Kirby Model 4C

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mivintagevacs

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2023
Messages
129
Location
Royal Oak MI
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.

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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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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
 
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/
 
Thank you, I’ve really enjoyed your site David! I will be careful with the bag. I will vacuum it out and use a damp cloth if needed as you’ve suggested. It seems to be in good shape under that thick layer of dust. I wonder how many years it has been sitting in storage.I’ll get it cleaned up this weekend for a better look at condition.
 
Note

If someone else wants it more than me that's perfectly fine. Be careful with cleaning the bag, do not wash it, the cloth is fine and it could bleed or tear apart if washed. For cleaning the bag, I'd recommend vacuuming it out and or dry cleaning it. I wouldn't want the logo to fade out. Nice Find!
 
I spent some time cleaning up the 4C and all of its accessories. It’s a lot of fun seeing it come back to life. I would still like to take the motor unit apart to lubricate the bearings and do some polishing but it shows quite well as-is. I’d also like to rebuild the brush roll or find a replacement. The bristles are badly damaged on one side. Here are some photos of it after a good cleaning. When I was emptying the bag I found a vintage gum wrapper, a $150 jewelry price tag and several small pieces of a broken bracelet or other jewelry. Amazing the wrapper made it through the fan unscathed and was preserved in the bag for all of those years!

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