My vintage Kirby, trying to find more info on it

[ashley420]

Hello everyone and thank you ahead of time for all of your help.
I am recently the proud recipient of this old Kirby model 512. I am trying to find any information on it that I can and it works very well and seems to be hardly used. I have taken apart to clean it and refurbish it any comments are welcomed and appreciated!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

ashley420

Ashley,

Welcome to the group! Your 512 was built from 1952-53, and it originally had a gray bag and gray trim pieces all over, except for the wheels which were black.

The brown trim I'm seeing was probably a rebuild by a mom-n-pop vac shop, about the mid 1980s, which resembles what belongs on a Classic Omega.

Here is a video (by Thom aka KirbyCollector) of an all-original 512:


~Ben

 

[ashley420]

Wow ! Thank you so much ! I am sad to hear it doesn’t have the original pieces but I am not surprised
Well I am happy to have it, that’s for sure.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

ashley420

Ashley,

Consider yourself lucky, indeed!

I feel the same way about my 1955 Kirby 515 that I got as my 40th birthday present, and I am slowly on the hunt for some original trim pieces.

Here is how I got it...

(when I turn it on, you will notice right away the fan is broken)

...and what it looked like from the factory (the "after" pictures).

(video: VacMadMan)

~Ben[this post was last edited: 7/23/2021-21:32]

 

[ashley420]

Wow ! I see what you mean !
I will take a video when I put it back together and show you guys how well this thing runs ! It’s crazy !!
I love this group btw, so much info !
I included a pic of its brush roll, incredibly clean !

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

ashley420

Ashley,

I'm glad to hear you like it so far! I can't wait to see the video of your machine fixed up.

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

If

You can show a picture of the fan we can likely tell if you have a 3 amp or 4 amp motor.
The bag looks like a 1962 562 sanitronic or 1963 sanitronic 7. If you get steel wool and rub the model plate the rust should come off.

 

[ashley420]

Thank you everyone ! Here is the video where I am sad to say the roller isn’t working. I am not a technology person so unfortunately I cannot find a way to post the video I took