Vintage Sanitaire

[sudsmaster]

Someone was tossing out an old, heavy, metal "Sanitaire Commercial" upright vac the other day. I "rescued" it and am wondering if it's worth restoration. Looks like it needs a belt, and the bag has seen better days. And how does one empty said bag, anyway?

Haven't plugged it in yet, and will post a photo of same later today.

 

[firebirdman55]

Excited to see the pictures.

 

[sudsmaster]

Here ya go...

 

[sudsmaster]

Oh, and I plugged it in. Ran fine. Belt is missing, but there are a couple of spares on the handle. The bag inflated to jumbo watermelon size, LOL.

It obviously could use some cleaning, some chrome polish, and maybe a new bag. The one on it is patched with cloth and duct tape. And I figured out how to remove the bag, easy. I think the side trim is missing on the base, no biggie I suppose. The thing is heavy and will probably run forever. No light, though.

 

[sonnyndad]

Nice Sanitaire!

I wish somebody would just "toss" one my way. That's definitely worth fixing up.

http://www.sanitairevacuumsales.com/index.htm

 

[firebirdman55]

Beautiful! Would love to find one myself. And you're right. It'll probably live forever.

 

[super-sweeper]

Nice catch, but what's the car next to it? I'm going to take a wild guess and say 'Plymouth Fury', but that's only going off the handles and shape of the body! Any pictures of it? 

 


As for emptying, the metal clip at the top slides off. Any pictures of the machine running? 

 

[hydralique]

The car next to the Sanitaire looks like a '64 or '65 Valiant to me. I don't think the Fury would have ever had an exposed fuel filler, it would have been under a body colored hinged panel.