first machine CSS-64

[darktone]

Hi everyone, I just bought my first machine- a cavalier css-64. The plate on the side says 64G and a tag in the door says 64C. I wonder what this means? Anyway's I got a few questions. The coin changer is missing- the previous owner is supposed to have it but I am about to give up on getting it from her. What model do I need? From what I read it's a CoinCo unit right? The other question I have is that is water supposed to collect on the bottom of the cooler and go through that hole and into the drain pan right? There's like a valve type thing- is this supossed to have a small hole for the water to drip through?
     My next question is about using plastic soda bottles- will they work? The skinnier ones? How about those newer small plastic Coke and Sprite bottles? Do they stand a chance of getting punctured in the machine?
     Here's a little more info about my machine- it's got white sides and top with the logo "things go better with Coke" on both sides. It has trhe 3-D Stylestar with a light and a light in the vending area. The coin changer door or what ever it is called has the woodgrain only on this door. It was an indoor machine all it's life and was said to have been in a school- must have been in a teachers break room to be this nice. It had quite a build up of floor wax on the bottom couple of inches and I think this protected things pretty good! I have it running and it stay's between 36 and 38 degrees and sounds and runs good. I just wish I had the coin changer so I could play with it . Mike 

[Jim]

Welcome Mike ! ! !

There's an unwritten rule, or better yet, forum etiquette that requests photo(s) to be posted while talking about or referencing a particular machine.

As for the coin mech, I would go with a CoinCo as these are dependable.
Most of the smaller glass bottle sodas will vend in this slant shelf machine; I'm not sure about any of the plastic bottles though...

The hole in the bottom pan is supposed to drain the condensation so make sure this if free of debris. Do your best to make sure the machine is level/plumb so the drain works efficiently.

[darktone]

Thanks Jim . Well since my camera broke and it's in a 100 pieces on my desk( hopefully I can get it back together) I can post a link to the Craigslist listing where I bought it from with some pictures- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/clt/467488283.html

[loman4ec]

Well the Craigslist ad has been deleted. However if it is a stylestar machine it is an early G model. I would buy a coinco coin mech and any single price model will work as long as it is 115-117 volt. Do not buy a 24 volt mech. I have gotten the small plastic water bottles to vend in these machines. Do not worry about puncturing a bottle. I doubt that would happen. the only problem is the diameter of the bottle itself. Most plastic soda bottles are too fat to fit through the bottle gate.

[darktone]

I got my camera back together so I'll get some pictures at work today of it. Also is this the coin changer I need? COINCO SINGLE PRICE CHANGER S75-9800B.
   Thanks Jim, I leveled the machine so it would drain yesterday. Any tricks to cleaning the glass inside the doors?
     Any way of telling the exact age of a mchine like this? I wonder if those small 8 ounce plastic bottles will work? I can get Coke,Pepsi,Squirt,Sprite and Fresca in the old Mexican bottles but they cost like a $1.20 each. I am also not too far from the Coke bottler in Minnesota that refills bottles so this is an option too. Gray's brewing is just a few blocks from me but they are a $1 a bottle and their caps are blank. I do plan on using this machine inside to vend and don't want to have to put the price to $1.50 a bottle.
   

[Kilroy]

Mom taught me a little vinegar and water cleans leaves glass streak free. The drawback is waiting for the  odor to dissipate.
Sam's club sells the 8 oz coke for  about $11.00 a case, but  it seems to be very hit and miss  on when they have it in stock.  The Sam's club by me also carries Orange, Strawberry and orange Crush  in 12 0z bottles for $9-10  a case
If you have a coke bottler nearby, ask them if they will sell you  wholesale. Purchasing glass bottles  on Ebay or locally, and refilling them your self is also an option.

[loman4ec]

Your Cs-64G is from the late 1960's

[darktone]

Thanks guy's. Late 60's is what I was thinking and was the era I was hoping it to be. Here are a few pictures from today.
 

[collecture]

Nice looking machine - except for the woodgrain! 
I'd think about changing that!

[darktone]

Nice looking machine - except for the woodgrain! 
I'd think about changing that!

  Nope- I want it just the way it is. One of the reasons I wanted a machine of this era was to remind me of these machines when I was kid and wood grain was one of the things I remember on these old machines. I am 43 years old- too young to remember the round tops but old enough to have grown up with wood grained bottle machines . 

[Pat Pixley]

AH!   A Person after my own heart  I to like the wood grain look .
It say's the sixty oll over .
Well it a great score  you did well.
Pat



 Oh yeah   one more thing this is just the begining of your machine's
same time next year you  will be looking fora RC 81  or something like that. 

 

[collecture]

If you like it - that is ALL that matters!
One man's trash is another man's treasure!

[darktone]

I  finally got the coin mechanism yesterday and it works great. I set it for $1.25. Not going to make anything at that price but at least I get to use the old bottles. The Mexican Coke cost me 87 cents per bottle, Mexican Pepsi $1 per bottle, Mexican Sprite $1.09 a bottle, orange and grape crush at 41 cents a bottle and IBC root beer at about the same. I want to add Mexican 7-up, Dad's root beer and Sundrop and Squirt.
    Some people walk right by the machine and don't give it a second look- others think it pretty cool and and wonder where I get the pop in those old bottles .
   
   Oh yeah- I already have my second machine- http://soda-machines.com/content/view/657/14/ I got it for $75 and it still has the original soda labels in the slots. It ran when I got it but the evap fan would not run so it would ice right up and shut down. I dissasembled it and cleaned everything and rewired some wires with poor insulation- now all I have to do is find a new fan motor and put it back together.