Project - VMC-56 Pepsi

[scriptx]

I purchased this VMC-56 machine from my best friends estate after he passed away a few weeks ago. He was a collector but didn't restore any of the machines. I am embarking on a project to restore this thing. I really enjoy the posts detailing the restoration process and have found them informative. I figured I would start another thread to do the same in hopes that it helps others out as well.

Minus the 5lbs of dog hair I blew out of the compressor area, it is in pretty good shape. It gets cold, has two keys and there isn't a lot of visible rust inside or out (that I can see). It never had the coin changer plugged in and would freely vend. I figured it was freely vending because of that. However, after plugging the changer in and giving it go, I found that wasn't the case - future to-do item.

I am not sure the correct way to dismantle this thing, so I started with what appeared to the easiest thing that had the least amount of screws, the glass door. The seal around the door was stained black and the interior foam was dingy so I dismantled it into all its pieces. I ordered new ones as well as a new gasket for the door and light.

I started this last week so I'll have a few posts catching up to where I am at now....

[scriptx]

I took the stack out and realized somebody tied speaker wire around some of the pieces in the bottom box. Which, after playing with the mechanism for a bit, was the method they used to jury rig it for free vending. The only mechanical issue with the vendor that I could determine was the bottom spring latch (for lack of a better term) that taps the mechanism to relock the vending mechanism doesn't tap hard enough. A new spring may fix that or maybe a thorough cleaning and oiling. I have no clue if it actually works in conjunction with the coin changer. There are a lot of little parts on the stack and it is pretty intimidating for the uninitiated.

After reading another post on this forum offering advice to get the door off, I figured I had better do that since mine almost fell over prior to reading the post. You'd think I would have figured that out on my own after it almost tipped but I didn't think about it until I read that post........ It came off pretty easy, but I found that the door needed to be fully opened as far as it would open to easily pull it off the main hinges.

I got the door fully stripped and the cabinet. I was surprised, and worried, at the sheer amount of rust. I got the all the doors off to the painter (friend of mine) and he is going to sand them down and do the body work. Luckily it is free to me since he is in arrears for work that I have done for him.

He looked at the cabinet and suggested we sand blast the whole bottom portion to see what is left of the metal. I'll drop that piece of next week.

[scriptx]

My overall plans at this point are as follows:

• Trade the bottle stack for a can stack - in progress
• After sandblasting, fix the rusted shelf and spray rhino-liner on the bottom shelf and part way up the interior walls. This will help prevent a future rust belt...
• I am going to use foam panel insulation, it is a lot more efficient than fiberglass.
• Paint the body - in progress
• Order a new compressor, the existing one works, but it is pretty ugly and the price difference between refurbishing and a new one are marginal - been talking with Eric at global compressors, he has been a lot of help
• Chrome and powder coat everything that I can. Need the can stack before I embark on that phase.

Questions:

The galvanized interior shell has a pretty rusty bottom as well with a couple of holes that are to big for the default evaporator hold down screws. It just lifted out with the screws attached! What would your recommendations be on replacing/fixing?

[bubba]

That appears typical rust for a 56.. The few I had were pretty much the same.Unless you are planning on keeping this machine for a long time, I would be careful to spend a huge amount of money powder coating and chroming this machine. It will look great when its done, but its still a VW, not a Porsche.. You are getting a good deal on the body work and paint... I would treat the rust on the liner and hammertone it. If the holes for the evap are that bad then seal them and move it over a bit and make new holes, or get bigger screws. I used ruberized undercoating on the entire cabinet and back side of the tub.

[scriptx]

I'll definitely want the world until I find out how much the world will cost, at that point I may just paint!

This weekend we got all the galvanized parts (except the stack and shelves) cleaned. The grill in the front of the machine fooled me, just figured out it was painted on the front.

What would you recommend to fill the holes, JB Weld?

Answered my own question, I did some research, I'll use an epoxy putty to fill in the holes then paint with a self etching primer followed by the hammered paint. 

I am going to wire in a simple modification so I can turn the lights on with my home automation system while keeping the compressor assembly running. I will likely put in a circuit that will turn the door light on if opened as well.

The only thing holding everything up at this point is enough time to drive 30 miles to drop off the main body for sandblasting......

[scriptx]

Finished parts are starting to come back allowing some reconstruction. I changed the original design a little bit by painting the door white. I have the bottle door back together, however, I am unhappy with the inner foam seal I ordered from soda jerks. It isn't an exact replica and leaves air gaps between the glass. I may replace it with something else at a later date. We kept the original Vendorlater decal on the coin door since it was in pretty good condition.

I was going to paint the interior tub, I decided to have it powder coated, it cost $170 bucks. I chose a hammer finish powder to hide some of the pitting from rust. If I had it to do over again, I would have paid the extra for a silver finish and filled the pits with epoxy and sanded it smooth. I may decide to do this anyway before I am finished....

I'll do the stack and shelves with a silver powder coating, which, if anybody knows where to get a can stack, I'll buy or trade my bottle stack for one!

I am going to use a a Polyurethane sealant for sealing everything in case I need to repaint anything. Dealing with the tar and linseed oil clay sealants from yesteryear has not been fun!

Lastly, the entire back has been sandblasted. The middle self was rusted with lots of holes. I was thinking of building a new shelf, but will work with the existing one and coat both sides

Next steps will be to finish the front door and everything with that, e.g. send the coin slot to be chromed. Then it will be installing the new compressor, foam insulation and putting everything back together.

I figure by the time I am done, I will have dumped way more than it will ever be worth, but due to the sentimental value and how much fun I am having I just can't find the energy to care :-)!

[Creighton]

That will be very nice machine. Thanks for the photos.
Creighton

[pepsi-perk]

Looking good - did you do your own paint on the main door?   Just wondering what color you used.  I have the same machine that I am kicking around the idea of refinishing - or maybe turn it into a theme machine.

[scriptx]

Looking good - did you do your own paint on the main door?   Just wondering what color you used.  I have the same machine that I am kicking around the idea of refinishing - or maybe turn it into a theme machine.

I have a friend who owns a body shop that did it. He matched the paint, which, I don't know if that means that they blended it or found a very close match. Looks identical from the blue in the coin door's logo.

I'll check with him and see...

[scriptx]

Talked with the shop, the paint code is:

Dupont stock code BS152

[pepsi-perk]

Thanks for the code...I am thinking that is some pricey stuff.   Anyone ever do their own spraying with not so expensive paint?  I have several machines but want to slick up my little square top V56 to set by the pool for the parties.

[scriptx]

I am a little further in the project. I traded my bottle stack for a can stack (thanks bubba!). It took a while to get the stack apart and I am scratching my head trying to figure out what do with the can stack's mechanism to push out the cans. All the moving parts are riveted together. I may have them powder coated knowing that it won't be an even covering. Plus, I think some of those rivets would have to be fabricated. Other than those, I have parts in for plating and the interior parts in for powder coating.

Here are some pictures of the nearly complete front door. All the parts inside the coin door were sanded, cleaned, primed and painted with hammertone. Had I know that the powder coating would be so cheap I would have had them powder coated.

[Pat Pixley]

Looks good so far keep up the good work.

[scriptx]

Well, I apologize for the delay in posting... Divorce is getting in the way of normal life! Anyway, I am pretty much done. However, I wanted to post my findings so others could avoid the traps I fell into...

1. If it is zinc plated and an interior part, don't nickel plate it. The nickel plating adds a lot of thickness and when you are dealing with the can stack and so on, prepare to break out your grinder....

2. The new compressors are MUCH louder than the original compressors. I may end up refurbing the original and putting it in and ditching this one from global. Its the fan that is loud, but replacing the fan will void the warranty. Save some bucks, if the original works, clean 'er up and put it in. For now, I will sound proof the bottom cabinet to reduce some of the additional noise. Just have to figure out what to use to do this.

3. The biggest lesson, avoid using foam insulation. First, it is an absolute pain to cut and fit. Then you have to fill the gaps with low expansion foam and aluminum tape all the seams. In other words, TIME consuming. Second, I was hoping to get an hour between the compressor turning on, I get a consistent 15 minutes between with 8 minutes on in a 75 degree house. Less than it was, but more than I wanted. Most of the heat loss in this machine is in the front inch of the machine where there is a metal lip not covered by insulation. I plan to take it apart this winter and stuff that area with Aerogel felt. It is about R12 per inch. There is a guy summit Everest with an Aerogel suit a few millimeters thick (and nothing else) and the biggest worry is overheating.

4. If you want to use LED for the door light, the little night light LED's at Lowe's are useless. I think you need about an 8 watt equivalent. I haven't found one yet....

[scriptx]

Pics

[scriptx]

Even more pics....

[bubba]

Nice job.. sorry about the divorce, but the machine looks great!

[Alligator]

Very awesome restoration!!!
 

[Jared]

great job looks great

[Creighton]

Interesting a 4 year old post surfaces. Still good info.
Thanks!
Creighton

[krovel]

2. The new compressors are MUCH louder than the original compressors. I may end up refurbing the original and putting it in and ditching this one from global. Its the fan that is loud, but replacing the fan will void the warranty. Save some bucks, if the original works, clean 'er up and put it in. For now, I will sound proof the bottom cabinet to reduce some of the additional noise. Just have to figure out what to use to do this.

if your gonna ditch your new compressor from global will you just mail it to me?

[Sarman47]

Great looking machine. Enjoy.

[BeaYoung]

Great job! The machine looks awesome! 

What did you use for a door liner? A pal of mine recently restored a square top (not sure of the model) and could not find a new door liner. He ended up cobbling the existing liner back together with a lot of epoxy but it was far from ideal. Thanks!

B.

[Alligator]

Interesting a 4 year old post surfaces. Still good info.
Thanks!
Creighton

Yes, sorry for bumping such an old post.  I do not see many tri-color Pepsi machines restored.  Usually they are just painted solid blue.  In this case I have a similar model, a Pepsi v-63 with original tri-color paint. I am thinking about restoring it and his results are what I will be looking for.

[MoonDawg]

        The Vendo 63 was originally Coke red, yours has been re-painted by Pepsi.