Thread Number: 13860
a memory a vaccum kid NEVER forgets.....
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Post# 146774   8/12/2011 at 06:21 (4,612 days old) by 1926700 ()        

my grammy's 1978 Kirby Classic III.....this was the FIRST EVER Kirby i EVER saw in real life as a kid 20 something years ago.....due to her death this past month it finally traveled from her hall closet in Michigan and became part of my collection. it was said that she had bought this machine new and traded in her Hoover model 27 for it...and growing up there were two things vacuum wise that i did not get much of and those were Kirbys, and power headed canisters....i use to literally sit in her hall closet and marvel at this chrome and red beast, and i was about 7 when she told me that she had her local vacuum shop put a paper bag unit on her machine (a ugly pin stripped light brown and dark brown F&G unit), and i never saw the original cloth bag and Emp-tor again, and the original attachments were still in her basement never taken out of the carrier or used, as well as the hose or Shag King. so with out further a due, the glorious chrome and red beast....with a special memory attached of.... Grammy's Kirby.....=)

Post# 146777 , Reply# 1   8/12/2011 at 06:55 (4,612 days old) by KirbyLover (Louisville Kentucky )        

Once again I must say that is such a beautiful machine! So was the bag and emtor kept in her basement cause it looks like it's all put back to original now.

Looks great except for the belt lifter... May I suggest spending $10 and replacing it with a brand new one? (see link). Changing it is fairly easy just need a screwdriver and/or needle nose pliers, and remember which order the parts go back together.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO KirbyLover's LINK on eBay


Post# 146782 , Reply# 2   8/12/2011 at 07:27 (4,612 days old) by 1926700 ()        
thank you first off....

the bag and Emp-tor was a extra i had stashed away just in case....not to sound like a vulture but she was a cancer patient and nearly 83 years old....

and this may sound strange....but, i kind of want to leave the belt lifter the way it is, cause that's how i will always remember it....changing the bag was not so hard to do since the paper bag unit was not original anyway...but that belt lifter has been on that machine since it came into her home in 78....its just one of those thing that i could not do...


Post# 146784 , Reply# 3   8/12/2011 at 07:31 (4,612 days old) by 1926700 ()        
although .....

i just looked at that shiny new lifter and clear clean cap....and its tempting....so let me change that from "could not do" to "could not do right now"....as i always say never say never.....

Post# 146805 , Reply# 4   8/12/2011 at 10:29 (4,612 days old) by kenmore81 (Warwick, RI)        

kenmore81's profile picture

Sorry to hear about your Grandma, but she did leave you with a nice memory =)


Post# 146812 , Reply# 5   8/12/2011 at 11:36 (4,612 days old) by thunderhexed (Edmond, OK)        
Kirby's from grannies...

thunderhexed's profile picture
are the BEST way to get them in my opinion! :) The two dearest units in my collection are my moms mothers Kirby DS-80. She is still living and had it sent back to the factory for a rebuild for me. This was the first Kirby I ever have recollection of and I always got to use it when I would go for visits. They actually have old 8mm footage of me playing with it as a child. Granny has a framed picture hanging in her entry hall of me in my Easter best when i was about 4, posing next to the DS-80. Then there is my dads moms Heritage that she brought over to me one day before she died. It had a busted fan in it and said, if I needed a good "vac-cum" as she called it, then i could fix that one and use it. It's my daily driver and I could NEVER imagine parting with it..It's in beautiful shape for a 30 year old machine. She and grampa bought it brand new in 81. So sorry to hear of your granny's passing. You have a beautiful treasure to remember her and your youth by..

Post# 146813 , Reply# 6   8/12/2011 at 11:36 (4,612 days old) by goadie12 ()        

Sorry about Grammy but I must say that is one glorious machine is there any chance we may be able to see the hose and attachments I am dying to see them? Zach

Post# 146830 , Reply# 7   8/12/2011 at 12:46 (4,612 days old) by Craig_1982 (Newcastle Under Lyme (England))        

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Sorry to hear about your Grandma. I can totally relate to your story from when I was a child. My Grandparents had a Heritage and every Friday night I used to stay over then spend Saturday morning hoovering through the house for them and even the car if weather permitted, when I wasn't doing this I use to polish it, sit and marvel at this pristine Kirby. Sadly now I don't have that Kirby in working order any more but I have most parts to it either in scrap or on my current Kirby's, even though the scraps are no good I just cant part with them.


Post# 146834 , Reply# 8   8/12/2011 at 13:09 (4,612 days old) by vacman117 (Chicago, IL)        

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It's almost as if all grandma's are required to have a Kirby! ;) My grandparents had a Heritage 2 that I would have loved to of had, but they traded it in for their Generation 4 in 1994. My grandpa still regrets doing that, because he said the Heritage was the best vacuum they had ever owned. But I now have the G4 and I love it. It is the first Kirby I had ever seen and used. It is probably one of the first vacuums that I had ever used too. But congrats on getting your grandma's, but I am very sorry that she passed away.

Chase


Post# 146844 , Reply# 9   8/12/2011 at 13:47 (4,612 days old) by kirbyvacuum (Long Island New York)        
Kirby Classic

Hi Jason Very nice Kirby and even nicer story. That Classic ( Kirby Red as i call it). Along with the Kirby 505 are ones i really love also that Kirby 505 with the beautiful black and gold bag. My best friends dad sold the Kirby 505 thats what got me into Kirbys and at 65 still love themTake care Doug

Post# 146921 , Reply# 10   8/13/2011 at 00:05 (4,612 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
Jason,

gottahaveahoove's profile picture

Your grandmother will ALWAYS be with you,  that, you know.  How "fitting"  that you finallyhave that machine!   You SHOULD have it.  Enjoy it,  and,  only change things if/when you WANT to.   No one would EVER appreciate that cleaner more than you.Smile


Post# 147297 , Reply# 11   8/15/2011 at 22:18 (4,609 days old) by vac_whisperer ()        

I understand what it means to have a vacuum in your collection from someone very near and dear to your heart. I got to have my great-grandmother's G4 after she died. I never want to use it because for some STRANGE reason, I dont want to ruin it!

I didnt want to change it any one bit. The last time it had its bag changed, my great grandma changed it!


Post# 148234 , Reply# 12   8/21/2011 at 23:06 (4,603 days old) by adidas1124 ()        

What a great thing to remember her by! Your story reminds me of my childhood.

My grama just gave me her Classic III as well. She knew how much I love it and she didn't want it to get lost in any shuffle. She hasn't used it in a while, she's 93 and it just got to be too heavy for her.

I only had to wash the bag and put a new cord on it... It's replaced my Dyson DC07 as my main vac.




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