Thread Number: 11781
My favorite Compact!
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Post# 126647   3/4/2011 at 17:16 (4,773 days old) by kenkart ()        

The 1957 Flat lid c-4, given to me for my birthday a few days before 911, 2001 from Mike Rogers, He and I along with Roger Proehl and Charles Miller were in Asheville getting ready to go to the Biltmore house when we got the bad news, I will never forget that day!

Post# 126648 , Reply# 1   3/4/2011 at 17:17 (4,773 days old) by kenkart ()        
rear..

Notice the orange latch!

Post# 126649 , Reply# 2   3/4/2011 at 17:19 (4,773 days old) by kenkart ()        
orange grill..

To match, I have the box book and a original pack of bags, it wasnt used much.

Post# 126652 , Reply# 3   3/4/2011 at 17:46 (4,773 days old) by goadie12 ()        

Mine would have to be my compact c6 because that is the only compact I have lol.

Post# 126674 , Reply# 4   3/4/2011 at 21:53 (4,773 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
My beloved C5 here, had since age2? Hatch door matched the upholstery cover on that one too,all long gone.

Post# 126953 , Reply# 5   3/7/2011 at 23:46 (4,770 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        
Very interesting Compact C6 there, Zach....

kirbylux77's profile picture
Just out of curiosity, is that hose original? I have never seen that style cloth hose with a Compact before, & that tracer & color looks suspiciously like Electrolux hose material.

Is this a repair you did yourself? In any case, your Compact looks very good for its age....

Rob


Post# 126955 , Reply# 6   3/8/2011 at 00:07 (4,770 days old) by HooverCelebrity (Germany)        

That's a great cleaner, Hans! Love the '20th Anniversary' logo on the side! So cute!

Post# 126975 , Reply# 7   3/8/2011 at 07:02 (4,769 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture
I have a "Flower Power" C-8 that I bought a couple of years ago NIB. I fire it up every once in a while and it is one powerful vacuum. I like that 70s "vibe" that it has with the flower decal. I'm curious about your flat lid model and if the bag fills differently because of the way the hose is inserted. You have a very nice machine!

Post# 126976 , Reply# 8   3/8/2011 at 07:06 (4,769 days old) by kenkart ()        
Flat Lid...

I understand this was done to give an even stronger cyclonic effect to the airstream...which it does, it also, however, makes it much easier to tip over, and that is why they went back to the old style lid, it does perform well though.

Post# 127033 , Reply# 9   3/8/2011 at 18:26 (4,769 days old) by goadie12 ()        
In responce to kirbylux77

The hose I got from a friend of mine he said it was original because on his owners manual it showed it coming with two different hoses so I think It is original but now you got me thinking ill have to do a little more looking around to see if it is or not.

Post# 127215 , Reply# 10   3/10/2011 at 20:23 (4,767 days old) by BBFvac76 ()        

Heres my C9 after a new paint job.

Post# 127222 , Reply# 11   3/10/2011 at 21:18 (4,767 days old) by kirbykid63 (Wilmington Delaware)        
To BBF VAC

Very nice paint Job did you use hammer tone blue for the color. I used hammer tone gold on my restored 1988 CXL and it came out great!!!

Post# 127371 , Reply# 12   3/12/2011 at 16:19 (4,765 days old) by BBFvac76 ()        

No, it was NOT hammertone blue. I used Rust Oleum Jade to paint my C9 after stripping its old, flaking off paint. aside from a new paint job, here the following i did:
1) new exhaust cap
2) new power cord
3) new motor filter filter
4) rust removed from chromed peices
5) cloth bag washed & in good shape
6) new paper bag insert
7) new electrified hose


Post# 127385 , Reply# 13   3/12/2011 at 19:09 (4,765 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        
@ Brian

eurekastar's profile picture
That really is a super paint job! Did you use a primer first?

Post# 127390 , Reply# 14   3/12/2011 at 19:54 (4,765 days old) by BBFvac76 ()        

Primer wasn't used & that new paint job should last another 30 years or so

Post# 301956 , Reply# 15   10/15/2014 at 16:25 (3,452 days old) by Compactc9guy (Bathurst NB)        
I did the same thing to my compact electra

compactc9guy's profile picture
I gave it a new paint job in jade light blue i whish i could find the original blue paint
I ve done the following
New cloth bag
new paper bag
clean the motor filter and let dry over night
new power head motor in original power head
new original metal cyclonic floor tool
runs great now


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Post# 301997 , Reply# 16   10/16/2014 at 01:32 (3,452 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)        

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~
~

Hans, I =LOVE= the atomic age logo on your Compact. I don't think I've ever seen this model before.


Post# 302011 , Reply# 17   10/16/2014 at 05:40 (3,451 days old) by kenkart ()        
Compacts

Can be dated easily...at least some can,,mine is a 57 because its a 20th anniversary model, now this might lead you to believe Compacts came out in 37...but actually that date marks the beginning of Interstate Enginering co, Compacts were introduced soon after WW2 was over.46 I believe, this would have been the c-1, then the C-2 came out in 49 or 50 , there was no C-3, but the C-4 came out in 57, It first came out with the flat lid, ive seen it in 3 colors, green ,a blue grey, and the tan almost pinkish color mine is...


Post# 302017 , Reply# 18   10/16/2014 at 09:35 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        
Hans

dysonman1's profile picture
I have your Revelation's one-year older brother. The model C-4 came out in 1956. Mine is also in the box.

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Post# 302018 , Reply# 19   10/16/2014 at 09:36 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The "beast" itself. No decal on the other side.

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Post# 302019 , Reply# 20   10/16/2014 at 09:36 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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Different (and unique) color exhaust port cover and cover-latch

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Post# 302020 , Reply# 21   10/16/2014 at 09:37 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The hose has a blue suction control sleeve, like an Electrolux Automatic E and F.

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Post# 302021 , Reply# 22   10/16/2014 at 09:38 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The instruction book is also unique. It has the word Revelation on the cleaner pictured, AND it has "pink stripes" on the cover.

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Post# 302022 , Reply# 23   10/16/2014 at 09:39 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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copyright 1956 on the back of the instruction manual

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Post# 302023 , Reply# 24   10/16/2014 at 09:48 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        
Half your Rugs are NEVER Clean....

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Until you use a Compact or Revelation. Ironic that the pic in the corner, where she's slumped over a chair, she's just used a Hoover (note the rubber hand grip).

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Post# 302024 , Reply# 25   10/16/2014 at 09:49 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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1958 C-4 with flat lid and orange exhaust port cover latch

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Post# 302025 , Reply# 26   10/16/2014 at 09:50 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The "PATENTED" Cyclonic action. The decal is cool because is shows how the dirt builds up in the front of the bag, and shows the air path through the bag system. Love these graphics on the decal.

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Post# 302026 , Reply# 27   10/16/2014 at 09:51 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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1947 model C-1. The first Compact. No bumper ring. The motor comes out from the front of the machine. VERY heavy.

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Post# 302027 , Reply# 28   10/16/2014 at 09:52 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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1949 C-2 Compact and 1950 C-2 Revelation

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Post# 302028 , Reply# 29   10/16/2014 at 09:53 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The Compact had a unique Exhaust Air Deflector, which is of course removable so you can access the blower. The deflector was only on the 1949 model Compact.

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Post# 302029 , Reply# 30   10/16/2014 at 09:55 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
Beautiful in Blue. The C-80. The 45th Anniversary Model, and the first "Compact" to be sold in Vac Shops (the Tri-Star came out, in red and chrome, the same year for door to door sales).

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Post# 302030 , Reply# 31   10/16/2014 at 09:55 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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45 Years of Quality. 1982.

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Post# 302031 , Reply# 32   10/16/2014 at 09:56 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The last of the Compact models ever. Different shade of blue. 1984. Note the Interstate Built power nozzle instead of the Eureka built nozzle of just two years before.

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Post# 302032 , Reply# 33   10/16/2014 at 09:57 (3,451 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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47 years of quality. Vac Shop only model. The end of an era, the last "Compact".

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Post# 302041 , Reply# 34   10/16/2014 at 11:10 (3,451 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)        

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~
~

Once upon a time I had the first-of-the-first Compacts. See link. At the time that I got it, I had no idea what I had because I had never really gotten excited about Compacts and Revelations. I had never seen a single one until I moved to California in 1980.

Anyway, a friend who's a thrift shop junkie calls me from time to time when he spots old vacuum cleaners to see if I want them. He called one day quite a few years ago and said he found an "egg-shaped" vacuum called the Compact, and did I want it? At first I said no because I just really didn't have any interest in the brand. But he said, "I think you ought to get this one. It's in beautiful condition and has a cloth hose that looks perfect. So I told him to go ahead and get it. He paid something like seven bucks for it.

He delivered it to me in a large plastic tub. It was in great condition and ran beautifully. I found out later from another collector that it was "rare-rare-rare" because it was the first version of the first model.

I eventually sold it in one of my many "economic shortfall" periods. As with all the machines I've sold over the years, I've always regretted doing so. Especially since, in this case, it unfortunately caused some hard feelings in someone I admire greatly. But as The Duke said, "Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

I still have one really nice Compact, the one in the first photo below. It's complete and all-original, another one of my friend's thrift shop finds.

Then about the other photos:

The second one is "Miss Electra," a drag queen from Santa Monica Boulevard who posed for the photo shoot when the model who had been hired didn't show up. True story. You can search for the details here.

Next is a Compact advertisement featuring TWA.

Then I found this photo on my Mac when looking for Compact stuff. It's a Compact I had a few years ago but gave away when I moved. I only now noticed that it's a flat-top Compact! I had no recollection whatsoever of it being different from the other Compacts I'd seen or owned, probably because I hardly ever used it. The photo was taken in the living room of our old apartment, but all recollections of it have disappeared into a bad sector in my internal hard drive. Now I wish I still had it. I really like the design and the way the hose sticks out at an angle. "Oh Well."

"Girl Using Compact" was a photo on eBay. Note that she's using a flat-top!

Then the most beautiful Compact I've ever seen. It belonged to my friend Rick Wilson (R.I.P.) of Palm Springs. This was one of many of his most prized machines that disappeared when vultures descended on his home after he died. Another sad end to the life of a collector who had made no formal arrangements for the disposition of his collection. The landscape of the vacuum cleaner collector's world is littered with many such sad cases.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO electrolux137's LINK


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Post# 302050 , Reply# 35   10/16/2014 at 14:39 (3,451 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Lovely pics! Love the stories too having grown up with the 59, still in the hall closet. I had the C 80 and for some reason didn't care for it, sold it in new condition a few years later, ops.

Post# 369848 , Reply# 36   4/2/2017 at 21:52 (2,552 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)        

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Was this last compact the c80-2?

Post# 369882 , Reply# 37   4/3/2017 at 09:43 (2,551 days old) by airwaylady (Milwaukee, WI)        
"The Compact Cleaning System"

Hello Compact Lovers! I also have numerous Compacts and love all of them!
Best machines, little army tanks! Remember them on "Queen for A Day" in the early 1960's and just found a brand new C-5 from Henderson,NE. It was stored in an attic from a previous owner of their house. It is BEAUTIFUL with the tag still on the machine. You can find it on completed auctions.
Han's machine is the one I found over ten years ago and Mike Rogers bought it from me to give to Hans for his Birthday. It is indeed a rare Compact!
As the ad stated: Compacts are not only beautiful to look at but a JOY to use!

Enjoy your Compacts!!

Tania


Post# 369943 , Reply# 38   4/4/2017 at 00:25 (2,551 days old) by compactc9guy (Bathurst NB)        
Compact fan right here

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Hi Tania i own a Compact C9 love it joy to use and joy to look at cant believe the suction that it has whit a new cloth bag and paper bags and filter too i have all the attachments for it rebuild the power head new motor brush roll and wires for it now shes complete just need to get a new exhaust cap as the bracket broke all in all love my C9 compact . Any time you want to talk compact let me know my grand mother had one my god father sold em too .As new as tomorrow The Compact cleaning system.

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