That entire series of Eureka uprights is great
I have a 1550-U (I *think* that's the model number - or something like that), orange-red and off-white with headlight.
I used to have a another one just like it -- don't remember now what happened to it -- that I performed a Dr. Moreau vivisection on, and installed a more powerful Sanitaire motor -- it fit perfectly since the inner part of the motor housing is identical. Other than being more noisy since the "hot-rodded" motor is more than two times as powerful as the "stock" model, it was a great carpet cleaner.
Funny story behind that second Eureka, the one I still have. It formerly belonged to Ellen Degeneres! A former girlfriend of hers was a photographer (and now actress) named Alexandra Hedison. Alex used to be our next-door neighbor.
We didn't know much about Alex really, as we rarely saw her and only occasionally waved hello or had "neighborhood small talk" with her -- nice weather we're having, how about those Dodgers, etc.
One day when I went over to say hi to her, I saw a white and orange Eureka upright standing on her back porch. I commented on it and said what a great vacuum it is.
She said, "Oh it's my friend Ellen's. She brought it over here but I don't really use it much since I only have a couple of small rugs." Not knowing who Ellen was, I didn't think much about it.
Then one day a couple of weeks later, I was out walking the dogs and was standing in front of my apartment. There was a beautiful black Mercedes convertible parked in front of the fourplex next door. I was looking at the car and admiring it, and thinking subconsiously as I looked at the driver -- a young, perky blonde woman -- "Gee, I know her."
Just as it dawned on me who it was, Ellen Degeneres - who was surely wondering why I was staring at her car - shrugged her shoulders, grinned sheepishly and waved, then stuck her head out the window and called out, "Hello! How are you? Don't worry... I'm not moving into the neighborhood!"
I laughed and said, "Well, we've had -worse- neighbors!" She shrugged/waved again, and roared off into the sunset.
It was all what I suppose a very typical "Ellen" encounter would be! Kinda zany, kinda funny, very unexpected.
Then a few months later Alex came by and knocked on my door. When I came to the door she was standing on my porch hiding something behind her back. She told me she was moving away and had a good-bye present for me. She stood aside and there was Ellen's Eureka! She said, "I knew you liked it and thought you might like to have it for your collection."
And indeed I did!
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