My $2 rummage sale find

[nancy]

I found this beautiful compact C4 at my church's annual sale last weekend. Sereal number is 924885.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Nice.... love that it is complete including the optional storage hassock.

 

[jaker15]

Nice!

I love the older Compact Electra canisters. My grandma has the C-6 Anniversary Edition. I recently replaced the power switch for her. I love that machine, it's really powerful for its age. Awesome find!

 

[DesertTortoise]

Someone sold that? Wow. That is simply beautiful. Look at that storage box. You just don't see that sort of thing today. The hose and to tools look gorgeous. Well bought!

 

[ronni]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum, Nancy.

That looks like a great vintage cleaner, and besides having a convenient place to store it and its attachments the hassock will provide a comfortable footrest when you're through cleaning with it.

Do you plan on rebuilding and cleaning the motor yourself?

I wonder what year the C-4s were manufactured?

 

[s31463221]

Beautiful C4!

Welcome Nancy! That's certainly a beautiful specimen indeed! That machine is one of the "flat top" models, while there are folks on here a LOT more versed on compacts than I, but from what I understand the flat top models are more rare then some others! In either case, you certainly did well on your find! Congratulations!

 

[nancy]

I took it out of the trunk and it looks like it was barely used! The wheels and rubber feet hardly have any scratches, it all looks PRISTINE and it sounds "healthy" when I turn it on. Suction is really good too. Should I have it cleaned before I use it? I don't want to do anything that might hurt this beauty! And Ronni, the date on the bottom says 1951 I feel like I hit the lottery!

 

[suckolux]

Late 50s for C4s I think.maybe from mid 50s

 

[constellation86]

Wow great find! I've been looking for a flat top for a while now.
Nicholas

 

[ronni]

Thanks for the info, Nancy. I like the fact that it states the year of manufacture on the bottom--wish all companies did/had done that.

Regarding the cleaning of the motor before you used it ... it's a precautionary measure--not that you did any damage. As DT (DesertTortoise) discovered--although his is an extreme case--there might be some nasty stuff inside your motor, the brushes may need replacing, the fans may have metal fatigue, et cetera. Another thing I would do is take the cleaner outside, install the hose into the blower port, and ensure that there is nothing lodged inside; dropping a golf ball through it is another way to check for clogs. To check for a hose's air-tightness attach it to the blower port, mist a diluted dish soap solution around the outside of it, turn the machine on, and cover the open end of the hose with the palm of your hand. Bubbles will form around any leaks. In that case, you can seal the leaks with liquid rubber such as Plasti Dip (search the archives using the keywords: "Plasti Dip" or "Woven Hose Repair" to learn the procedure).

Yes, your machine is definitely a vintage treasure. Enjoy!