Vendo 81 D Coke Machine Coca Cola PROFESSIONALLY DONE none nicer C my listings  

(and please also note the lack of positive feedback for restored soda machines from the others)

FAQ's

Q:  WHAT IS POWDERCOATING?

A: POWDER COATING IS A NEW PROCESS. POWDER COATEING IS A PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT ACTS LIKE A CERAMIC, IT GOES ON IN A POWDER FORM, THEN IS BAKED ON, AND MELTS TOGETHER, ONCE COOL, IT HARDENS THUS ENCAPSULATING THE METAL IN A NEW PROTECTIVE COATING THAT WILL NOT RUST OR OXIDIZE LIKE THE OLD GALVANIZING DID. BEWARE MANY "RESTORERS" WILL SIMPLY PAINT OVER THE OLD GALVANIZING WITH HAMMER PAINT, THIS IS A CHEAP, SIMPLE, COVER-UP

HELLO, MY NAME IS CARL COATES, AND I DO PROFESSIONAL RESTORATIONS OF ANTIQUE SODA MACHINES.... PLEASE CLICK THE VIEW SELLERS OTHER AUCTIONS TO SEE A LIST OF THE MACHINES I HAVE ALREADY RESTORED.....HERE IS A LIST OF MACHINES I RESTORE, THAT I FEEL ARE WORTHY OF THE RESTORATION EXPENSE THAT IS NECESSARY TO RESTORE AN ANTIQUE SODA MACHINE:

VENDOS: 81, 56, 44, 39

CAVALIER: 72, 96

VMC 81, 44, 33

MANY TIMES WE HAVE THESE MODELS ALREADY DONE IN STOCK, AND CAN TAKE YOUR UN-RESTORED MACHINE IN ON TRADE, AND SUPPLY YOU A RESTORED MACHINE BACK WITHIN A WEEK.... OR WE WILL GLADLY RESTORE THE MACHINE YOU SEND US, AND EVEN PROVIDE YOU PHOTOS OF YOUR MACHINE UNDER RESTORATION.

WHEN RESTORING THESE MACHINE, I TRY TO DO THEM AS HISTORICALLY CORRECT AS POSSIBLE, WHILE STILL KEEPING COST IN MIND. MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THE MANNER IN WHICH THESE MACHINES WERE ORIGINALLY PRODUCED. I TRY TO KEEP THE HISTORICAL INTEGRITY OF THE MACHINES I RESTORE, RECOGNIZING THEIR HISTORICAL VALUE. HERE IS A LIST OF MATERIALS THAT I UTILIZE WHEN DOING A PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION.

EVERY MACHINE IS COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED DOWN TO THE BARE CABINET

EVERY MACHINE IS SANDBLASTED DOWN TO THE BARE METAL

EVERY MACHINE IS PROFESSIONALLY REPAIRED AND PAINTED AT A PROFESSIONAL BODY SHOP.

EVERY MACHINE IS UNDERCOATED INSIDE BEFORE NEW INSULATION IS INSTALLED

ALL ORIGINAL ZINC PLATING IS RE-ZINCED AND THEN CLEAR COATED SO IT WILL NOT TARNISH.

ALL ORIGINAL CHROME IS RE-CHROMED

ALL ORIGINAL STAINLESS STEEL TRIM IS RESTORED HAVING ALL THE DENTS PROFESSIONALLY REMOVED, AND POLISHED TO A CHROME LIKE FINISH. WE DO NOT USE NEW REPRODUCTION METAL TRIM PIECES WITH AN INCORRECT PROFILE, WE DO IT THE HISTORICALLY CORRECT PROFESSIONAL WAY, BY RESTORING THE ORIGINAL STAINLESS STEEL TRIM.

 THE ORIGINAL MACHINES WERE PAINTED WITH DUPONT ENAMEL! BASE-COAT / CLEAR COAT PAINT DID NOT EVEN EXIST IN THE 1950'S, IT IS NOT HISTORICALLY CORRECT TO USE THIS TYPE OF PAINT, IT IS NOT BETTER, AND IS A NIGHTMARE TO TOUCH-UP, REQUIRING BOTH THE BASE COAT AND CLEAR COAT, WHERE ENAMEL IS SINGLE STAGE, AND CAN BE TOUCHED UP AND BUFFED OUT VERY EASILY. THE HISTORICALLY CORRECT PAINT TO USE IS SINGLE STAGE ENAMEL, NOT BASECOAT / CLEARCOAT WHICH HAS A PLASTIC LIKE LOOK TO IT.......

I ALSO USE WATER RELEASE DECALS ON TOP OF THE ENAMEL PAINT, THE SAME WAY THEY DID BACK IN THE 1950'S. MANY MACHINES WERE DRESSED UP WITH THE BOTTLE AND HAND DECAL OR THE SPRITE BOY DECAL.... THESE WERE ORIGINALLY WATER RELEASE DECALS, AND WERE APPLIED THE SAME WAY I DO NOW, THE HISTORICALLY CORRECT WAY. IT IS NOT HISTORICALLY CORRECT TO CLEAR COAT OVER WATER RELEASE DECALS, NOR IS IT HISTORICALLY CORRECT TO CLEAR COAT OVER SILK SCREENING. SILK-SCREENING WAS DONE IN CERTAIN APPLICATIONS ON TOP OF ENAMEL PAINT, AND WAS AS PRONE TO SCRATCHING AS THE PAINT ITSELF OR THE WATER RELEASE DECALS..... ANYTHING CAN BE SCRATCHED. BEWARE SOME OF THE LESS HONEST RESTORERS WILL ALSO ADVERTISE THAT THEY ARE SILK SCREENING, WHEN IF FACT THEY ARE SIMPLY USING VINYL LETTERING AND WATER RELEASE DECALS UNDER THE CLEAR COAT STAGE OF THEIR INCORRECT BASE/CLEAR PAINT.

WE DO NOT OVER RESTORE OUR MACHINES, CHROME PLATING THINGS THAT WERE NEVER CHROME PLATED, AND SHOULD NOT BE CHROME PLATED..... IT IS HISTORICALLY INCORRECT TO CHROME HINGES, HANDLES, COIN MECHS, BACKING PLATES ETC....., THIS IS AN UN-NECESSARY WAIST OF MONEY THAT IS ONLY DONE FOR SHOW. THESE WERE NEVER CHROME PLATED FROM THE FACTORY, AND ONLY RESULT IN A HOT RODDED, GAUDY, UNPROFESSIONAL JOB.... SIMPLY REMOVE YOUR CAR'S  PAINTED GAS CAP COVER PLATE, HAVE IT CHROME PLATED, AND PUT IT BACK ON THE CAR TO SEE HOW STUPID IT LOOKS.....I GET THE SAME FEELING WHEN I SEE PARTS OF A COKE MACHINE CHROMED THAT SHOULD NOT BE.  

ALL OF THE INTERNAL CABINET LINERS, BOTTLE STACK ASSEMBLIES, BOTTLE DRUMS, BOTTLE LOADING SHELVES ETC. ARE POWDERCOATED WITH A CHROME LIKE COLOR.... MANY OF THE INTERNAL PARTS OF A COKE MACHINE WERE ORIGINALLY GALVANIZED..... OLD GALVANIZING ACTUALLY OXIDIZES RESULTING IN THE WHITE POWDER LIKE SUBSTANCE YOU WILL FIND IF YOU RUN YOUR HAND OVER AN OLD PIECE OF GALVANIZED STEEL, LIKE A VENDO 81 BOTTLE LOADING SHELF. THIS IS ACTUALLY HOW GALVANIZING RUSTS, ONCE THE OLD GALVANIZING OXIDIZED, THE ORIGINAL METAL WOULD BE EXPOSED, AND ACTUALLY WOULD START RUSTING.....  WE HAVE ALL OUR PARTS PROFESSIONALLY POWDERCOATED, WHEN THEY DO SO THEY FIRST SAND BLAST ALL THE ORIGINALLY GALVANIZED PARTS DOWN TO THE BARE METAL, BEFORE THE NEW POWDERCOATING IS APPLIED. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT HISTORICALLY CORRECT TO APPLY THIS POWDERCOATING, I FEEL IT IS THE VERY BEST PROTECTION THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS CAN RECEIVE. POWDER COATING IS A NEW PROCESS. POWDER COATING IS A PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT ACTS LIKE A CERAMIC, IT GOES ON IN A POWDER FORM, THEN IS BAKED ON, AND MELTS TOGETHER, ONCE COOL, IT HARDENS THUS ENCAPSULATING THE METAL IN A NEW PROTECTIVE COATING THAT WILL NOT RUST OR OXIDIZE LIKE THE OLD GALVANIZING DID. BEWARE MANY "RESTORERS" WILL SIMPLY PAINT OVER THE OLD GALVANIZING WITH HAMMER PAINT, THIS IS A CHEAP, SIMPLE, COVER-UP.

WE ALSO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE ACTUAL ORIGINAL LETTERING THAT WAS ORIGINALLY FOUND ON THE VINTAGE MACHINES AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY LEFT THE FACTORY. COCA-COLA WAS VERY TRICKY WHEN THEY DESIGNED THE LETTERING FOR THEIR MACHINES, THEY MIXED UP FONTS,(LETTERING STYLES),AND ELONGATED LETTERS. DIFFERENT MODELS HAD DIFFERENT LOGOS THAT WERE CORRECT FOR THAT MODEL. NOTHING COULD BE WORSE THAN HAVING INCORRECT LETTERING AND WRONG PLACEMENT OF WORDING SILK SCREENED UNDER CLEAR COAT ON YOUR MACHINE...... THE ONLY REMEDY WOULD BE TO REBLAST THE MACHINE AND START OVER. IF YOU WONDER IF YOUR MACHINE HAS THE CORRECT STYLE LETTERING, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REFERENCE MY AUCTIONS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT MODELS, THEY ARE ALL DONE CORRECTLY!

WE ALSO APPLY MANY OF THE DECALS ORIGINALLY USED THAT OTHER RESTORERS "FORGET" TO APPLY LIKE THE SLUG REJECTER DECALS, THE BOTTLE LOADING DECALS, THE WIRING DIAGRAM DECAL, THE PATENT DECAL ETC. DON'T GET TRICKED INTO BELIEVING THAT DECALS WERE NOT USED ON THESE VINTAGE MACHINES.... I PAY OVER $100 ON DECALS ALONE WHILE OTHERS LEAVE THEM OFF AND TRY TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU ARE GETTING MORE FOR YOUR MONEY.

OUR MACHINES HAVE HAND PAINTED EMBOSSMENT LETTERS THAT NEVER HAVE ANY BRUSH MARKS, BECAUSE I HIRE A PROFESSIONAL SIGN PAINTER, AND ARTIST, WHO USES THE CORRECT SLOW DRYING PROFESSIONAL SIGN PAINTER'S ENAMEL.ANY INSINUATION THAT THIS PAINT WILL FADE IN THE SUN IS ABSURD.... YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT MY SIGN PAINTER STAYS ON TOP OF THE LETTERS LIKE THE ORIGINAL LETTERS WERE DONE ON THE PRESS AT THE FACTORY....THEY WERE NEVER SILK SCREENED OVER THE EDGES LIKE THE OTHER GUY DOES. Silk Screening leaves fuzzy edges on the lettering instead of crisp clear letters 

DON'T GET TRICKED INTO PAYING MORE AND GETTING LESS: WE DON'T WASTE MONEY OVER RESTORING, WE DON'T WAREHOUSE A BUNCH OF WORTHLESS FLAT TOP MACHINES, WE DON'T AUTOMATICALLY SCRAP YOUR GOOD ORIGINAL PARTS, JUST BECAUSE NEW REPRODUCTION PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, WE DON'T TRUCK YOUR MACHINE FULL OF GLASS BOTTLES WITH SODA IN THEM, WE DON'T HAVE A LARGE WAREHOUSE OR EMPLOYEES TO BLAME FOR SOMETHING NOT DONE CORRECTLY, WE DON'T MIX UP YOUR PARTS WITH OTHER PARTS, WE DON'T MIX UP LETTERING STYLES AND LETTERING PLACEMENT, WE DON'T, LEAVE OFF DECALS, INSINUATING THAT THEY ARE NOT CORRECT, AND WE DON'T AUTOMATICALLY SCRAP A PERFECTLY GOOD COMPRESSOR. WE FEEL THAT IF YOU WANT A MACHINE FULL OF REPRODUCTION PARTS, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BUY A REPRODUCTION MACHINE.

40 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN THESE MACHINES ARE WORTH CRAZY MONEY, ARE YOU GOING TO BE GLAD YOU INVESTED IN THE MACHINE WITH ALL THE ORIGINAL COMPONENTS, OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE SORRY YOU BOUGHT A MACHINE FILLED WITH REPRODUCTION PARTS? (reproduction parts will always be available, but where would you ever find the original parts again?)

DON'T GET TRICKED INTO RESTORING A FLAT TOP MACHINE THAT IS WAY OVERPRICED AND A TERRIBLE INVESTMENT, (restored flat tops have a maximum value of $2500). kinda like restoring a PINTO instead of a CORVETTE.

DON'T GET TRICKED INTO BELIEVING THAT OVER RESTORING MAKES A VINTAGE ANTIQUE MACHINE MORE VALUABLE, CHROMING THINGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE CHROMED IS NOT CORRECT, AND DOES NOT ADD VALUE, IT ACTUALLY TAKES AWAY.... ASK ANY ANTIQUE CAR RESTORER WHO CONCERNS HIMSELF WITH RESTORING WITH INTEGRITY INSTEAD OF FLASH.

DON'T GET TRICKED INTO BELIEVING THAT REMOVING ALL THE ORIGINAL PARTS, AND REPLACING THEM WITH REPRODUCTION PARTS IS CORRECT, IT IS NOT....EVERY REPRODUCTION PART ON THAT MACHINE TAKES AWAY FROM IT'S HISTORICAL VALUE.

DON'T GET TRICKED BY A COMPANY THAT REQUIRES YOU TO BUY A MACHINE FOR THEM TO RESTORE, TRAPPING YOU WITH THEIR  CANDY COATED PROMISES, WHILE RETURNING YOU SOMEONE ELSE'S MACHINE.  FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH ONE OF MY COMPETITORS, RATHER THAN SAY,"I TOLD YOU SO" , I WILL INSTEAD SAY "I TRIED TO WARN YOU".......

NO SHELL GAME HERE, NO PROMISES THAT CAN'T BE MET, NO LIP SERVICE ABOUT RESTORATION PROCESSES, NO PHOTOS OF MACHINES THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE... HERE ARE MY MACHINES, RESTORED WITH INTEGRITY, AND QUALITY, USE YOUR OWN JUDGMENT, AND COMMON SENSE SHOULD PREVAIL.

WHAT WE DO IS A PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE, WHILE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE HISTORICAL INTEGRITY AND ANTIQUE CORRECTNESS.

(and please also note the lack of positive feedback for restored soda machines from the others)

BUYERS BEWARE, AS ECONOMIC TIMES GET TOUGH, MORE CON ARTIST ARE ACTIVE. MAKE SURE YOU BUY FROM A REPUTABLE SELLER. LOOK FOR THEIR FEEDBACK, ASK FOR REFERENCES.... MINE ARE POSTED FOR ALL TO SEE. SEE MY EBAY LISTINGS OF RESTORED SODA MACHINES.

IF YOU ARFE CONSIDERING PURCHASINGS A MACHINE FROM SOMEONE ELSE, AND THEY ARE USING MINE TO COMPARE THEIRS TO, ASK THESE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:

1. WAS THE MACHINE STRIPPED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BARE CABINET, AND SANBLASTED TO REMOVE THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL RUST?

2. ARE THE INTERNAL PARTS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY GALVANIZED NOW POWDERCOATED OR SIMPLY PAINTED?

3. HAS THE ORIGINAL ZINC PLATING BEEN RE-ZINC PLATED OR WERE THOSE PARTS ONLY PAINTED?

4. WAS THE CHROME PLATING DONE AS SHOW CHROME OR WAS A CHEAP CHROME PLATER USED WHO DOES UTILITY PLATING?

5. WAS THE CORRECT ORIGINAL REFRIGERATION UNIT RESTORED, OR IS THERE SOME TYPE OR REPLACEMENT UNIT IN PLACE?

6. WAS THE INTERNAL RUST IN THE CABINET REPAIRED PROFESSIONALLY AND THE CABINET UNDERCOATED INTERNALLY BEFORE NEW INSULATION WAS INSTALLED?

7. IS THE PAINT JOB DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL PAINTER OR BY AN AMATEUR

8. WERE THE CORRECT ORIGINAL GRAPHICS RE-APPLIED ON THE MACHINE, OR INCORRECT GRAPHICS DONE FROM INCORRECT MEMORY ?

9. WAS THE VENDING ASSEMBLY DISSASEMBLED AND RESTORED PROFESSIONALLY?

10. DOES THE MACHINE VEND CORRECTLY? WAS THE VENDING ASSEMBLY DISSASEMBLED AND RESTORED PROFESSIONALLY?

11. DOES THE MACHINE COOL CORRECTLY?

12. WAS ALL THE OLD ORIGINAL WIRING REPLACED?

13. DOES THE MACHINE HAVE ALL NEW LEG LEVELERS THAT TURN FREELY?

14. WAS THE OLD ROTTEN DRAIN TUBE REPLACED?

15. WAS THE ORIGINAL INNER CABINET LINER PROFESSIONALL REPAIRED OR IS THE BOTTOM OF THE LINER RUSTED AND COVERED WITH HAMMER PAINT TO HIDE THE RUST?

16. WAS THE ORIGINAL STAINLESS STEEL BANDING THAT SEPERATES THE RED AND WHITE RESTORED? OR WAS NOW PLASTIC OR REPRODUCTION MOULDING APPLIED? Amateurs use plastic car moulding.

17. DOES THE SELLER HAVE ANY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FOR SELLING PROFESSIONALLY RESTORED SODA MACHINES?