Excellent work.

In 1981 I persuaded my parents to buy me, a 14 y.o., the then equivalent version new from Sears.  At that point they were beige and brown or beige and slightly lighter beige.  I actually found the original receipt a couple years ago. I should scan it. 

Although,  they had the same graphics, I think the wood grain was more of a burl oak or pine and the metalic stencil was polished brass or gold  in appearance. 

The power nozzle was the same as the later blue versions.  By that I mean the rubber bumper was wider and it had a reset button.  Though by 81 they got rid of the manual edge cleaning switch. 

Nice vac but not too nice 

discoloration.

Was this one smoked around?

Its got to be a chemical reaction because not all plastic parts (that are known to discolor on vacs) are discoloring.  Certain plastic parts on Electrolux metal body vacs have been know to discolor like this, also.

I would suspect it has to be exposure to UV and/or excess heat build-up because the inside which never gets light, is fine.

Def. share.

making use of electric Kenmore ends like that is not easy.  

I just picked up a blue kenmore canister but it's one of the smaller square ones.  A younger brother if you will, to your TOL.  It has all the parts though it's not a pn model.  The hose is a smaller diameter than the electric hoses and yes, wire reinforced.  The hose can't be more than 1 1/4".  Both ends the plastic is deteriorating badly.  

The plastic housing is also discolored.   The thing I don't like about these Kenmore models, other than the discoloration tendencies, is that they had so many easily broken edges.  Some of the green ones are pushing the 50 year old mark.  In all that time these vacs have got moved around, dropped, and just misplaced and the bottom hinge end is particularly susceptible.  Also the handle and the foot petal. 

pic of the pn another member found years ago, for your blue tol model. 

It should have a light on it.

I had that 2397182 back in 2002 when I was going thru a "collection phase".  I found it at a vacuum store in the back room.

It wasn't discolored but it didn't have any attachments or hose.  It was clean and super strong suction.  When you turned it on  the suction would deflect the flat top.   I'm sure yours does it too.

"too much clay in the recipe"? 

No, they were just CHEAP !  A single layer of plastic with fiber glass threads spaced about 1/2" apart and wrapped around the spiral wires of the hose.  That's all it was.  CHEAP. 

If you had strong fingernails you could easily poke a hole through the hose.

The newer hoses (20+ years old) are a thicker, rubbery material.  And self sealing.  No fingernails through that.

I love this series of Kenmore vacs but the hoses weren't the greatest.  Yet, I would take them anyday over a woven electrolux hose.  My second fav. canister vacuum.

If you got something like this, you could probably pop off the end and put the proper end in place.  Even though it's the wrong color, with your painting skills you'd probably have it to the exact shade of white in no time.

Or if you were going to use it with the beige one it would have be the new beige color they went with after having all white for 10+ years.