Time To Trim the Kirby 2C

[vacmadman]

Great advice.

Charlie C.,

Great advice, I have also used a cargo strap for a nozzle bumper on my Kenmore Bug eye. It worked well. I also have used an auto belt as a bumper on my Kenmore automatic. Thinking outside the box.

Jim

 

[vacuumheaven05]

reply

I love your comment vacman1961, I have multiple antique vacuum restoration projects and sometimes they can take months to even years for me to finally find factory original parts. The Kirby 2C is actually one of, if not, my all time favorite model of Kirby vacuum, besides the Scott Fetzer Sanitation system. That would be my number 1 favorite machine, the 2C comes in second place. If need be I did find a rebuilt Kirby 505 on eBay. It's rebuilt for the most part with later Kirby and aftermarket parts, but amazingly it still has the factory original bumper, in mint condition. How exciting. I may consider buying it, so that I can use the bumper for my Kirby 2C. Only time will tell and pictures will show the progress, on my 2C restoration project.
From Liam

 

[luxz80]

Hi VacMadMan.

I love the Kenmore Bugeye. I have seen this pic before and never realised the bumper was a replacement. I would have put it down to the original if not known. It looks great. I have seen many of these old Kenmore models but have never seen one with an attachment set. Must be so rare now.

I do think Liam can use a like replacement similar to the above pic for his Kirby till another one turns up.
He is young and has loads of time to find what he needs to complete his dream vac.

I am sure loads of us have vacs that don't have all the original parts.

My Hoover junior 375 is not all original. I think it was reconditioned sometime in the early 1960s by a vac shop. I installed a nos black handle grip, dyed the grey bag a slight tinge of green. FAB. I also replaced a leaky hose with a junior hose from the same time period and seems to match the bumper- (also not the original) almost perfectly.

To me Melvin looks great as he is and I have no plans to change him other than a possible respray of the front, same colour of course. I think it makes him unique and one of a kind as I am sure we all have one in our houses that fits that criteria.

I do hope Liam can find his parts but as others have said it will take time as these older examples are becoming more rare by the day.

All the best to you and your fantastic collection.

Gary.

 

[luxz80]

My not all original junior 375. Melvin.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

electrolux137

Charles,

I just found out the 514 was the first Kirby to have the angled headlight socket mounting, instead of horizontal (the angled socket mounting was used all the way up to the Classic 1-CR). However, it still retained the left-handed locking clip, which was eliminated entirely on the model 515.

~Ben