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Can't tell what the price was/is but if reasonable great machine to set aside until the parts turn up.
Creighton

I have to agree with Creighton,  A shell will turn up.

I'm torn between congratulations & condolences... :laugh:     but it looks to be a nice project. :upside:

I guess it depends on the price.

     That looks like a nice straight machine to me, other than the rust below the grill.
     You should remove the complete main door, stack and compressor. Sandblast the bad area so only good steel is exposed, and take it to a welder for his opinion on repair. Since the base is much thicker steel than the sides, damage may not be as bad as it seems to you right now. If vents can't be saved, maybe they could be cut from a similar donor machine?

I think there is a lot of good parts there to work with!  The bezel looks decent and you have a lot of good parts, shelves, coin door, crank handle, etc.

You mind letting us curious ones know what you paid   :hopefull:

Congrats!! There are a lot of good parts there if you were able to get it for the right price! :tounge:

I'm with Glen.... We have all seen much worse here.
That machine still has lots of life in it and it would be a shame to part it out.

The satsifaction you'll get for bringing it back from the dead will be even greater.

I thought I could find a very incomplete v-80 for a donor shell pretty cheap if I was willing to wait it out, or could break even in parts, so I talked her down to $900 for it. She had turned down offers in the past from the same guy several years in a row going up to $700, but she said she just got fired and was now needing $900 for property taxes. It had been in that basement spot for 30 years since her husband took it out of commission.  Before that for about 15 years they had it out front of their house for the neighbor "kids" to buy mixers for their drinks without driving drunk... Man, the 60's and 70's were just so different!!

And could someone explain something to me.. she had a letter from Coke that was old. She sent a picture to them and they identified the machine and gave a sight unseen value of $1350?!?!  :darn: It makes it kind of difficult to get someone off that price when they are willing to go on that limb!!! They even told her if she restored it, the value would increase to $3500.

Ok, $900, but I did find over $37 in change in it. So hit me, did I do that bad? Funny part was before I bought it I was telling my dad, who rode with me, that if it was an 81a or even an 81b I would have considered walking away for $900 with the damage. I don't know if I was just talking myself into it or not!

There was someone recently that was asking about the same thing, so I knew I wasn't the only one, so it helps to read the info here and learn all you can. If he hadn't asked about the V80 and V39 shell, I would have a lot less prepared!!

I think we all have seen much worse, here, I agree sandblast the rust areas, and get an idea what you have, 900 I think you did ok. If it is not salvageable, you will get your money back in parts. 

Like others have said.... it depends how you look at it..... 900 is good if the shell is still good, as well, 900 is ok if just to get your $$ back in parts.  Like the lottery, if you don't play, you can't win!!!
You played, and just waiting to see.

 :happydrinkers:

I don't think you did to bad. I saw the crank handle so I assume the coin mechanism is there?  If the coin mechanism is there along with all the shelves, compressor, bezel there is your 900.00.  It my area you can't get a 81 like that for less than $1,500.

I would of bought it for 900 and explained in to the wife later!   :tounge:

the mechanism is there minus the slug rejector. I just figured that out this morning when I was playing with it. I saw it in there, but never caught that it was missing. That should be cheaper then the whole thing... assuming that I can find one. :hopefull: But I will do free vend most likely so time frame should not be an issue with locating one.

I will buy them all day long in that shape for $900.00

Joey

I hope some here stole it out of my back yard here in Lawrence but a nice complete Vendo 81 sold for 900.00 I was out of town and missed this one  :darn: