MINT Kirby Classic III on EBay UK

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It does have a serial number on the base label, as shown in the photos but not it seems on the pressing on the front of the fan housing exit, as later Kirbys do. Did the serial numbers change type on the earlier models?, as on the Heritage 1 and G7e I have, both serial numbers contain the year of manufacture.
 
Steve,

Here in the U.S., the Classic III was the first Kirby to have its serial # be stamped on the plaque on the fan case housing. The Classic Omega and other older Kirbys had the serial # stamped on the nameplate. The Classic III also had the honor of being the first Kirby with the "Vis-A-Belt" window.

~Ben
 
Thank You!

Thanks for the kind comments regarding the CIII  
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I have been restoring Kirbys for some time - mainly the Sentria for the mainstream market. However I have ground-up restored a few early machines - and intend to refurbish more to this standard which I hope will attract the specific market of collectors - or those who just prefer vintage Kirbys.

I have been given permission by the webmaster (Robert) to let you guys know of future completed restorations - as he would like to see the pictures of the cleaners on here - as I hope might others.

During refurbishment I bring the castings back to as new condition - and remove all scratches & dings etc through a multi-stage process. This is a very labour intensive & dirty job - but reaps rewards. I replace motor bearings with high quality SKF units - motor brushes - brushrolls - all gaskets - wheels - trims etc... I am a bit of a perfectionist - and anything I am not happy with is replaced. I spend an <span style="text-decoration: underline;">awful</span> lot of time & expense on the restoration process - however I find it very rewarding to bring these superb quality machines up to this level.


 


A few pictures of the CIII follow.


 


All the best - Chris.

[this post was last edited: 4/6/2013-05:50]

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I was sorely tempted by this, and indeed it was worth every penny of £375, but I like to use my cleaners, and the one deal breaker on this was that it wasn't able to be used with paper bags - this is possibly why Kirby's older than the Tradition (1979 - 1981) hardly ever appear for sale on EBay.
Had it have been a mint Tradition, or Heritage, and the fact that I live very near you Chris, I would have been seriously tempted. I already have a H1 that I cleaned up myself, but it is nowhere near the beauty that your Classic III is. But the Classic 3 is just so perfect I would have been afraid to use it, rather just look at it and admire it.
I will be looking out for any future resto's you do, and if finances permit, may buy one from you, dependent on price.
Keep up the good work!
 
Thanks madabouthoovers


 


It went to a gentleman who used to own one in the past - it will be cared for & used regularly.


 


I'm currently restoring a Tradition to the same level. I convert the Sani Em-Tors to use a G6+ snap fill tube with either a twist or F style bag top adaptor. This retains the look of the cleaner - but allows it to breathe much better & use the latest polypropylene HEPA bags. I will likely offer the upgrade with this Tradition. I'll post photo's of it once the refurbishment is complete.


 


Interesting to see so many collectors in the vicinity - must be a Midlands thing 
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All the best - Chris.
 
Chris, that is absolutely amazing. I was astonished at the amount of care and attention that has gone into this, and am really looking forward to seeing what you come up with next. Have to admit I was sorely tempted to go for it myself, but sadly it wouldn't be practical right now as I live in an apartment and just don't have the room to store or use it. Hopefully that will change one day in the not too distant future.

As far as the paper bag question, a Classic III will work quite happily with a Mini Em-Tor, fill tube and cloth outer bag from a Legend II. It's not 100% original of course, but matches closely enough that Kirby themselves often suggest this as an upgrade for those wishing to convert to paper. You can easily switch back and forth between the two bag setups, so it's definitely an option to consider for those who want a vintage cleaner that can be a daily driver as well as a display piece.
 
If the Tradition is to the standards of the Classic III, It should look fantastic. If it is fitted with the paper bag fill tube as mentioned, that would make it very saleable. My H1 has the Sani-emptor with bag tube and type 2 bags, which I can still get, but the Tradition would be nice to have with the facility to use the Hepa bags of later G7 and Sentria models.
The only thing I seem to notice with the Tradition is that many of the original bags have now faded out to a lighter blue than the original, so wonder if you would be dying the bag or using a re-manufactured one?
The tradition is one of the nicer looking Kirbys, in that lovely blue colour, also the Classic Omega is a nice one too, with the wood veneer effect.
Will keep watching for the tradition when it is finished.
 

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