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Hey, just wondering on a vendo 81 coke, on a scale 1 to ten being a seven is worth 1500.00 or it is that to high. Just looking for a first project, & came across this machine. Thanks for your time. Mike

       An 81 B or D is worth $1500. If it's an A maybe $1200.

       I restored a lot of loser machines before I found my first 81. Go for it, they are the highest demand in restored condition.

Thanks, trying to buy it, waiting for a phine call. Mike

First project just bought, picking it up on Monday. Have no clue what to do after that, but it is going to be fun. MIke

You can't go wrong with an 81... and did well on price,, that is about the average rate for a decent unrestored, complete machine.. there are plenty of us on here that restore them or so you'll be just fine.
We gotta see photos of course too! :biggrin:

SignGuy, I will put some photo's up when my wife gets back from Flordia, in a week. She will have to teach me.
Does any one have an idea, what it would cost to paint the outside shell.  It is clean with one small dent? I will have a lot questions later. Thanks Mike

        I am in the process of restoring an 81 D now. You're welcome to come by and see it in pieces.

Mike,

That is a very broad question and difficult to answer so I’ll give you two extremes.

If you want it to look as good or even better than it looked the day it left the factory, you’ll have to tear it down, blast the cabinet and doors, replace any rusted metal, have it professionally repainted and the embossed letters hand painted.  In my neck of the woods, that runs $1,200 for everything and I get back a perfect, good as new shell.

On the other extreme, if you fixed the dent yourself with some bondo, sand the cabinet a bit and have a local body shop or your neighbor paint it, you might be able to get by for as little as $150 -$200.  BTW, red is a very expensive paint color to buy.

I not going to paint it. A freind of mine that restores old cars for him self said he like to paint it. I want to
make sure it looks like a factory paint job. If I can get the paint through Napa Auto Parts, I can get it at cost, freind of mine owns 4 of them. It is going to be fun. Mike

Not sure if NAPA does color matching but if so, you could take an unexposed part of the machine like inside coin door or bottle door to them and they could match it..