looking for a vendo 81 Bottle Door skin

[Jeffmon]

Looking a v81 bottle door skin, pm with price and condition, thanks

Jeff !

[SIGNGUY]

Funtronics sells them.. they are great reproductions, just like the originals and you don't have to deal with the Common rust around the Medallion..

[Jeffmon]

Yeah I'm thinking that might be my best bet, my door has exactly that, rust around the medallion, rest of the door is near mint but small area right around it is just really bad, I'm big on always wanting to keep everything original and using the least amount of repro parts ( none if possible ) but I think you have a good point ! And they are identical ? I know funtronics carry great repro parts but sometimes it's just impossible to make them 100% identical...

[Creighton]

Well,

I have spent years chasing original parts. Some parts yet to find, and may take a few or many more years, or may never find some. Congrats on your dedication!!

Vendo would have changed out the stamping dies, tweaked this and that. So the only 100% correct door for your machine would be the one that was installed from the factory.

Funtronics provides outstanding products. I'm sure their door is spot on to the original they used as a master. Identical to the door you want to replace I don't know.

You can always use a repo until the correct original replacement turns up.

Rust looks scarier than it really is. Got a pic of the door?

Creighton

[SIGNGUY]

what I find when restoring a machine is that the cost of time and labor it takes to restore a bottle door that has those issues, outweighs the cost of the replacement door.

Now I don't do my own body work, it's done professionally and being that bottle door has those ribbings, it takes ALOT more time and attention to detail to fix the rust..

most likely once you sand blast it (media blast) or whtever. it will pinhole... you either have to cut and weld in new metal, which is near to impossible unless you have a tool /die that matches that ribbing.  or you have to body fill, and then "MOLD" out the grooves/ridges with sanding... again time and labor.

so in the long run if you run into those issues, replacement is cheaper...  so just consider that and see what you want to do..

Good luck!

[jrwienri]

sent an email regarding 2 I have with no reply?
Jeff

[SIGNGUY]

sent an email regarding 2 I have with no reply?
Jeff

Sent to Who? 

[Jeffmon]

Sorry jrwienri, not sure if you meant you've sent me an email regarding two doors you have but I can guaranty you that I've never received any emails pertaining to V81 doors for sale, I know I sometimes take a while to reply to messages  lol but I know I never got that one, which brings me to my main problem, time, i'm definitely not afraid of hard work and I do all my own restoring for the exception of chrome or course, but spare time is very scarce these days lol so like SIGNGUY stated, not sure if all the work would even be worth it, not so much a cost vs time issue but more that I probably won't be happy with the end result, on the other hand, I also know that a repop door will equally irritated me every time I look at the machine, I know, I'm a little anal with a side of OCD, attending group therapy  twice a week  anyhow, I will take a few pics and post them for you Creighton, maybe you can give me some input, it has actually deteriorated all around the medallion hole, it's no longer a perfect circle, I know I can brase it to build it back up and just grind away at it, recut the circle and so on, and in theory it all sounds great lol but I've been down that road before lol anyhow all this blabber is useless without a few pictures so I will try to post a few later on, operative word being " try "... Thanks guys !

Jeff !

[Jeffmon]

Look who found five minutes to spare 

[MoonDawg]

       I have several VMC bottle doors.     A 2" diameter punch will turn them into Vendo doors.

[Creighton]

Hey Jeff,
That doesn't look too bad.
I'd wire wheel it first, use Rustmort or a similar product to stabilize the rust. Wire wheel again. Air compressor out all the dust. Acetone to prep. Fill as needed with JB weld. Sand again skim coat of finish bondo. Prime and paint.
Creighton