Kirby Classic CR 1970-1973

[odavid123]

I’m attaching pics of a Kirby Classic CR I recently restored . Enjoy . If you have any questions please feel free to contact me .
Thanks
David
Collectingdust.com
INSTAGRAM: collectingdust_kirby

 

[jscarlato]

My first Kirby . . .

Beautiful restoration of a Kirby Classic. This is the first Kirby I bought. Before this purchase, I knew almost nothing of the Kirby brand. It so happened that my brother was between jobs, and he hooked up with a friend demonstrating this vacuum. Of course, I walked into the house one day back in 1972, and there he was with this vacuum. I bought the vac, and from that point on, Kirby has been my go-to vacuum. Your pics bring back fond memories of that day.

 

[odavid123]

What a beautiful memory , I hope you still have it ,it’s a great 70s style vacuum .
although I’m not a big fan of the color combo, I still think it’s a beautiful machine . Lots of aluminum to polish .

 

[electrolux137]

When I was teenager we'd often drive from our home in Annapolis to visit my brother in college in Baltimore. We'd drive through the town of Glen Burnie where there was a Kirby dealership. I'd get a glimpse of the beautiful Classic in the window. Years later I worked for the owner, refurbishing older Kirbys for him to sell second-hand.

 

[odavid123]

Charles

I would give my right arm to go back in time . It must have been so cool working ,refurbishing Kirbys
I bet you got to see a lot of older machines too .

 

[human]

That's one gorgeous Kirby!

The Kirby Classic (A Classic Omega, actually) was the very first Kirby I ever saw, when a salesman demonstrated it for my mom and me in our living room when I was about nine or ten years old. I was hugely impressed with it and very disappointed that we didn't get one, but the idea of Kirby's superiority was instantly cemented into my mind. It would be some 40 years before I saw another Kirby, which I rescued from beside a dumpster and cleaned up. I did eventually add a Classic III to my collection. I really like the red color scheme, but I'm actually more fond of the Heritage/Legend series of machines (1HD and 2HD) from the '80s, but rest assured that as long as I am able to vacuum, I'll have at least one Kirby.

 

[electrolux137]

David, I did see many old Kirbys there. The oldest one he had was a Model R, first edition, which he had on display in his front counter area.

However, he had me concentrating on newer machines, mostly the Classics, for refurbishment. This was when the Classic III was out, so I did a lot of them as well as 1CRs and CΩs and, occasionally, the Sanitronics.

 

[paul]

What a stunning job of one of Kirby's best vintage cleaners, David!

Here's an old thread that provides some background on the Kirby's use of KGF-40 (Kirby Germ Fighter?) chemical treatment.

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?11582

 

[odavid123]

Paul

Thank you , that’s very helpful, my site will be updated with these machines by month end . I’m very excited .

 

[odavid123]

Charles

What ever happend to that R unit ?

 

[electrolux137]

I moved to L.A. in 1980 and have no idea what happened after that. I understand the store is still there but under different ownership.

 

[kirby519]

My Grandmother bought this model in 1972 to replace the Model 519 she did in the bag on much to my dismay. I was age 5 at the time.

I was disapointed that I got a new Kirby to entertain with. How ever after 20 min. the next morining it was in fact my new best friend.

This one also suffered and extra hole(s) in the bag at her hand cleaning up around the would stove one morning after several years cleaning up around the wood stove successfully (post 1977), some where around 1982 or so. We got a new bag and a tune up done on it.

Still have that Kirby after all these years. And still like it.

 

[odavid123]

Steve

Wow what a great story. nothing like childhood memories of your first Kirby
Funny enough my first memory was of an Electrolux .