Hi all.I have just bought my first vintage coke machine a vendo 39.I was looking at finding a how to restore manual online but i can only find a old copy of the manual and it just tells you how to load drum.Does anyone know where i might be able to find a how to restore manual?Also i was wondering if i can get some opinions on restoring it or not?It is original,cools great,runs quiet,has lock. Here you’ll find free PDF downloads of service manuals for three 1950s Coca-Cola soda machines: Vendo 81, Vendo 44 and the Vendo 39. These are provided by Retro Planet. Please note that the first part of the manual shows photos of machines that were restored by Vintage Vending Inc. And may not totally match what your original machine may look.
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The first ice-cooled vending machine was made in 1910, and it held only 12 bottles. Soon to follow, the first electric machine was created by Glascock Brothers in 1930. With the invention of dry refrigeration in the 1950’s, the soda machine boomed. Coke machines have been around for decades, so the true value of old Coke machines varies depending on the machine’s condition and the model.
Condition
A Coke machine’s condition can be graded as mint, excellent, good or poor. To receive a grade of mint condition, the machine must look as new as it did when originally manufactured. In most cases it must also be unused and in its original, unopened packaging. An excellent grade machine may have tiny scratches or marks on the outer rim or edges. The machine can be used but it would require that its original although opened packaging still be available. Good Coke machines have a moderate amount of scratches or flaking and may even have dents or rust. A poor grade would be given to a machine that is badly rusted and worn, possibly dented and chipped.
Vendo 39
The Vendo 39 is a common model produced from 1949 to mid-1957. This machine held a total of 39 bottles. The earlier models held 6 ½-ounce bottles while the later models held 12-oz. bottles. The earliest version was completely red but toward the late '50s the color scheme changed to red and white.
Vendo 56
The Vendo 56 was made in 1957 and is highly sought after because of its smaller size. The machine held 56 bottles in almost any size available.
Vendo 81
The Vendo 81 was manufactured in the mid- to late-'50s and was available in three different models. The models included: A, which was red with a green medallion on the bottle door; B, which had a two-tone paint; and D, which had the embossed area enlarged, had a larger door and held 6 ½-oz. bottles as well as 12-oz. bottles. All three models held 81 bottles.
Price
The true value of a machine will vary depending on its condition and popularity. The Vendo 39 can have a value of around $5,000 to $6,000 fully restored. The Vendo 56 fully restored has a value of between $5,500 and $6,000. The most popular collectible though is the Vendo 81. It can cost between $6,000 and $6,500 fully restored.