My latest refurb: 1992 Kirby Generation 3

[charleskirby66]

A good friend that I met in musical theater texted me on Facebook and asked if I wanted her Kirby. She said it wasn't sucking and she figured I could do something with it. I offered to fix it for her, but she said she just wanted me to have it. She even said I could sell it and make some money!

Since it came cheap and was a relatively easy fix, I wanted this unit to go to someone who would really love it and need it. Someone here on Vacuumland expressed interest, but that fell through.

I have fixed it as much as I intend and I am saving it for a friend. I'm not going to sand the aluminum but have polished with Flitz. She's a single mom who is extremely hard up on money, so all I want is the return investment I put into the machine.

Here are some pics. I hope she likes it!

 

[ryan1994jeep]

What a great comeback! Ready for another 24 years of service.

 

[human]

Fabulous!

Great work. You've done yourself proud!

 

[vac-o-matic]

Congrats, you did an awesome job! You took it from a crud vac to a collection worthy vac! It amazes me how much crud a vacuum can accumulate over the years. Your friend will be very grateful I'm sure!

 

[charleskirby66]

Thanks for looking, guys!

I really appreciate the kind compliments! Thanks for taking out the time to be kind.

There are some pretty substantial scratches on the nozzle, but as I told my friend, sanding would take longer and cost more. Since it's almost completely renovated as is, the cosmetic flaws just add character.

 

[human]

I don't mind a few scratches on a vintage vac. I see them as battle scars--badges of honor earned through hard work.

 

[suckolux]

Nice! Did you find why it wasn't sucking? Blockage? full bag? belt?

 

[sptyks]

Dumpster G3...

Charles, you did a fantastic job on that G3 restoration. 


 


I found a G3 next to the dumpster at my Apt. complex 3 years ago.


 


I rescued it and found the belt broken and the brushroll bearings were completely seized up and clogged with hair. The bag was beyond full of dirt. It was well past the full line.


 


I replaced the belt and brushroll with brand new parts. I opened up the shell and blew all the dust out and replaced the badly damaged Lexan fan with new Amodel fan. I installed a new HEPA bag and polished the Aluminum with Flitz polish but did not sand out the well earned battle scars and smaller scratches. It looks and runs pretty good for a 23 year old machine.


 


I have to say that out of my 6 vacuum cleaners to date, (4 of them Kirby's) the G3 is my favorite daily driver. I like it better than my much newer Sentria. I love the soft sound it makes and the transmission is so smooth, it's almost like it's floating on a cushion of air.


 


I am posting a few photo's of my beloved G3. I'm sorry I don't have any Before pics only after shots:


 


 

 

[charleskirby66]

Hahaha, battle scars!

@suckolux -  I did!  When I removed the Emptor from the exhaust, I saw the fill tube was completely clogged in its entire length.  As I slowly unclogged it, I couldn't BELIEVE what fell out... dog hair, human hair, a marble, nails, screws, metal washers, glitter, dirt, a zip tie, paper clips, staples, hair pins, safety pins, leaves, pine needles, twigs, and pebbles.  I can't imagine any other vacuum picking all this up and surviving!


 


@sptyks - Thank you so much!  Wow, your dumpster find is GORGEOUS, hardly any scratches at all.  However, it sounds like our refurbishments went along in a similar fashion.  As is evident from the above list of the contents of the fill tube, the G3 I was gifted was abused.  My friend told me she got it from an Estate Sale venture she went-in-on with a business partner.  When that partner bailed, the Kirby became her property.  I'm not clear who abused it, but wow!  LOL  Anyhow, your G3 is splendid, bravo!

 

[electrolux137]

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Congrats Charles, it's beautiful!

 

[suckolux]

That would do it! Not many would survive, no.

 

[charleskirby66]

Thanks guys!

@electrolux137 - Thank you, Charles!  It's not half as nice as the G4 a very awesome friend gave me...  ;-)


 


@suckolux - I still can't believe a MARBLE made it past the fan intact.  I would have expected a broken marble, battered fan case, or completely chipped fan.  There were tiny chips all along the fan, but no big chip that would have allowed the marble to pass through.  Strange!

 

[suckolux]

Wow, must have just stretched the fan blades a bit