you have. The model E looks really good like that. Too bad the model G is the only Electrolux of that style to have an unpainted front cover. I think many models of that era would look great with polished ends.


Hey Christine - I was just thinking about where you were only a couple of days ago. Nice to see you back.

 

[briankirbyclass]

Excellent job Charles! My grandmother had a Model E, that had been fitted with a PN socket down at the right hand side, just like a Model G,,,it also had the hammertone hose coupler.
After Grandma got wall to wall carpet, Lux salesman fitted her Model E with the PN socket, and sold her a PN1, and cord plus straps for the hose sometime in the late 60s.
Its the first vacuum i can remember being totally facinated with, and holds great sentimental value,,,of course Grandma gave me the vacuum many years later, in perfect condition with the practically new PN,,,and i stupidly gave it away to a friend. DARN IT! Oh well, at least looking at yours brings back good memories.

Ive never seen another Model E retro fitted with a PN socket tho,,,wish i would have kept it!

The one down side i remember about the Model E was that it tipped over easily when pulled, but i'll always remember how much fun it was to use and that undeniably "Electrolux" sounding motor!

 

[charles~richard]

Model E power nozzle port -- see photo.

The tipping over of the Model E was a problem with the first models that was addressed soon after it was introduced by the addition of a plastic "Stabilizer Foot" that went between the front caster and the body of the machine. You can see this "foot" in the photos above.

Once that solution was introduced, tip-over was virtually eliminated -- unless the user really forcibly yanked on the machine.

Interestingly, in the photo below with the retrofitted power nozzle port, the Stabilizer Foot is not there. Either this was an early E, or the foot was there and removed because it got in the way of the power nozzle cable.

I also remember another "little old lady" who had an E retrofitted with a turguoise G hose, gray wrap-around power nozzle cable, and a white-sheath PN1. This was another (of the many) church ladies for whom I was supposed to do "odd jobs" but somehow always managed to get into their vacuum cleaners! Fancy that!!

 

[hygiene903]

Beautiful E's, Charles!

Especially the one with the polished end cover. Makes me wonder why Electrolux didn't produce them that way!! Thanks for sharing the photos!
Jeff

 

[constellation86]

Beautiful job on the cover Charles. I'd like to see how you did it. I should polish the ends on my G's.
Nicholas

 

[crevicetool]

I really enjoyed this thread....

I had never seen a polished front cover on an E. I also found the power nozzle connection conversion interesting too!Now one thing that troubles me...and that because I don't know anything about it, what was the purpose of the two "hooks" on the riveted, cast assembly that holds the front caster (and later, the anti-tip device)?

I can't imagine Electrolux doing anything that did not have some sort of purpose. Even if it were for an add-on later. The AE does not have these "projections" just the E. If you look carefully at them, you can see two grooves facing each other, running perpendicular to the body. Any thoughts?

 

[crevicetool]

Great job on the cover....BTW

I did the same thing on a the power cord door for my LX. It is a very early machine, the red/yellow trim pieces, no paint on the suction inlet, but did have the hammertone (plug) door. I wanted it to appear to be as early as possible. I think it came out rather well.

 

[charles~richard]

I am aware of the 'prongs' on the front caster housing you refer to, but have no idea what they were for. Nor does anyone else, at least, to whom I have talked about it. And stranger still: Early Model Es have them, and the later ones don't. It's just one of those things that will forever have to be a mystery.

Not too long ago, I wrote a web page about the Model E. On the last page is a set of photos on the various little differences of the various runs of the Model E. See link.



http://www.137.com/luxe