The Frankeneureka!

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Here's one of the machines I got in the recent "Free Vac Bonanza" from a friend who owns a vac shop.

It's a Eureka Rugulator-Vibra-Groomer upright. I'm not sure how old it is but it kinda looks like "1980s Funky" to me.

I neglected to take any "Before" photos pre-spa-treatment, and I could just kick myself for failing to do so. It was an awful mess, so much so that I nearly didn't take it home.

The bumper was scuffed all around it with what looked like black grease pencil. It took me almost an hour of scrubbing with a Magic Eraser and Pine-Sol to get it clean. The entire machine was dusty and dirty; the motor housing was so filthy that it looked like gray paint instead of chrome.

But a gleam of chrome from a corner of the hood caught my eye and I thought, "This might look really nice after some TLC." And I beleve it does!

Of course, the bag was full to bursting with the mummified remains of someone's housekeeping efforts. It was a terrible mess, so full that when I slid it off the plastic tube it split in half. Luckily the contents were so turgid and packed in the bag that very little of it spilled -- it just came out in a big hairy clump. So gross.

I'm pretty sure that's not the original bag but I kinda like it as it, too, has a sort of "1980s Funky" going on. I was originally going to get a dark-blue cloth Sanitaire bag for it since it would match the blue coloring in the trim but decided not to, thinking it would make the machine look too modern.

You'll note the "Custom Cordaway" that I also found. It was still attached to the handle of the machine it came from, so I grabbed the whole thing, not sure at first what I would do with it but thought it would be worth saving since it was intact. When I got the Vibra-Groomer home and got a good look at it I decided to play "Dr. Moreau" and graft the cord winder onto it.

The white handle was really scratched up, so I decided to spray-paint it silver to match the motor hood.

The holes at the bottom to hold the locking screw were in a different position from the original handle so I had to drill a new set of holes.

Figuring how to run the wiring from the cord winder to the motor to the switch took some head-scratching, but I did eventually get it straightened out. A bit of Sweeper Serendipity here -- This machine and the one that the cord winder came from both have two-speed motors, which I'd say is just sheer luck. That part of the wiring was a piece of cake since the low-high wires were the same color.

The cord winder works great. It has a very clever locking mechanism: A flat metal clip hangs just below the metal ring that holds the cord. When you pull out the cord and then let go, pressure is exerted against that clip, pulling it down and against the cord, holding it in place. To rewind the cord, you pull that clip up and the cord is released.

Of course, the Eureka has that lovely, throaty "Sanitaire" purr when it hits the rug.

I think my Frankeneureka is kinda purty, don't you?!

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 10 View Full Size


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Post# 293621 8/15/2014 at 03:11 (3,534 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes 1 ~ ~ Here's one of the machines I got in the recent "Free Vac Bonanza" from a friend who owns a vac shop. It's a Eureka Rugulator-Vibra-Groomer upright. I'm not sure how old it is but it kinda looks like "1980s Funky" to me. I neglected to take any "Before" photos pre-spa-treatment, and I could just kick myself for failing to do so. It was an awful mess, so much so that I nearly didn't take it home. The bumper was scuffed all around it with what looked like black grease pencil. It took me almost an hour of scrubbing with a Magic Eraser and Pine-Sol to get it clean. The entire machine was dusty and dirty; the motor housing was so filthy that it looked like gray paint instead of chrome. But a gleam of chrome from a corner of the hood caught my eye and I thought, "This might look really nice after some TLC." And I beleve it does! Of course, the bag was full to bursting with the mummified remains of someone's housekeeping efforts. It was a terrible mess, so full that when I slid it off the plastic tube it split in half. Luckily the contents were so turgid and packed in the bag that very little of it spilled -- it just came out in a big hairy clump. So gross. I'm pretty sure that's not the original bag but I kinda like it as it, too, has a sort of "1980s Funky" going on. I was originally going to get a dark-blue cloth Sanitaire bag for it since it would match the blue coloring in the trim but decided not to, thinking it would make the machine look too modern. You'll note the "Custom Cordaway" that I also found. It was still attached to the handle of the machine it came from, so I grabbed the whole thing, not sure at first what I would do with it but thought it would be worth saving since it was intact. When I got the Vibra-Groomer home and got a good look at it I decided to play "Dr. Moreau" and graft the cord winder onto it. The white handle was really scratched up, so I decided to spray-paint it silver to match the motor hood. The holes at the bottom to hold the locking screw were in a different position from the original handle so I had to drill a new set of holes. Figuring how to run the wiring from the cord winder to the motor to the switch took some head-scratching, but I did eventually get it straightened out. A bit of Sweeper Serendipity here -- This machine and the one that the cord winder came from both have two-speed motors, which I'd say is just sheer luck. That part of the wiring was a piece of cake since the low-high wires were the same color. The cord winder works great. It has a very clever locking mechanism: A flat metal clip hangs just below the metal ring that holds the cord. When you pull out the cord and then let go, pressure is exerted against that clip, pulling it down and against the cord, holding it in place. To rewind the cord, you pull that clip up and the cord is released. Of course, the Eureka has that lovely, throaty "Sanitaire" purr when it hits the rug. I think my Frankeneureka is kinda purty, don't you?! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 10 View Full Size

Post# 293627 , Reply# 1 8/15/2014 at 06:07 (3,534 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Wow! It really is a hybrid Frankeneureka!!! Cordaway is from very early Vanguard Upright (1970), main motor head is from about 1980 and bag is from a black Boss Dial-a-Nap from around 1990! All you need is a nice powder blue set of attachments with a standard Eureka pan hose converter and the monster would be complete! Well done!

Post# 293630 , Reply# 2 8/15/2014 at 07:16 (3,534 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes It looks great all cleaned up! Gary

Post# 293634 , Reply# 3 8/15/2014 at 07:47 (3,534 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas)
Checkrate/Likes That hood is stunning! Love the miss-matched look of it. Scott

Post# 293657 , Reply# 4 8/15/2014 at 10:03 (3,534 days old) by Constellation86 (Roy, UT)
Checkrate/Likes Wow the chrome is blinding on that hood! Nice job. Nicholas

Post# 293658 , Reply# 5 8/15/2014 at 10:22 (3,534 days old) by tazcatsdad (Buffalo, NY)
Checkrate/Likes *Well done, Charles!* That cleaner looks awesome! Bill W.

Post# 293705 , Reply# 6 8/15/2014 at 16:51 (3,533 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes 2 ~ ~ A fellow collector suggested that I should have painted the cord winder dark blue to better match the machine. I did think about that but ultimately decided to leave it as-is. With the mismatched cord winder and the mismatched bag, I kinda think of it as a mongrel dog that I found abandoned, dirty and unloved. I brought it home, cleaned it up, and gave it a home and some love. :)

Post# 293783 , Reply# 7 8/16/2014 at 00:28 (3,533 days old) by super-sweeper (KSSRC Refurbishment Center)
Checkrate/Likes That's beautiful, Charles! Well done!

Post# 293846 , Reply# 8 8/16/2014 at 13:00 (3,532 days old) by Gr8DaneDad ()
Checkrate/Likes 2 Charles, I couldn't agree more... best left as it was assembled, it is a unique marriage of machines and in the original colors it has a charm that would be lost if painted. Tom

Post# 295119 , Reply# 9 8/23/2014 at 11:26 (3,525 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)
Checkrate/Likes Very nice! I love it! I would have loved some before photos too. The rebuild process is what I love to see! It turned out beautifully!