Thread Number: 3703
Sunbeam Challenger AKA Ugly Betty
[Down to Last]

Vacuumland's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate vacuumland.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 41598   5/27/2008 at 01:36 (5,784 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        

Earning her keep...



Post# 41599 , Reply# 1   5/27/2008 at 02:06 (5,784 days old) by charles~richard ()        




CLICK HERE TO GO TO charles~richard's LINK


Post# 41602 , Reply# 2   5/27/2008 at 03:24 (5,784 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
LOL

Sh'es like a great big green grasshopper...

Just didn't have the heart to squash her yet

Put her in the garage
but no one would take it...

LOL

so guess I;m stuck with it for the meantime...

Gee, Thanks, Charles
...

Looksy
there she goes
scampering away...

LOL


CLICK HERE TO GO TO camelotshadow's LINK


Post# 41604 , Reply# 3   5/27/2008 at 03:46 (5,784 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)        

kirbyvertibles's profile picture
Well I think it is a beautiful machine. I like those funky 60's-70's green colores. I like the greens a heck of a lot better than harvest gold or woodgrain, or even worse copper.
just like that convertible 707 every one tells me that is the most ugly vacuum ever made. Well I love mine mostly because of the color. What color was the challenger with the power head?


Post# 41605 , Reply# 4   5/27/2008 at 07:38 (5,783 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        
It's interesting

arh1953's profile picture
It's not completely charmless, but it does look ungainly with that high handle, the color could contain less yellow though.

Post# 41622 , Reply# 5   5/27/2008 at 11:40 (5,783 days old) by charles~richard ()        

heh heh heh, I *love* the "scampering away" shot! Very cute!!!



Post# 41627 , Reply# 6   5/27/2008 at 12:36 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
She might be looking for a new home...cough....

LOL

Has 2.3 peak HP
Sounds like they were in comp w the royal metal vac

Huge rear wheels
Huge handle
guess it looks better w tools on board as the tools seem to blend in w the handle & it doesn't look big anymore

Its sort of a go cart model

LOL

Green metal vac
Now I use it as a shop vac for no other reason as its here
& don't want to leave my good ones in vacant apts..

Don't think you can get bags for it too easily
but the lux C is working



Post# 41628 , Reply# 7   5/27/2008 at 12:39 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Don't know much about this machine

googled it & theres nada

Don't think it had a power nozzle
least there is no plug for it on the machine or on the hose

Suction is decent
its not as good as a lux but wouldn't expect it to be
Might even be better suction with a proper bag as the top leaves alot of room for air to escape

maybe with a proper bag it would really SUCK

LOL


Post# 41629 , Reply# 8   5/27/2008 at 12:47 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Hey look in Waco TX ...bags but too $$$$

Pic of vac

"only fits the sunbeam"

bit $ with shipping almost $4 a bag

I just got 36 filter queen cones for $16 shipped


CLICK HERE TO GO TO camelotshadow's LINK on eBay


Post# 41630 , Reply# 9   5/27/2008 at 13:00 (5,783 days old) by ge1969 (Jefferson, GA)        

Hey Guys! I have almost the same machine, the same green, except with large flowers down the body. Que the big screeem again Charles!! BTW, they did make a Challenger with a power nozzle, which I also have, that's beige and woodgrain. Later, Trg

Post# 41631 , Reply# 10   5/27/2008 at 13:07 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Ohhh the shame

Thus grasshopper has no flowers...

LOL


Post# 41632 , Reply# 11   5/27/2008 at 13:30 (5,783 days old) by vintageroyal611 ()        

Christine, If you are going to get rid of it I would be glad to buy or trade for it because I really want one of those challengers.

Post# 41635 , Reply# 12   5/27/2008 at 13:51 (5,783 days old) by danemodsandy ()        
Restoration:

Christine:

I'm willing to bet that Ugly Betty would actually look quite charming after some restoration. What I do with plastic stuff like that is to disassemble it as far as possible, then wash each part in dishwashing liquid and warmish water. Then I reassemble. Windex and Q-Tips work well for detailled areas like exhaust vent louvres. It looks like there's a problem with the nameplate coming loose from the body. The correct product for reattaching it is called "thin adhesive", which you can get from a trophy shop- it's what they use to put nameplates on trophies. It's a double-sided tape that's not thick, but which holds much better than what you can buy on a roll in the store. It really grabs, and adds no thickness under the nameplate. A trophy shop will sell you a foot or so of it, cheap. You'll probably want to clean old adhesive off the back of the nameplate and the place where it goes. I use WD-40 for this, followed up with some Krud Kutter. The WD-40 softens the old adhesive, and the Krud Kutter removes the WD-40's oil residue, leaving everything clean and ready for the thin adhesive to grab.

I think you've got a real charmer there, and something rare!


Post# 41639 , Reply# 13   5/27/2008 at 14:43 (5,783 days old) by eluxca ()        
Christine

Somewhere deep in the catacombs of my basement are a couple packages of original bags for the Challenger. I do not plan on having one of these machines, so email me if interested.

About the power nozzle, I have seen a Challenger with it, seems like it was a Douglas, but that has been several years ago in a Louisville thrift shop. Check out some 70's OG Wilson, John Plain or Bennett Blue Books for pictures...

John


Post# 41655 , Reply# 14   5/27/2008 at 21:31 (5,783 days old) by charles~richard ()        
Could this be Ugly Betty's Long-Lost Brother??



CLICK HERE TO GO TO charles~richard's LINK on eBay


Post# 41663 , Reply# 15   5/27/2008 at 23:37 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Wow, Betty will be so thrilled....

Just got in from a day of doing windows
Ugly Betty stood by watching
LOL

She will be thrilled when I tell her she's the Cat's Grasshopper...
LOL

She only has one orig tool the dust brush & its real bristle.

Actually sounds like a decent motor
not a lux motor
but looks to me to be similar to the filter queen
Powers down like a filter queen

900 watts 2.3 peak HP


The hose cleaned up
after a good hour or so of scrubbing

Yep looks like the Challenger name p[late on front is taped on
I could get that I am also need to get rubber cement &
adhesive etc for the kirbys to do misc repairs restoration

I have been thinking about taking it apart & cleaning the motor inside area as I feel the machine has its best shot at working its best.

Cut out a bigger piece of cardboard to attach to the c bag so as to close the opening

Odd angles all over that dumb thing.

Well I am now glad that no one decided to rescue it from besides the trash

I guess with no hose they were turned off
I was hoping I could do soemthing w the hose
then when it clesned up so nice
I went down hoping Ugly Betty would still be there

Oooh there she was
alone in the corner...

I'd be open to trade or something
I'd like for her to have her bags too
& clean it up first so I can say
I worked on a Challenger
LOL

Yep that hose sure was a challenge
Sort of reminds me of the Kirby 60's hoses
I do have one that is very tacky
Tried cleaning that with no luck
but this one came out nice...

Ugly Betty filled up a whole lux bag this weekend
She ate dirt from the fat lady.
& she ate & ate as this woman did not pick up a hand to do anything but eat...

LOL

OK I opened ugly betty up
cleanes out motor n cord winder compartment

I was right about motor
its a Lamb Ametek division similar to filter queen
brushes look good
had to remove a bad foam exhaust filter
just cut out something for mean while
its just exhaust

powered her back on & she sounds like a new lady & she sucks even better
Shes kind of grows on you

but she's still ugly

LOL


CLICK HERE TO GO TO camelotshadow's LINK on eBay


Post# 41665 , Reply# 16   5/27/2008 at 23:39 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Eehhhh Gawd Charles

Yeah found one even uglier...

Hey, wonder what it would look like if they mated...

LOL

Shreeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

LOL



Post# 41667 , Reply# 17   5/27/2008 at 23:43 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Gosh that is a one eyed Frankenvac

Looks like Dr Jekyll & Mr PowVac

LOL


Post# 41714 , Reply# 18   5/28/2008 at 02:34 (5,783 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
She's so happy! She says HI!

Thanks to all the Ugly Betty fans....

Post# 41727 , Reply# 19   5/28/2008 at 08:23 (5,782 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
I must say, Christine, the more pictures I see of your Ugly Betty the more she grows on ya. Yup, as we clean up the grimy parts like hoses and tool and interior corners & crevices these old utilitarian cast-a-ways proudly step forward to join the Glamor Vac Club Lineup. And I bet they can give the glamor gals a run for their cleaning money - at least ya don't have to dress up to use 'em.

In that spirit I have named this woefully bilious Kenmore Elphaba. See? She has her own matching broomstick! (I'm halfway through the book Wicked which has so much more backstory detail than the musical). Quiet, powerful suckage and a great powernozzle - there'll be no mistaking these vile green bricks for anything else but a good honest vacuuming machine.

Say Christine, in the back of the Challenger, do those two holes beside the toggle switch go all the way to the bottom. maybe for upright wand storage? It looks like an egg crate construction to allow exhaust to flow through and around whatever gets stuck in there...oh wait, now I see the exhaust hose port.

So th achieve her true imposing visual statement Ugly Betty needs two chrome wands rising from her stern and she'll be a SuperTanker of the High Pile. She's too sleek & stealthy without them...:-)


Post# 41730 , Reply# 20   5/28/2008 at 11:24 (5,782 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
LOL

Yep, the 2 holes go all the way down

Have 2 chrome wands from the disposed of sears that she now has some tools from

Gawd with those 2 metal antennae she is going to be ready for the vacuum ball./.

:LOL

Hey your green machine does look to be period Ugly Betty..

I figure she has a lamb ametek motor so she can't be all that bad & she had a solid steel shell.

Exhaust port is under the switch area
thats the cord winder

There is some metal bar that comes out the sides & is over or behind the motor
sorry didn't take pics of the quickie exploratory cleanup last night.
wonder what the heck its purpose is

She appears to be constructed like a sandwich in the metal tank part with the connection being on the sides

Odd as its sort of a hexaganal shape tank

quite a pain to try to cut filters for it

I need some wide filter material & I;ll cut out a better one for the exhaust/ over the cord winder area.

Air blows thru cord winder

Will have to get a glamoir shot of her all decked out...

LOL


Post# 41732 , Reply# 21   5/28/2008 at 12:13 (5,782 days old) by charles~richard ()        

Somewhere in the zillion photos I have strewn about on my computer, I have photos of Marty Rocha's "Ugly Betty" that I took on one of my jaunts to Palm Springs. If I can find the photos, I'll post them.



Post# 41755 , Reply# 22   5/28/2008 at 17:28 (5,782 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
OOOh Goody

LOL

Is it green too?

Will have to dress Betty up for her photoshoot

LOL

So how do you date these things
brush holders on motor were yellow

guess about 70 to 75?
thing the one w the flowers must have been late 60's?


Post# 41773 , Reply# 23   5/28/2008 at 20:52 (5,782 days old) by charles~richard ()        

Sunbeam Challenger bags:


CLICK HERE TO GO TO charles~richard's LINK


Post# 41775 , Reply# 24   5/28/2008 at 21:07 (5,782 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
yikes she's $ to maintain

Well here she is on a mission to the moon
Here seen crossing the lunar landscape sucking up rock samples...

LOL

The floor wand is a rotating radar
The wands navigation devices
OOOh look at the green headlight

LOL


Post# 41780 , Reply# 25   5/28/2008 at 22:46 (5,782 days old) by luxg ()        

Christine, she looks so much better all fixed up!!

Post# 41782 , Reply# 26   5/28/2008 at 23:15 (5,782 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
She does grow on ya

LOL

Having fun with her

Good machine
may not be able to keep her
then again she can stay in the storage room
& be my building shop cannister vac

Just the bags at over $2 a pop
I don't like to spend more than 50/ 75 cents for a bag...



Post# 41788 , Reply# 27   5/29/2008 at 05:47 (5,781 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        

arh1953's profile picture
She does look good all done up! It's nice the Kenmore attatchments and hose all work on it.

Post# 41794 , Reply# 28   5/29/2008 at 08:54 (5,781 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)        

collector2's profile picture
LOL - what it should look like from my archive of pictures (and I havnt ever seen one with a power head - can you post a pic Toby?) This was the standard model (although challenger was their top of the line at the time)

Post# 41795 , Reply# 29   5/29/2008 at 08:58 (5,781 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)        

collector2's profile picture
The delux (top of the line) model. Note the inclusion of a floor brush.

Post# 41796 , Reply# 30   5/29/2008 at 09:07 (5,781 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        
the results are in

arh1953's profile picture
I like it, I like it!!

Post# 41797 , Reply# 31   5/29/2008 at 11:13 (5,781 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Hey thanks for the great p[ics

One looks like mine...says it uses lux bags?
lux bags work but not sure how that cuts down on suction as the bag is much smaller
the flower oone is different in the handle area

Hose on mine is cream has green ends so think is original

wands & attachements well most of them are off a sears
floor attach is marked sears in round logo
they also curiously have a round button like the sunbeam hose wand so they do work well & dress her up

see the flower deluxe has hubcaps too



Post# 41809 , Reply# 32   5/29/2008 at 13:39 (5,781 days old) by luxg ()        

I can remember for sure that they did have a power nozzle for the Sunbeam, would have been in the mid 70's I think.. Always thought about getting it as I thought it was such a neat machine. But of course didn't let myself because no one has more than one or two vacuums..LOL

Post# 41811 , Reply# 33   5/29/2008 at 13:43 (5,781 days old) by charles~richard ()        
Marty's Sunbeam

Okay, here are some pix of Marty's Sunbeam. Isn't the green shag rug just TOO PERFECT for this photo shoot! Sad to say, his family has since replaced the green shag with new flooring.












Post# 41812 , Reply# 34   5/29/2008 at 13:48 (5,781 days old) by hoover_elite_20 ()        
Oh God...

That Pow-r-vac thingy on ebay makes me wanna throw up....PLURK....!

Post# 41869 , Reply# 35   5/29/2008 at 20:21 (5,781 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
OOOh Please Don't Eat the Daisies

LOL

Thanks for the pics Charles

That vac is making me sneeze
LOL

Hey like the red sunbeam bag

I found a eureka today

5.5 A High Perfromance
vibra beat groomer
looks like a hoover

Model 1945 B
model # starts 3767

its navy n white had eureka fng bag

nice condition working on it

sounds good
no belt

pics to follow when I find its date
think its before 80..

Sounds nice like a hoover...

:0


Post# 41890 , Reply# 36   5/29/2008 at 22:21 (5,781 days old) by luxg ()        

Does anyone know who might have made these vacuums for Sunbeam? IMHO they do show quality!! Just look at those attachments. The bag looks like a really good quality as well. I also remember the Sunbeam Floor polishers, I believe they had both single and double brush models.

Post# 41901 , Reply# 37   5/29/2008 at 23:15 (5,781 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        

Was wondering the same thing
has a lamb ametek division motor in it similar to filter queen


Post# 41904 , Reply# 38   5/29/2008 at 23:19 (5,781 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        

Saw a sunbeam electric shoe polisher today
came in a wooden case
also green polisher
was about $6
but I resisted
had attachements buffers to polish shoes
must of been about 70's too


Post# 41966 , Reply# 39   5/30/2008 at 12:51 (5,780 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)        

collector2's profile picture
Hey everyone - Rex Sent me the pics of the Sunbeam with PN and asked me to post them so here they are:

Post# 41967 , Reply# 40   5/30/2008 at 12:52 (5,780 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)        

collector2's profile picture
the PN

Post# 41970 , Reply# 41   5/30/2008 at 13:14 (5,780 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Ooooh not green..LOL

thanks for the pics

interesting
more pleasant color scheme

hose looks like a filter queen unles its not orig

thats a challenger II
guess that was a lil later?

Do see some have dials on front
mine does not

also it has the locking pin of the sears
so the attaches go pretty well with mine

bet it would suck really great if bag had all 4 walls against the sides of the inside



Post# 42027 , Reply# 42   5/30/2008 at 23:39 (5,780 days old) by luxg ()        

Thank you so much for the pictures with the power nozzle. STill wonder who made their machines??

Post# 42029 , Reply# 43   5/31/2008 at 00:32 (5,780 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Only the Shadow

Doesn't Know...

LOL

Mean Green Machine's
War on dirt...
It's on patrol
Shhhhh


Post# 42031 , Reply# 44   5/31/2008 at 00:40 (5,780 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Dirt Patrol

Watch out... Ugly Betty sees & hears all

LOL


:)


Post# 42035 , Reply# 45   5/31/2008 at 05:26 (5,779 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        

arh1953's profile picture
Rex's Sunbeam has more woodgrain on it than a Country Squire! I can't say it's a bad look though.

Post# 372499 , Reply# 46   5/21/2017 at 04:17 (2,503 days old) by camelotshadow (Valley Village)        
Memories

Wow, loving this thread. Guess Charles Vac Palooza was in 2008.
Seems like it was ages ago but actually not that long ago although so much has changed since then.

Had fun with Ugly Betty...

Bags were a problem. Can't even remember what became of her but I think she eventually met her end & was in parts. Green brush went to Dave in CAN in exchange for a brown filter queen.

Just checking in before my months of chemo & radiation....

Foot got broke by a hit & run last Nov & surgery in March so I have not been able to push a vac for months...
Enjoying taking some of them for a spin...


Post# 372523 , Reply# 47   5/21/2017 at 15:03 (2,502 days old) by chan55 (Green Bay, WI)        
Sunbeam

For years I worked at a store that sold only Sunbeam vacs. Had them until they dropped the line, then went to Eureka and then Hoover.
We sold a lot of Sunbeams, mainly canisters and stick vacs. They were well made and easy to use. The Challenger replaced the suitcase style Courier.
The uprights were made by Singer,worked well, but poor attachments.


Post# 372567 , Reply# 48   5/22/2017 at 10:38 (2,501 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)        

kirbyvertibles's profile picture
Christine,
I'm so sorry to hear about having to do treatments. Glad you are getting to have a little vacuum therapy after so long going without. Many thoughts and prayers to you.



Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

Woops, Time to Check the Bag!!!
Either you need to change your vacuum bag or you forgot to LOG-IN?

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy