Vendo 44 Restoration

[bdenison]

Hey Folks! I'm new to the site, but just picked myself up a Vendo 44. It's in great shape and only needs some new paint, a good cleaning, and a compressor tune-up. Having no experience with vending machines I'm debating having a proffesional take a look at it. Does anyone know of someone in the Ottawa, Ontario area that does restorations? I may end up doing the restoration myself as the machine really doens't need much work at all, but would at least have to find someone to redo the paint job for me. Also, what bottles should fit and dispense from this machine? I picked up some 8oz bottles at my local grocery store, but they are too narrow and don't proberly stack. Thank you in advance and I'm sure I'll be back to do some reading and with tons of questions once I get the restoration under way. Cheers!

[SIGNGUY]

Welcome to the best SOda Machine discussion board out there.. ok well there are only Two, but this is the best one!
First off, lets see some photos of your machine, we love photos.
There are a lot of Vendo 44's that come out of Canada.. is it a Vendo 44 or a VMC 44.. you can tell if it has a coin entry bezel or not. No bezel VMC, bezel + Vendo.
Regarding bottle size.. your right, the new bottles don't fit, and outside of that don't know of any that do.. that is the one problem with that particular machine.. cool as heck looking but not very practical... I think there is a way of modifying the rockers, making them bigger with some tubing, to make them "Thicker" so they accomodate the bottles, haven't tried it yet... I just use old originals that are refilled in mine .

as far as restoration up near you? not sure.. but if your interested in shipping it to Wisconsin... (I can help with that) , I'd be glad to restore it for you.
my website is www.popmachineshop.com and I'll be glad to discuss the restoration with you. phone number is on the site under contact ,or contact me on this board.
now lets see some photos!

[Crazzy Canuck]

Not trying to step on your toes John but I'm in Trenton/Belleville area. 3 1/2 hrs East of you.
Have restored 30 or 40 of these. Have 5  personally.

Mark

[SIGNGUY]

No problem, just offering.

 

[bdenison]

Pics....

[bdenison]

....more pics....

[bdenison]

ane more.

[MoonDawg]

          Looks almost too nice to restore from the pictures. If it were mine I would just match and re-paint the coin door and have the letters redone.

         Nice find!

[cdc1960]

nice looking machine... I'd give it a really good cleaning and a coat or two of a good carnuba car wax and see what it looks like... a "sympathetic restoration", to borrow a term from the auto hobby might be in order... keep the patina, but get the machine serviced and working perfectly..  it's definitely a vendo 44 from the pictures... as Signguy says the 8 oz bottles will work by making the rockers larger in diameter by wrapping tubing around them... FunTronics carries the tubing... you will still occasionally get a "double vend", particularly when there are only two or three bottles left in the side, but it works ok... how much are they going for in Ontario? $3.99 for a six pack is the best you can do in Calgary.... 

Chris

[Crazzy Canuck]

You know what.........been mulling it over and I'm sooo freakin busy with work that I wouldn't even be able to think about touching it until the middle of summer.
 That's not fair to you. I'm gonna have to decline. It would be an easy resto tho.

Sorry but good luck. Mark