Urgent need for a Kirby part

[electrolux137]

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I'm rebuilding a Kirby Dual-50 for a guy at my church. In taking the machine apart, one of the little "legs" to hold the headlight cover in place broke. There's really no way to fix it.

Does anyone out there by any chance have a spare headlight cover for the Dual 50? I want the cover specifically for that model, the one with the translucent oval Kirby circle that glows when the machine is running.

If so, I'd be happy to give you what you want for it plus shipping.

Attached is a photo.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I too have a request. Charles Richard. If you find what you're looking for, I'd love the get the one with the broken leg. I have a D50 with it's Kirby lighted insert in very bad shape after some bright individual (not me) ground it flat when polishing the machine. Also willing to pay what it takes to get it as it's the only real flaw in an otherwise fine 50 year old Kirby and they are hard to find.


 


Regards,


Tom

 

[electrolux137]

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Well, I sent out the clarion call far and wide but no one's come up with one yet.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I know the feeling.... been looking under every rock myself. I'll likely end up having to find a whole donor vac as it seems that light hood is as rare as hens teeth or they've been hidden away against future need by owners.


 


Tom

 

[super-sweeper]

if anything,

You're lucky, or at-least on the same page as me! I'm looking under every rock, dusting brush and HOOVER to find a new nozzle for my 1979 Tradition! I might end up having to put a screw in a Classic nozzle!?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Alex,

What happened to yours (that Tradition rug nozzle)?

~Ben

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Well, I'll keep my eyes open for a nozzle for a Tradition. Just discovered a new thrift store in a neighboring town and it's far enough out of the way that it is pretty much a 'locals' only place and I occasionally have found all kinds of Misc Kirby parts there. Found an as NIB rug renovator for a classic a few weeks ago and was able to use pieces and parts from it to make my, not so complete, D50 RR work like a champ. Once I find all the right pieces for mine, I can pack up the Classic and send it on to someone who has one, or maybe I'll find a Classic of my own. I also found a complete, in box, accessory kit for a Heritage II and a Shampooer for a Sentria, or any Generation model. $5 each for the RR and Accessory Kit, and $15 for the shampooer. I bought the 2 for $5, I'm cheap.


 


Edited to fix Accessory Kit model

 

[super-sweeper]

Ben,

Remember that saying about sucking chrome off a trailer hitch? Replace Hitch with 1979 Kirby Tradition nozzle and you'll get what happened!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Alex,

I guess your nozzle was in poor shape when you attempted to polish it?

~Ben

 

[super-sweeper]

Ben,

If it wasn't in poor shape then, it sure is now! I'm too embarrassed to post pictures of the poor thing!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Alex,

Good luck searching for it; otherwise you could just do away with the light-mounted speed switch and buy a new fan case for the Classic Omega/III toggle switch and then you can use the second version of the rug nozzle on it.

~Ben

 

[electrolux137]

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Boy, this thread sure got hijacked in a hurry.

No one? Nothing?? Nobody has s spare D50 headlight cover ???

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Charles,

What you could do is just buy a new headlight cap that Kirby currently sells for the 516/D80, and then try to like punch an oval-shaped hole for the light bezel, being sure to, like, rout it just enough so the bezel fits securely.

~Ben

 

[kirbykid]

Im going over to see one of my distributor friends in a week or 2. He has over a million trade ins. I will see if I can find anything for you guys.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Thanks man, that's very kind of you

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I'm gonna stray off a bit and ask to be put on the list for a 191667 bag guard (green) for my Dual Sanitronic 80.

Thank you,



Ben

 

[electrolux137]

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Hi Evan, if you could come up with the D50 headlight cover that would be great!! If you do find one and it's still attached to the machine, you can save yourself some work and just sent me the complete motor unit.

I am doing this machine as a favor to the old gent who owns it, and I want to return it in as perfect condition as I possibly can.

Thanks a million!!

 

[super-sweeper]

Evan,

(Charles, this is my last 'hijacked' posting! 

)


 


That sounds great! Everyone wins!

I'm sure we'll all look forward to your trip!

 

[electrolux137]

*** FOUND!!! ***

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Not getting any fruitful responses anywhere else, I started looking on eBay and CraigsList for the D50 headlight cover I'm looking for.

There are several D50s on eBay but all of them are $150.00 and up, and none of them particularly nice. That's quite a bit more than I want to spend just for a headlight cover.

Then I checked Craigslist and hit the jackpot! A guy in Marina Del Rey (about 20 minutes from me) had one listed for $40.00. I called and when I talked to him asked if he might be able to come down on the price any because it's really in kinda grotty condition (as I could tell from the photo on the listing). He said "Sure -- I've had this thing listed a long time and nobody else has called for it, and I'm getting ready to move. Twenty Bucks and it's yours."

SOLD!

Thanks to all who offered to look for one for me. And I'll keep the old broken headlight cover in case I might need the glow-in-the-dark lens for my D50 (see link). I didn't realize until trying to find a D50 just how scarce they've become!

Stay tuned for photos of the complete restoration project on my church member's machine. It's gonna knock your socks off!!


http://1377731.com/kirbyd50