Did i pay too much?

[Bob K]

I got a call for a couple of coke machines, and the way he described one of them I assumed it was a V39.  He said it had rounded corners, a little door that you pull the bottles out of, etc.  He said it was all red, and I asked if it had "ICE COLD" embossed on it - he said yes it did.  For some reason I just figured it was an upright.  So I get there and it's a Vendo Standard (according to Jeff Walters book).  I know absolutely nothing about this sort of machine - I just never got interested in anything other than upright vendors.  This one was pretty cool, though.  Absolutely no rust anywhere.  Looks like it's complete.  Put in a dime and pulled the lever and it the top spun as it should.  I got it home and rewired the power cord and it fired right up and the lines got frosty cold.  I think it's a water bath model - it has a coil that is sort of suspended that must cool the water.  Here's a pic:



He wouldn't sell just the one machine, he wanted to clean out his garage, I guess.  The other machine is an Ideal slider - I can't seem to find the model in my books.  It's got two big hinges that come over the top on to the lid.  It looks like a Pepsi that was painted over and converted to Coke with a screwed on sign.  Looks like someone backed their car into it.  Here's a couple of  (lousy) pics:




I'd like to restore the Vendo and maybe part out the Ideal?  I know some folks need the inside rack.  The slider is complete and I tested the vending mech and it worked perfectly.  Are there other parts that I might be able to sell from the slider?  Anyone need anything?  

I paid $300.00 for the two machines.  Did I overpay?  Any opinions on this transaction would be appreciated.  It's new territory for me.

Excuse for the long post.

Bob

[halehouse]

Bob,

I would say you did well.  That chest cooler with the coin box and spin mech. looks nice and the slider...well, considering it has the rack, cap catcher, and coin box...yeah, you could part that out.  You definitely didn't pay too much if you got both for 300.

[firemun]

Seems like a pretty good deal, you can recover you money in parts if you sell them from the slider alone.

If you decide to part out the slider,  I am interested in the coin mech for sure, maybe the lid and rack depending on condition.  Let me know.

cokemachine@ctc.net

Jeff

Sounds like it was a good, fair deal to me.
And don't apologize for the long post... long posts with lots of photos are my favorite! '>
Congrats on two great finds!

[Jim]

Bob,

I think you did great!
The Vendo 39 Standard could sell for over $500 on its own in that condition. These are getting hard to find complete, working and in good condition like yours. It's ashame the slider was damaged some much... What is the added sheet metal with louvers attached to the left side...?

[Bob K]

Jim,
I could only fit the Vendo in my Honda Element, so he is going to throw the slider in his pickup and deliver it to me in a few days - then I'll be able to figure out what that louvered section is on the side.  Maybe that's why I couldn't match it in any of the books.

I think it's an extremely rare prototype - the only one ever produced actually, too rare to even get a mention in the guide books.  I could let it go for $5k if anyone's interested.  Own a piece of history!!  It's been found!  It's been found!  Haaa Haaa Haaa (cough) (thud...) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

On a more sane note, the Vendo has four locks (and no keys, of course).  Two locks on the lid, one on the coin mech cover, and one under lid (looks like it releases a trap door for the money??).

Any reason why I can't drill all four of them out?  Nothing special about these locks?

Thanks so much for the feedback, guys  :'>  .

Bob

[johnieG]

Hey, you did just fine on that deal, like Jim said, the spintop alone in worth it, and it's in real nice original shape too, as for the slider, looks like a Ideal 300 series from the photo, can't tell for sure (it's a little dark) the dent could be repaired, but if if it were mine, I'd be inclined to part it out, but with the removable refrigeration deck, this box makes for an easy restoraton.

Jim,the extended louvers are for the compressor deck assembly, the whole assembly, evap' coils & all just slide right out! a nice feature.. '>

[Jim]

Johnie,

Quote

Jim,the extended louvers are for the compressor deck assembly, the whole assembly, evap' coils & all just slide right out! a nice feature...

Interesting... Do the evap. coils just rest along the bottom of the liner in order to cool the compartment...? This is actually very different from typical sliders... I only ask because I have never seen this type of setup. It sure would make restoring a slider a lot easier!

[MoonDawg]

Johnie, had to be added.  Looks like somone cut the bottom off a round corner machine main door, and attatched it to the compressor compartment door.  BUT WHY?    '>
        Cap catcher looks to have taken a pretty good hit.
        These do have a neat refrigeration system though. Undo the snaps, slide it out and use it to cool your office on hot days

[halehouse]

Is the catcher on the slider dented, or just dirty?

[vendobaldtops]

Bob,
I think you got a heck of a deal...by the way, on the Ideal, if you can straighten out the fishtail sign a bit, you could probably get a hundred bucks for it off eBay....

[Creighton]

Great score!!
Looks like the spintop needs a bath/polish and thats it. I'd at least try and save that slider. Part it out you are still stuck with what to do with a dented box. Just depends how hard the bash is to fix. Figure the slider is free and selling the sign is seed money towards restoration. Just what I'd do.
Creighton

[Eric]

Yes you did very well..... I'd keepthe Westinghouse standard hare to find complet and straight!
The ideal slider.... My opion..... If you don't want to pit the time and money into it... I'd
take it completely apart and sell every piece individually... Someone out there needs some, one little piece.
I'd sell the cap catcher, the side door with hinges, the lid stops, the coin mech, the inside rack, the vent
thing on the side, the main lid, the lid handle, the opener and fishtail sign, even the body/shell itself... someone
could fix it. You'll make your money back and then some.... Again great score.

Eric

[johnieG]

Quote (Jim @ Mar. 27 2005,9:28)

Johnie, Quote Jim,the extended louvers are for the compressor deck assembly, the whole assembly, evap' coils & all just slide right out! a nice feature... Interesting... Do the evap. coils just rest along the bottom of the liner in order to cool the compartment...? This is actually very different from typical sliders... I only ask because I have never seen this type of setup. It sure would make restoring a slider a lot easier!

It on the same line of thinking as the Vendorlator V27, the whole unit is on one platform, the evap.' coil snug's-up to an gasketed opening in the inner liner,which allows it to recirculate the chilled air inside the cabinet.

[johnieG]

Quote (MoonDawg @ Mar. 27 2005,10:28)

Johnie, had to be added.  Looks like somone cut the bottom off a round corner machine main door, and attatched it to the compressor compartment door.  BUT WHY?    '>         Cap catcher looks to have taken a pretty good hit.         These do have a neat refrigeration system though. Undo the snaps, slide it out and use it to cool your office on hot days

just the styling of the unit's louver cover, some are just "square-cornered"

[johnieG]

Quote (halehouse @ Mar. 27 2005,11:36)

Is the catcher on the slider dented, or just dirty?

the whole machine looks like it was a victim of someone backing into it with a vehicles bumper, about the right height for it, & if anybody did kick in in like that, they probably got a broken foot out of the deal,  '>

[Bob K]

This old soldier did duty at a very well known gas station in my area.  I'd bet it was hit by a car.

So can I drill all the locks out?

Bob

[sodaworks]

Hello Bob,
  I wouldn't give up so quickly on the slider. Try taking the machine completely apart. Lay the damaged side face down and lay a 2x6" over the damaged area and pound out the dents with a heavy hammer. Start on the edge of the dent and work inwards. Make several passes to avoid creases. You'll be surprised at the results. Use a 5/16" drill bit to drill out the locks. terry

[Bob K]

Hi all:

Just wanted to post a final update to this now ancient thread.  Today I got the second machine in the "two-fer".

It's an embossed Pepsi Ideal 85 slider.  When it was converted to Coke they screwed a really neat fishtail metal sign over the embossing.  The sign looks great in my basement '>  .

Looks like a car bumped it pretty good in the gas station where it was in service for ages.  Too much for me to restore, and I don't think it would be cost efficient.

Too bad as it's a "double-dot" Pepsi logo '>

If anyone needs anything, just let me know.



Bob

[loman4ec]

Bob, don't part out or thow that machine away. The den't doesn't look bad at all. It will only take minor body work to get that back. A double dot will bring some money when done. Heck throw it on ebay as is and it should sell ok. I wish you were closer as I would buy it.

[BrianB]

Man, great find Bob! It's always good to get greta pictures along with a little background info on the machines. And like you said, this machine pulled it duty. Maybe it's time for this old soldier to hang up his rifle, or maybe somebody could fix 'er up!

Personaly, I'd go the same way Josh would on this one. I'd put it on Ebay as is. That's if money is you pure motivation. If not, I'm sure that there would be some super stoked people that need those little hard to find pieces. So either way, looks like you made out just fine!