Garland, Texas thrift find - Oreck XL Compact Canister Vacuum

[texaskirbyguy]

Model BB280D in ivory. Sorry, no pics as I did not have my camera.
I did not need this so posting here to see if a local member wants it.
With hose, curved wand, dust brush, and floor nozzle.
Looks pretty clean - would restore easily.
Saw today at Texas Thrift store in Garland, TX, SW corner of Walnut and N Garland Rd.
Had a blue price tag of 9.99; blue will be on the shelf for 2 more weeks from today (8-26).
It is at the far back of the store, towards the right as you walk back there.
They are open to like 8pm or so.

 

[lesinutah]

Rob

You are like a vacuum rescuer. I'd steer clear of the cannister you mention it underperforms.
You have any luck on your back deck project or is that to be continued.
Les

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Well, Les, I am only attempting to rescue this one since I did not buy it. )
I did not want to be stuck with it if noone wanted it.
It was in nice shape and came with attachments all bundled together, so it caught my eye for sure. There was no long wand, but if someone local buys this, I do have a similar color long wand that I would be happy to donate (if it fits).

My back deck project....
Well I was supposed to have dropped the axle from my Olds convertible in spring so I could restore it once the Kirbys were all gone and the space returned. That never happened not just because of the Kirbys taking the space, but also due to an emergency neck surgery in early May. Degenerated disc slipped and smashed my spinal cord - I was close to becoming paralyzed in the arms and hands.
Thankfully all that went well - I love my surgeon!! Still have another 6 months for recovery, so the Olds project will be a couple years out since I will have back surgery in Oct for another degenerated disc. I am loosing leg functions now.

Rear side of the house started to cave in 2 months ago so foundation company will be out in a couple weeks to fix it. They will have to bust up my patio to get the piers in.
SOOOooo - glad the Kirbys are all gone so they will not be in anyone's way!

This year has REALLY sucked. And not in the good way that a vacuum would do it.

 

[kirby519]

Geez.

Good luck on your next surgery. God willing and a few angels you will come thru this one with flying colors as well.

2020 has indeed sucked worse than a vacuum missing the suction fan.

Hopefully this will all be behind us soon. The city of Kenosha has become the next burning of Atlanta.

Hope those that have done these acts get what the truly deserve.

 

[lesinutah]

Wtf

You have an old convertible I noticed. It's it a cutlass or 442?
If so ship it to me. I mean your back is in no shape to fix it. I'm sure you would appreciate time and money saved.
Les

 

[texaskirbyguy]

"2020 has indeed sucked worse than a vacuum missing the suction fan"
Very well put!! This about sums it up in a busted nutshell... Lots more had gone wrong as well.
Thank you for the prayers - I will need all the help I can get.

Les, it is kinda both...
'72 Cutlass Supreme W29 tribute car. I bought it like that back in 2007. Drove it from South Carolina back home to Texas on that labor day weekend. Picture here is from the Blue Ridge Parkway - what a wonderful drive that was!
She is a great running car - I had been doing a slow restoration ever since I got her. The rear axle is about the last section to do. Nothing is actually broke, but want to replace rear suspension bushings, brake hose, change axle oil, clean and repaint, etc.

 

[kirby519]

Nice Car. Oh yes that would be a very enjoyable ride. I like the back drop behind the car great photo.

 

[lesinutah]

Dang

The 1970 442 convertible 455 with hurst four speed. I do know the w35 is the performance package.
Four on the floor, four barrell and dual exhaust
What size of engine is in it.
If I ever come near you I'd like to take it around the block.
Les

 

[texaskirbyguy]

519 -
YES - that was the MOST enjoyable ride I ever had in that car - a couple hundred miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and ending in the Smokey Mountains National park. In the mountains it was cool and comfy. After then was the grueling 1300 mile trip home the next day. It was in the upper 90s then and the A/C quit the day before (charging ports leaked). It was tops down all the way home, I drank a 5 gallon bucket full of bottled water and made only 3 restroom breaks. I sweat it out as fast as I drank it.
Here some more old pictures from that trip...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robsalbum/albums/72157602056656717

Les,
The top performance package was actually the W30. The W29 is the performance handling/suspension and appearance package, which was only available on its own in 72.
As much as I wanted the 1970 W30, I had to be reasonable with cost and gas mileage, as I like to drive that car on long trips. I needed better mileage and not a trailer queen.
Therefore I opted for the 350 Golden Rocket with 4BBL and dual exhaust. That engine was the best of both worlds of power and fuel economy.
The W31 was a high performance 350 (I think called the Ram-Rod or something like that).
The 1970 was my favorite style but this 1972 popped up on CL and it was love at first sight. She was in excellent shape for her age, I loved the buckskin top, and was freshly serviced. She made the 1600 mile trip without issue (other than the A/C).
My ladyfriend was jealous for a while but agreed we could all go out on a double date together (just not both topless at the same time...)

 

[kirby519]

Those are some great pictures of the ride home.

Very nice interior of the car as well. Someone kept in in very nice shape. And an engine you don't need a computer to diagnose or repair. I can remember the days when cars were styled like that.

 

[lesinutah]

Lmao

Topless at the same time.. that's a great line. I like the cars with the same chassis. Chevelle, this, buick had a version. There just super sweep cars.
Les

 

[texaskirbyguy]

519 - The interior was pretty nice for its age when I bought her, but the back seat had cracks and replacing it meant restoring all the upholstery a few years after to keep the colors the same.
Yep - easy to diagnose and repair, AND room to do it in!

Les, I initially wanted the Chevelle 454 SS when I was young but I had become an Olds guy in the early 90's as I liked my mom's '86 Cutlass. I had bought one for myself in '91. Olds had more creature comforts and cosmetic details than Chevy and I LOVE the low end torque that only the older Olds and Caddy V8 engines had. I can rocket off the line quite fast and barely go over 2k RPM - nice and quiet. Top end is not too exciting, but very smooth cruisers. Chevy and Ford had higher-up power bands, making them more suitable for race engines.
The Buick GS and GSX I think was the competing A-body of the time period. Sweet cars they are. The A-body station wagons of the day were the best looking ones every made in my opinion. I almost bought a 1970 Olds Vista Cruiser a while back but the seller sent it to a dealer instead when I was ready to come get it. It was sweet - beats a bloated-egg SUV any day in my eyes.
Super sweep? Good job at keeping this thread vacuum related! )

 

[thevacomaticiec]

nice vacuum and oh my what a beautiful Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 350 4 speed W29 ncie nice ncie !!
MR smith hada oldsmobiel as they say id love to find a Toronado or Cutlass supreme t tops of course whita 455 yess .

 

[jo]

I think I’ve seen you....and a funny vacuum ending!

I live in Dallas...I think I’ve seen you in that 442 on the road! I always notice the late 60s early 70s GM mid size models. The pharmacist at the CVS on Forest and Cox...close to Marsh has a beautiful 68 Chevelle Malibu coupe in blue with white racing stripes on the hood and deck lid...I notice these cars as we had a 68 Chevelle Malibu wagon growing up and my Aunt had a 71 Monte Carlo! Neighbors next door had a 68 Chevelle Malibu Coupe, next to them a 72 Chevelle Malibu sedan and a 68 Buick Skylark, and then next to them...a 70 Buick Skylark sport wagon, and then two doors down from them a 68 Olds Cutlass Coupe which actually burned due to an electrical fire one night...the lights went off just as they arrived home before they could turn them off...a bit later after they went inside the car was in flames! Then across from them a 69 Buick Skylark coupe. Also knew 2 families one with a 68 Olds Cutlass Cruiser well I to the 80s and another family we were good friends with had a 71 Cutlass Cruiser. Another Aunt and Uncle had a 68 Chevelle wagon. My cousin had a 71 Chevelle Malibu coupe. Another cousin had a 68 Malibu Coupe and yet another cousin...she had a 69 Malibu coupe. Another neighbor had a 71 or 72 Pontiac Grand Am and friends had a 68 Pontiac GTO. A neighbor On the next street she had a 70 Pontiac Grand Prix and next door to them a 70 Monte Carlo. My Dad’s friend had a 72 Malibu coupe and I remember when we visited my Dad saying how good of cars they were to his friend since we had the 68 wagon. I remember I think the guy had just bought the 72 Malibu as it was all shiny and new and he was showing it off to Dad and we went for a short ride in it. My Dad even found and bought the 71 Monte Carlo for my Aunt when she had to get a new car. My Mom’s friend had a 71 Buick skylark sedan in gold with white seats and had it until 1986! Amazing how many of the A cars by GM were the staples of American cars back then. Styling was modern, new and fresh and first rate as was build quality and fit and finish for the time! A few others on the neighboring streets had 70-72 cutlass’s.

My Aunt and us both then had the 77 Malibu Classics, hers was the sedan, ours the wagon...not nearly as good of cars in my parents and even my opinion. Cousin had a 73 Malibu sedan and she ended up with my Aunt’s 77 after she passed away unexpectedly and trashed it after my Aunt kept beautiful care of it but it also rusted out badly just below the rear window. Our 77 wagon ended up with a bad head gasket and some sort of vapor lock causing it difficult to start so we got rid of it In 1982 after buying it used in 79. Parents still complained the newer one was junk in comparison to the 68 Malibu wagon and the whole 68-72 series. Next door neighbor always had GM cars as he worked for GM. They liked the 68 Malibu coupe they had but his wife scraped the whole passenger side against the tomato cart at the local farm market and never had it fixed. They replaced it with a 74 Monte Carlo that they had for 9 years until the transmission gave out and the engine also had a significant valve tick at that point and they had lost all but one of the wheel covers over the yearts and that one wasn’t on because it flew off and I found it while walking home from school and brought it home and gave it to them! He never put it on, just hung it on the wall in the garage instead since it was the last one!

Grew up in Northern NJ. These A body cars were certainly popular, more than I think I realized until just writing this now! I still have the keys to our 68 Chevelle Malibu...they are the originals too and Mom kept hers in very good shape on a Tiffany key ring so very little of the nickel silver plating is worn off. She ended up using a copy for the primary key for a number of years as the octagonal original fell off the Tiffany key ring at the grocery store parking lot and we never found it that day...years later I was vacuuming the car....of course I was ...And with the Electrolux model S....and found it stuck way down between the seat and seat back along with some coins. I ran inside telling Mom I had found the long lost key and she was ecstatic! Mom kept it in her pocketbook as an emergency spare From that time on and kept using the copy. If I didn’t love vacuuming and using the Electrolux so much that key may have never been found! I still have the full original set today Including the copy among my most precious keepsakes!

Jon