Great Find! VMC 88 Pepsi

[loman4ec]

Another great find! I had someone contact me through one of my ads on Craigslist needing their machine repaired. They had a newer vendo can machine that needed a condenser fan motor and in return he would sell me what he described as an old rounded top Pepsi Machine. After talking to him I figured it was a VMC 88. The only issue was it was missing the inside bottle rack and the chrome trim on the bottle chute. I decided to buy the machine anyway since the coin mech alone was worth the money. A few days later I found a square top 88 on ebay and won the auction. The seller offered to ship me the parts only but after he removed them he found that the rack weighed WAY more than we expected. So we were trying to decide how to get it to me and in the mean time he found out he had a trip to Cleveland Ohio and offered to bring me the rack and other parts. My family and I were going to see my grandpa today so we were going to be in Columbus. The guy brought all of the parts to me in columbus for only $50. So he brought the parts from New york to cleveland and then drove 3 hours to columbus just for me. What a nice guy!

I would love to keep this one as always but it looks like there is a very good chance that we will be moving to Orlando around the first of the year so I need to pay for the move. before I list the machine I wanted to see if anyone here was interested in it. This is a very solid Pepsi VMC 88. There is no visible rust that I have found so far and now it is 100% complete. It even has the coin box and cap catcher. I am not looking to get rich off of the machine at all and I will sell it for a very good price if anyone here wants it.

Also I attached a picture of the machine that the insides from this machine came from. I was not sure if they would fit in my machine but everything was exactly the same. If you find one snatch it up. The parts on it are exact replacements for round tops.

Also does anyone know if these machines can vend cans? The rack looks like a bigger Vendo 44 rack. Will the can conversion rockers sold by funtronics work in this machine?

Josh

[cokecolaman]

I think it will vend cans and I'm pretty sure that I read awhile back that you just needed some minor adjustments, not new rockers. Let me know if you get it to work.

[scalebowler]

Thats a neat looking machine. The square one kind of reminds me of my machine. It is not the same model and mine is a can machine but the shape and the trim around it looks pretty similar. I also like the sign on that square one.

[loman4ec]

In todays market what is this machine worth? It is not 100% complete including coin box and cap catcher and vends and cools 100% and is completely  rust free. Jeff Walters book says $850 but I doubt it would do that in this economy. Has anyone sold one recently? I am going to put this on ebay and Craigslist to see if it will sell. We could really use the cash to help move. 

[SIGNGUY]

I restored one for a customer recently , his was repainted, poorley but complete and he bought it for 550.00.
Like a comment earlier I think, There where a couple for sale a year or so ago at Chicago, rough but complete and I think the pair sold for 500

[loman4ec]

yikes $550 for the pair! I would like to get $450 for the machine. Do you all think that is a fair price? It would be such an easy restoration. Even the inside is very nice. The whole machine is rust free and works great and it has a change giving coin mech in it.

[collecture]

The sum of the parts is always greater than the whole!

[Pat Pixley]

DON'T PART IT OUT...    You would be killing off  a part of history, plus that looks to be a very complete machine .

[loman4ec]

I agree Pat. I have no problem parting out square tops but not round tops and especially not Pepsi round tops. I agree it is worth more in parts but I would rather make less and keep it together. I really really wish I could afford to keep it as something about this machine has really grown on me more than other machines but I just can't. With moving we really need the money. I will wait a few weeks and list it during Christmas shopping season.

[bubba]

I had trouble getting $650 for mine, and it was straight, no rust and worked... That was 2-3 years ago... I ended up trading for 2 arcade games... Mine was the light/dark blue with red embossed letters..

[loman4ec]

Cool thanks. Mine is dented in the front but it will be very easy to pull and I am going to do it when I get back from Florida. I would be very happy with $450 and will take $400 for it so I should be able to sell it. However I just sold a Change giving coin mech for $358 on ebay so it is definatly worth more in parts. maybe I should sell the mech and put the small door mech I have in it since I have reproduced the metal plate to adapt the small door mechs into a large door machine and just keep the darn thing.

[MoonDawg]

        Good idea Josh!  Here is one where I painted the exterior a few years ago, and didn't touch the interior. Vended cans with no modification.

[loman4ec]

I figure if I can sell another coin mech for $350 then I can stick a small dor mech in it which I already have and keep the darn thing. I am only loosing $50 on what I wanted to get out of it in the long run. I may do that!

[loman4ec]

I painted the machine to make it look a little better. It is amazing how far spray paint has come. When I was a kid rattle cans here terrible. I used to really be into model cars when I was young while my dad was building the real thing but the spray cans produced awful dull paint jobs. This machien actually looks really really good in person. It shines great! I would not call it restored by any means and I wouldn't display it this way for a long time but it sure looks better than it did before and it will help it sell.