Kirby Model 4C

[mivintagevacs]

My wife and I were in Ohio for the weekend and I was thrilled to find this Kirby model 4C while we were in town. This came from a beautiful old building that used to be CJ Duncan Jewelry Store in Massillon Ohio. The seller said that this vacuum was likely purchased for use in the store and has been there since new. There were also two antique Hoovers. A model 102 and a model 700. I decided to pass on those two. This Kirby looks to be mostly original and complete but I’m not sure about the plugs on the cord. Can anyone confirm if these are original? What is the best way to clean these bags without harming them? Also, is there any way to preserve the rubber bag clamp cover. It is intact but starting to stiffen up and has a crack. The rest of the rubber parts appear to be in great condition. I’m really excited to bring this one back to its former glory.

 

[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[mivintagevacs]

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[human]

Quite a find...

Thanks for sharing. That definitely predates anything I have. My oldest is a Classic III. Cool that it even has the original box, such as it is. I'll be interested to see it once you've brought it back to life. It looks a bit like some sort of archaeological find at the moment. I'm sure the years will fall away with a little TLC. It definitely wants to be kept as original as possible. I wonder if an NOS bag clamp cover could be sourced for it.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

MIVintageVacs

This was the last Kirby to be made before World War II; production would not restart until the war's end on August 24, 1945, when Kirby brought out the 505.

~Ben

 

[mivintagevacs]

Thank you, I agree that it should be kept as original as possible. I’m wondering if there’s a good way to get the box clean as well. This machine was set up with the hose installed and the nozzle looks like it’s seen minimal use. The brush roll appears to be damaged though. I will have to keep an eye out for a replacement

 

[mivintagevacs]

Can anyone verify if the plugs are original on the power cord?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

MIVintageVacs

Yes, it appears to be the original cord, but it has indeed aged because I can see it's frayed near the female plug end (where it goes to the motor unit).

~Ben

 

[mivintagevacs]

Thanks Ben, I sure won’t be using it to run the machine but I’m happy it’s all still there. I just had another look at David’s Collecting Dust website. It looks like his early Kirby C series does have a plug similar to this. The plug isn’t molded to the cord and no Kirby logos like later models.

 

[dysonman1]

Those are the same original plugs that came with my model 1C, as well as my Scott & Fetzer Sanitation System.

 

[vacuumheaven05]

One interesting thought

Hello all, It's been a while since I've last spoken, I have already spoken to the seller of that Kirby 4C and I am currently considering about buying the machine. I have their contacts and wish to pay them for the price of this Kirby 4C. I hope it will be an outstanding restoration project in the near future.
On one note, I believe both plugs on the cord look like they're replacement ones. Original Kirby 4C cords had rubber plugs that were plain, without the Kirby logo. Those look like bakelite.
From Liam

 

[odavid123]

What a great find . I would not mess with the bag only try and clean it with a wet cloth . By machine washing it you risk the print fading . The spring tube that connect the bag to the Emtor is very delicate too.
The cord is original to the machine and so is the box it came in . There were two versions of the bag you have the first version.
You can check out my site for other details on this particular model link below

https://collectingdust.com/kirby-model-years-1934-1945/