NOS RAINBOW parts takes one back to 1984, when one saw my first....

In the early summer of 1984, my dads then new lady-friend Pat, purchased a BRAND SPANKING NEWWWW!!!, Rainbow D3. Aside from being nearly 8 year's old, one remembers this transaction in GREAT detail. The only thing I couldn't remember clearly was WHEN this happened, nor what she paid. And weeeaall....

I just checked with the old ex step-mother prior to sharing this, and can you believe she had the paperwork still from that sale ( the machine long gone now). She bought it Saturday June 16th, 1984. I would turn 8 a month and a few days later that July. Her final total came to just over $800.00. In fact $818.89 after financing, trade ins, and probably a family discount. Who knows...

So...

Going back to that day, one can first remember it seemed LIKE days were passing instead of HOURS that Saturday morning of waiting for her "salesman" to arrive. The finishing of my breakfast, and an hour or two of playing outside... After noon, he and his wife showed up...AND the demonstration was FINALLY to begin!!! I was allowed to come in and watch the WHOLE demonstration, and the talking about the Rainbow, the ins and outs (watching the demonstration in the living room), why her OLD cleaners were just awful (I'll get to those), producing pan, after PAN of dirty filthy water, with dog hair floating in the muck, that was highlighted by a HUGE spotlight he kept shining down into the water pan to show us how AWFUL our environment was...... This whole time I was just aching, ACHING to try it out. But wasn't allowed near it THEN. She didn't own it yet. I was told NOT to touch it at ALL. Or I'd be sent upstairs to my room and that...would be that. Looking back.. I think: Thanks dad, ya asshole..LOL! You'd better believe tho, I was behaving like a golden altar boy that day. Didnt want to miss a minute of this!!! And, because I was behaving, and such LUCKILY I was allowed to sit on a stool at the bar in the kitchen, to watch into the dining-room, where all of this (now heres the fun part) action was taking place. The after demonstration haggling over the price, the trade ins values, and then the financing. She traded in a fairly old GE Swivel Top Brown/Cream and chrome (which I had never seen until that very day, and a late 70's blue Eureka upright (no I dont remember much of either, nor seeing them at all really except for the Eureka, no headlight, Dial-A-Nap, two tone blue, white bumper are my memories of it... I may have used it once..etc)

Anyway...

During this.. they kept going back and forth to the machine to talk about various things, what to add on etc. BLISS for me that day!!! He kept pressing the Aqua-Mate, and she kept telling him she didn't NEED OR want the Aqua-Mate, as she had a Sears Kenmore Spray-Mate down in the basement. BUT pretty much all else was purchased, including a 4 qt basin... That for her to use when she cleaned, cause her house was filthy and full of dog hair, and then the 2qt basin it came with; she used to store it on, because it would be dry. (To this day, that is how I use mine too. You CAN store a Rainbow on a dry basin after drying/cleaning the separator. I even switch it on for a minute or two to help ensure it's dry)... BUT then DRAMA!!! She said loudly, after I had went away for some reason : " I WILL TEAR UP THAT CONTRACT FASTER THAN YOU CAN BLINK and contact MY lawyer. MINE WILL BE NEW STEWART!!! I will not TAKE that demonstrator... Oh lord, the fight and drama there. I figured the whole deal would be called off. She was under the impression that she would have a NEW one. Not the one he brought as a demonstrator, although as he cried back...thats how it happens!!!! You get the machine we DEMO!!! but to no avail.. Her salesman BTW, was her then hapless, spineless, and kinda bad salesman son-in-law STEWART. Her youngest Daughter Tammy, was married to this sap...this poor boob having to deal with her... but more anon....LOL!! this was his summer job , while he wasn't teaching school!!! So after a few hours, and less loud fighting, and me stressed that I'd NEVER get to USE a Rainbow.... and her not budging one iota on the MINE WILL BE NEW rallying cry... he came back after a time with a brand spanking new one. And I waited SO Patiently as it was being carefully unboxed, and set up in the living-room. It was silent as it was happening, (probably because he had to drive 45 minutes both ways back to Battle Creek JUST to get one, and he was pretty pissed..but HEY he JUST made a sale!!). This moment was like, to me the unboxing of the Pharaoh. And finally there it sat glistening under the ceiling fan light in the living room. BRAND SPANKING FREAKIN NEW!!! But could I touch it??.. NAWWW SON, no bueno. I was crestfallen. That evening over dinner there was MUCH discussion over the Rainbow, several of their friends and family came by to see it. And everyone said... OMG is Chad having a fit about it?? (They all knew my vacuum obsession).. To which my dad said, he better not touch it ever, or hes gonna be SORRY. Pat looked over at me playing quietly..and she must have seen my look of disappointment...

Because...Sunday morning, after all had died down, and I had behaved, breakfast was again done etc; she said.. Why don't we fill up that pan with some water and give that new Rainbow a spin!!! I about died. Probably one of the nicest things she ever let me do EVER!!!....LOLOLOL!~~ I also was able to keep the owners manuals up in my room, in my nightstand. I read those things HUNDREDS of times when i was over for my weekend with my dad.... More memories... At any rate, I vacuumed ever single surface, and couch /chair etc she had. Two 4qt pans later, and well she finally said.... I think we've worked it out pretty well. Lets save some for later....LOL!!! So from then on, every two weeks, when I visited Dad and Pat... I used that Rainbow for her. She kept it until 1989, when she traded it for.....A Kirby Legend II. GASP. She never appreciated it as much as I. And I hated, and repeat HATED that Kirby for it too!!!

And until Sunday night, I forgot the feeling of 34 years ago. And heres why. I didn't get the new vacuum portion like she did. Of which I have a NICE example anyway...but I did receive this part of the "Rainbow Experience" as NOS. Thank you Kyle Kutlik. And, thanks for taking this jog down my memory lane!! Thanks for reading... and now!!!

Yeah laugh at that pic of me with the power-head....I won't mind!!!

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 7 View Full Size


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Post# 390257 4/10/2018 at 11:15 (2,197 days old) by dirtmaster37 (Ypsilanti, Michigan USA)
Checkrate/Likes In the early summer of 1984, my dads then new lady-friend Pat, purchased a BRAND SPANKING NEWWWW!!!, Rainbow D3. Aside from being nearly 8 year's old, one remembers this transaction in GREAT detail. The only thing I couldn't remember clearly was WHEN this happened, nor what she paid. And weeeaall.... I just checked with the old ex step-mother prior to sharing this, and can you believe she had the paperwork still from that sale ( the machine long gone now). She bought it Saturday June 16th, 1984. I would turn 8 a month and a few days later that July. Her final total came to just over $800.00. In fact $818.89 after financing, trade ins, and probably a family discount. Who knows... So... Going back to that day, one can first remember it seemed LIKE days were passing instead of HOURS that Saturday morning of waiting for her "salesman" to arrive. The finishing of my breakfast, and an hour or two of playing outside... After noon, he and his wife showed up...AND the demonstration was FINALLY to begin!!! I was allowed to come in and watch the WHOLE demonstration, and the talking about the Rainbow, the ins and outs (watching the demonstration in the living room), why her OLD cleaners were just awful (I'll get to those), producing pan, after PAN of dirty filthy water, with dog hair floating in the muck, that was highlighted by a HUGE spotlight he kept shining down into the water pan to show us how AWFUL our environment was...... This whole time I was just aching, ACHING to try it out. But wasn't allowed near it THEN. She didn't own it yet. I was told NOT to touch it at ALL. Or I'd be sent upstairs to my room and that...would be that. Looking back.. I think: Thanks dad, ya asshole..LOL! You'd better believe tho, I was behaving like a golden altar boy that day. Didnt want to miss a minute of this!!! And, because I was behaving, and such LUCKILY I was allowed to sit on a stool at the bar in the kitchen, to watch into the dining-room, where all of this (now heres the fun part) action was taking place. The after demonstration haggling over the price, the trade ins values, and then the financing. She traded in a fairly old GE Swivel Top Brown/Cream and chrome (which I had never seen until that very day, and a late 70's blue Eureka upright (no I dont remember much of either, nor seeing them at all really except for the Eureka, no headlight, Dial-A-Nap, two tone blue, white bumper are my memories of it... I may have used it once..etc) Anyway... During this.. they kept going back and forth to the machine to talk about various things, what to add on etc. BLISS for me that day!!! He kept pressing the Aqua-Mate, and she kept telling him she didn't NEED OR want the Aqua-Mate, as she had a Sears Kenmore Spray-Mate down in the basement. BUT pretty much all else was purchased, including a 4 qt basin... That for her to use when she cleaned, cause her house was filthy and full of dog hair, and then the 2qt basin it came with; she used to store it on, because it would be dry. (To this day, that is how I use mine too. You CAN store a Rainbow on a dry basin after drying/cleaning the separator. I even switch it on for a minute or two to help ensure it's dry)... BUT then DRAMA!!! She said loudly, after I had went away for some reason : " I WILL TEAR UP THAT CONTRACT FASTER THAN YOU CAN BLINK and contact MY lawyer. MINE WILL BE NEW STEWART!!! I will not TAKE that demonstrator... Oh lord, the fight and drama there. I figured the whole deal would be called off. She was under the impression that she would have a NEW one. Not the one he brought as a demonstrator, although as he cried back...thats how it happens!!!! You get the machine we DEMO!!! but to no avail.. Her salesman BTW, was her then hapless, spineless, and kinda bad salesman son-in-law STEWART. Her youngest Daughter Tammy, was married to this sap...this poor boob having to deal with her... but more anon....LOL!! this was his summer job , while he wasn't teaching school!!! So after a few hours, and less loud fighting, and me stressed that I'd NEVER get to USE a Rainbow.... and her not budging one iota on the MINE WILL BE NEW rallying cry... he came back after a time with a brand spanking new one. And I waited SO Patiently as it was being carefully unboxed, and set up in the living-room. It was silent as it was happening, (probably because he had to drive 45 minutes both ways back to Battle Creek JUST to get one, and he was pretty pissed..but HEY he JUST made a sale!!). This moment was like, to me the unboxing of the Pharaoh. And finally there it sat glistening under the ceiling fan light in the living room. BRAND SPANKING FREAKIN NEW!!! But could I touch it??.. NAWWW SON, no bueno. I was crestfallen. That evening over dinner there was MUCH discussion over the Rainbow, several of their friends and family came by to see it. And everyone said... OMG is Chad having a fit about it?? (They all knew my vacuum obsession).. To which my dad said, he better not touch it ever, or hes gonna be SORRY. Pat looked over at me playing quietly..and she must have seen my look of disappointment... Because...Sunday morning, after all had died down, and I had behaved, breakfast was again done etc; she said.. Why don't we fill up that pan with some water and give that new Rainbow a spin!!! I about died. Probably one of the nicest things she ever let me do EVER!!!....LOLOLOL!~~ I also was able to keep the owners manuals up in my room, in my nightstand. I read those things HUNDREDS of times when i was over for my weekend with my dad.... More memories... At any rate, I vacuumed ever single surface, and couch /chair etc she had. Two 4qt pans later, and well she finally said.... I think we've worked it out pretty well. Lets save some for later....LOL!!! So from then on, every two weeks, when I visited Dad and Pat... I used that Rainbow for her. She kept it until 1989, when she traded it for.....A Kirby Legend II. GASP. She never appreciated it as much as I. And I hated, and repeat HATED that Kirby for it too!!! And until Sunday night, I forgot the feeling of 34 years ago. And heres why. I didn't get the new vacuum portion like she did. Of which I have a NICE example anyway...but I did receive this part of the "Rainbow Experience" as NOS. Thank you Kyle Kutlik. And, thanks for taking this jog down my memory lane!! Thanks for reading... and now!!! Yeah laugh at that pic of me with the power-head....I won't mind!!! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 7 View Full Size

Post# 390325 , Reply# 1 4/11/2018 at 06:25 (2,197 days old) by kenkart ()
Checkrate/Likes 1 *I sold these NEW* I have taken many out of their boxes and put on a demo!

Post# 390331 , Reply# 2 4/11/2018 at 09:33 (2,196 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)
Checkrate/Likes 1 That's an awesome story!!! I can't believe after only 5 years she dumped it for something else. I would have been livid if I could not have been involved in the demo!!! My parents always let me sit front and center thank God. I remember when we bought the Filter Queen. They didn't tell me a vacuum was coming (I don't think they knew either) we were told it was an air purifier. I was like yawn boring but then the girl sat down the box and I was like hey wait that looks like it very well could be a vacuum box. Then the hose came out but still they called it an air purifier. Then the power nozzle came out and I could have done back flips. I was like OMG an air purifier that also vacuums!!!! My dad insisted we have it. In 1997 it was right at $2000 plus tax (no trade, I was NOT going to let mom trade our vacuums in) I still have the machine and paperwork. A few weeks before that we had a Kirby guy show up selling the G-5. I begged Mom to buy it. We got down to $1,000 and still no way. If it was Kirby or Rainbow my Mom always said and I quote. 2 vacuums I will never have are Kirby and Rainbow, Kirby because it's to damn heavy and Rainbow because I don't want to spend 30 minutes cleaning the son of a bitch up after (she vacuumed 3 times a day) then she would say and I'm not fond of Electrolux either because that's what grandma had grown up and it was a piece of shit..... I love the way my Mom words things. One thing about that Filter Queen demo I always though was odd... The lady took a hammer and hit the chrome top of the filter queen and said see it's indestructible and could even fall down a flight of stairs and our hose is so strong you could even stomp on it and it won't smash. She then stood on the WIRE reinforced hose. haha Mom should have insisted on a "new unit" to be delivered after it got beat with a hammer and then the hose getting stomped on.

Post# 390395 , Reply# 3 4/12/2018 at 10:07 (2,195 days old) by dirtmaster37 (Ypsilanti, Michigan USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *She dumped it for something else......* Hey Phillip, Well she was good at that. Dumping things AND on people. But I digress. Her reasoning to me, when I complained LOUDLY that the Rainbow was gone was : "I just got tired of messing with it". So the same reason many people get with them after the sparkly new wears off, and reality sets in. (I don't want to MESSSSSS with it) lazy people LOL!! Yet cleaning out a bagless, and the filters (wait, this thing has FILTERS!!!!!!!) is such a much more alluring chore. I should have known something was up when I came over on a weekend a few months later (maybe 2) , and in the hallway sat a BRAND new , basic Eureka upright. Now remember she had JUST traded in a older version of this vacuum a few moths PRIOR. This new one had the metal vented hood, no headlight, blue base and trim. Basic mid 80's EUREKA (she had a thing for Eureka's apparently). She said, "I got it for QUICK pickups". Later on, she just insisted to a degree, instead of using the Rainbow, to just use that. I'd say, "nah Ill use the good vacuum"... She didn't care, she just was a lazy B. I wasn't around for they WHY, or HOW's of how she ended up getting duped into this Kirby Heritage II, not the Legend I think...I keep thinking Legend II. One Sunday, I opened the closet to do my chores...and WHOOMP there it was. No Rainbow to speak of. All the vacuums in that huge deep under the upstairs-case closet were GONE!! Just a shiny little chrome and black bagpipe... Yet again, she traded all her vacuums for it ( she wasn't very bright). But I DO remember her ending up somehow getting the whole deal for less than $600.00 And I don't care to call her back and ask WHY LOLOL!! The vac in the pic is what she had. I guess only the mauve one was called the Legend II?? View Full Size