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I know a generic Vendo 39 was never made but this sure does look like one. There was once a sign over the embossed letters as you can see the holes but the sign is off and I can't see the embossed letters. Perhaps bondo but why do that when you had a sign over it? Weird.

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/atq/4002832039.html

Edited by moderator, picture added ( as always because they forgot to post it... :tounge:)

Maybe it was stored in the same barn as all the VMC 81 Orange Crush Machines....

I can make out the embossing in some pics, others it's almost invisible. The powder blue makes me think some one used it for Pepsi . Then again, maybe it's the only paint they had

I think they never would have embossed the Ice Cold on a generic...I'd bet that when you pull the liner the embossing is hammered in and Bondo'd, if not a straight panel welded in.

I can make out the outline of Coca Cola script, whatever that indicates.

U need glasses or a high resolution monitor on your computer, It says Coca~Cola right were it should be... :laugh:

PS...it needs more red paint everywhere... that's one slap-krappy paint job

Inland Empire? Does that infer that the machine is in Britain?

        The Coca Cola script that is visible is what is left of an old decal.....it is half the size the original embossed letters were.

        It is doubtful the letters were smashed in, removing the liner was too much trouble. Pepsi usually ground the outside edges of the embossing off and filled the entire surface with bondo so there was only a slight bow showing when done, then they were painted blue and a decal was applied.
       This particular machine was re-branded again when the holes were drilled for a sign, and the pictures show the cracks in the bondo caused by tightening the screws.

        

cracks in the bondo... good eye

I am a newbie here.  I found this site after I picked the machine in question.  It was very local to me.  Probably paid too much, but the kids are very excited to have a vintage Coke machine at the house.  I removed the insulation from the door, and found the embossing on the inside.  Then, I researched on the internet the best way to remove bondo, and found that if you torch the backside, the bondo can be scraped off.  This is the result.  The bondo was 1/4 inch thick in places, and the edges of the embossing had been ground off as mentioned in a prior post. 

There was light blue paint under the red lacquer.  It should be fun to restore.   I replaced the wiring, plugged it in and it started cooling.

What is the consensus?  Was this likely a Pepsi machine?

Thanks

Bruce

Welcome Bruce. and thank ytou for saving my favorite machine

To answer your question,  it prolly was a Pepsi machine at some point in it's life, but I can say with certainty the Pepsi baby blue you're finding was not form the factory. Vendo made the 39 exclusively for coke, no generics, no  covering of the Coke script. At least not from the factory. Most likely  a route operator, or Pepsi distributor painted the machine  used it to vend Pepsi. 
i wonder if this means your drum will  hold the 12 oz bottles...

It came without the drum.  One of the reasons that it was so cheap!!

Does anyone know if the replacement drums take the 12oz bottles?  I have a friend that has a later 39 that takes the 12oz bottles, and that is very nice!!

Thanks,

Bruce

I believe the reproduction drums are copies of the later model drums.