New Zealand Hoover Constellation - Model 885A. #12372

[headbutts]

Hi there,
I am new to the vacuum world and live in a 1950s brick and tile home in Waiuku, New Zealand which we are trying to period furnish. I bought the Hoover a few weeks ago and I am looking for locals in the know to help me restore this peice of art and get the hose, bag, etc.
Cheers,
Chris

 

[hoover300]

Welcome!

Wow, that is quite a find!! New Zealand machines seem incredibly rare. Especially the 50s Electroluxes, man I'd love one of those.

You will most likely need to order a hose, tools, and bags from the US unless the other NZ collector(name escapes me) chimes in, or someone from Australia. I will look around and see what might ship to your country.

The outer bits can be rubbed down with a Magic Eraser to clean up the scratches and scuffs. How does the motor run? Any weird noises?

 

[justjunque]

Nice! I wish you luck with getting it up and running. And, with your house project in general! That's something I've always wished I could do.
Is that vacuum two-tone green? It's hard to tell on my phone. If so, was that color offered in the US? I love me some green!

 

[aussie-plugs]

Very interesting

I'd never thought about it before, however I'd assumed that Australia would have supplied much of the NZ market back then. NZ would have made an obvious market for things like Hoover, Sunbeam, GE and so on that were made/assembled here in AU.

I don't know the history of F&P, however they were obviously making/assembling Hoover vacuum cleaners back then ... and have since grown to dominate in whitegoods all around the world.

A great Kiwi story!

 

[headbutts]

Thanks for the welcome. Someone has cut the cord, so the first thing to do is get it checked out immediately. If it wasn't working at all they wouldn't cut the cord?
I made a start on the outside and vacuumed the cover pad.
Out house is a 1950s late streamline deco and we have been replacing the lights and furniture as we come across things.
The vacuum is two tone green with a cool pattern on top.

Thanks again.
Cheers,
Chris

 

[huskyvacs]

People in those days, especially if they lived in a rural area where it was a big trip to the store, would save their old equipment for parts or anything they might need from it to build something with. I'm sure they replaced the Constellation with another vacuum and when they needed a new electrical cord for something later on, that old Constellation that had been sitting in a shed for years looked like a good pick to take its cable.

Most Constellations, check the metal ring around the bottom for scuffs and scrapes, if it's not been used much it will hardly have any, if it has been used heavily it will reveal it.

 

[ilovehoovers]

This looks like something out of an alternate universe!

 

[human]

Nice Connie!

The Constellation was such an iconic design. My grandmother had a yellow one when I was little. I have no idea what became of it. I haven't seen it since sometime back in the '70s. Have fun restoring yours. I know you'll have a great sense of accomplishment when it's done.

I've seen more than one discarded vacuum with their cords cut. Most weren't worth repairing, but I did rescue an Electrolux Diplomat LX from a friend's apartment complex a few years ago that had had the cord cut. Somebody might have salvaged it to make a drop cord, or it might have been damaged to the extent that it seemed unsafe. Fortunately, I lucked up on a complete cord winder assembly on eBay for very little money. I've also replaced more than one damaged cord over the years, and one time I got an absolutely pristine looking Kirby Heritage II Legend from Goodwill that was missing its cord altogether. Even though I paid more for a new cord than I did for the machine itself, I still feel like I got a bargain.

 

[paul]

Welcome, Chris, and nice score of the vintage Constellation 885A!

It appears to be finished in the Smoke Pine & Swedish Green color scheme. Check out this thread:

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?17890

 

[headbutts]

And then there was two

Thanks for all the comments and the colours
I came across a second Constellation that works (kind of) and has a hose. I will use for parts if needed.

 

[eurekaprince]

Oh no! That poor Connie must have a bad case of dermatitis!!!

 

[headbutts]

[No message]

 

[michaelwalter]

Welcome Chris

Hi Chris

I live in Christchurch and collect

Hoover branded vacuums don't come up that often on Trade Me or second hand shops so its a matter of being patient and keeping an eye out

I think your connie is around 1968 made in the Fisher and Paykel factory auckland

I find with restoring the connies a good car 'cut and polish' and then buff with Carnauba wax does wonders. Mother brand from repco or supercheap auto is great but expensive

Everyone is different but i think respraying them just bastardises them

I hope you enjoy your resto project

Chgeers

Mike

[this post was last edited: 4/8/2024-22:59]

 

[michaelwalter]

Welcome Chris

Hi Chris

I live in Christchurch and collect

Hoover branded vacuums don't come up that often on Trade Me or second hand shops so its a matter of being patient and keeping an eye out

I think your connie is around 1968 made in the Fisher and Paykel factory auckland

I find with restoring the connies a good car 'cut and polish' and then buff with Carnauba wax does wonders. Mother brand from repco or supercheap auto is great but expensive

Everyone is different but i think respraying them just bastardises them

I hope you enjoy your resto project

Chgeers

Mike

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Dear God !!!! The abuse!

There's a man in here who has taken them (like this) back from the dead!!!!

 

[justjunque]

Poor thing.
At least it still (kind of) works.
When I first looked at the picture, I thought it was painted like a globe. It got me thinking; I wonder if anyone has ever done that. I’m not encouraging it (LOL)…just wondering. The bumper could be the equator.