Geuss what vintage vacuu i just got?

[collector2]

Hey Guys:

Can I throw in another possibility. Kirby did rebuilds even if the machine was in a fire and pretty much down to next to nothing. As it seems that every plastic piece has been replaced could this be the case? If the machine was in a fire where there was smoke and heat damamge it would have necessitated changing everything that was plastic or cloth. They would have used the colour of the machine out at that time yet it would have still been an omega model. This looks to me like a factory rebuild.

Doug

 

[caligula]

Good point Doug.

I've been away from Kirby so long I completely overlooked that.

As for the bag holder and chain thingy, that IS correct. However, the positionion of the bag on the Sani-Em-Tor is off center big time.

Alex T.

 

[briankirbyclass]

I hate to say i told you so, but,, That is a Classic OMEGA, rebuilt to look like a Classic 3.
If you look at an original from the factory Classic Omega, and Classic 3,and put them side by side, NEITHER of them had a bag "Chain",,,only the first Classic 1CR and all Kirby's before it had a bag chain.

An original Rosewood Brown Classic Omega had a long Rosewood Brown plastic sheath/collar that went all the way up to the bag hook loop.

And, and original Red Classic 3 had a simular but shorter sheath/collar on its bag hook.

Neither of them originally ever had a chain.

 

[briankirbyclass]

Alex, you are right,,,they(whoever redid this Omega/machine in red) got that bag top/chain off of a red 500 series bag. It is most definatly NOT from an Classic 3.

Any and All Original Red Classic 3 bag tops say KIRBY CLASSIC 111 on them, and have the slanted sheath/collar covering up to the bag hook/loop.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

look at the time dial between the rear wheels it has a number 3 so that tells me this machine was put together 1973 so it is an omega. I would say a vac shop probably replaced all the trim??

 

[kirbylux77]

Vac Shop Rebuild

This HAS to be a vac shop rebuild. It's obvious the Kirby has been rebuilt with the mish-mash of parts, but if this was rebuilt by Kirby by the factory in Cleveland, it would have had it's maker's plate with one stating it was Kirby factory rebuilt.

But what I am REALLY curious about....where did that red label on the belt lifter come from?? That was certainly not on the Classic III! So, was this something Kirby made specifically for rebuilds that were done in red??

Rob

 

[IL-Kirby-Fan]

Kirby Classic Omega

The Kirby in question is a Kirby Classic Omega. For a long time Kirby had replacement parts available in a variety of colors available to Authorized Kirby Service Center. Many service centers that sold rebuilt machines on their sales floor would just trim the Kirby out in whatever color they felt like when they would do an in house rebuilt to resell the Kirby. Additionally for someone sending their Kirby to the Factory for a Factory rebuild had the option to have their Kirby rebuilt to all original or for an additional fee could have the color changed, usually to whatever the color of the newest model was, but this wasn't always the case. In my work in repairing and rebuilding Kirbys I have seen all sorts of models in a variety of colors. I've seen Classic I's in the Blue of Traditions, Omegas in Blue or the DS80 Avacado Green, etc. It's really no big thing even in the Kirby Co's eyes as long as all the parts are genuie Kirby replacement parts. On the Kirby Omega in question it appears to all be genuine Kirby parts except for the bag which looks like a "Star for Parts" after market replacement bag. I know in particular the belt lifter label was questioned but Kirby did make those. Sadly Kirby's colored replacement parts inventory has dwindled and now many replacement parts are just made in black. Hope this information helps.

 

[super-sweeper]

The writing on the bottom is from a service/repair in 1992,They replaced the Carbons,The fan,the Bearings and the Belt.Dated June 15th 1992.

-Alex.

 

[briankirbyclass]

I remember a neighbor of ours bought a brand new in box Classic 3 in 1977,,,the lady would bring it out to vacuum their car with occasionally. I remember wishing and wanting one SO BADLY,, i dreamed of owning one someday!

Sure enough, as soon as i was old enough to earn my own money,in the early 1980s, i traded our old Hoover DAM Powerdrive (that was more PROBLEMATIC than it was Dial-a-Matic!) for a Rainbow D2 with PN.
A year or so later i grew tired of fiddling with the water pan of the Rainbow,(altho i did have fun using it) and traded that D2 for a local shop rebuilt Kirby Classic 3, with all attachments, even the Saber Saw and Handi Butler. Whoever rebuit it had polished it up to a mirror like shine. Wasnt a scratch or ding on it. And was rebuilt with all original parts.

Finally owned my own Red Classic 3!!,,and had it for several years, selling it to a friend that i receintly found on Facebook. I asked her whatever happened to that Kirby,,She said it lasted for another 20 years at least, until she sold it at a garage sale when they moved.
Ha, I bet its still strong going somewhere!

 

[super-sweeper]

The Case of the Red-Omega,

Solved.


 


I stumbled upon my old thread, and now know the answer in 3 words,


A Trim-Kit.


 


Kirby sold trim-kits to vac shops as a way to make an older model look new, Explaining the all-red trim.


However, There is still one question left un-answered, 


Why?


Why would somebody take in an already brand-new Kirby to have new trim installed? 


What would cause them to need new trim?


 


Perhaps we'll revert back to the "Fire" theory, but what else could have caused someone to do such a thing?