Anyone here familiar with coke machines?

[punkncat]

I will post a pic of it later if I can get in close enough...

My aunt has a barn in her back yard that my father used as a workshop for years. Her daughter and SIL went in and took out most of the items inside and sold them. Apparently they either couldn't or weren't interested in a coke machine that my dad had in there. I can only imagine they didn't find enough info, or simply know something about it that I don't...that girl wouldn't let a nickel escape, but anyway.

It's a front vend model that uses the 12 oz glass bottles, has the narrow glass door, fake wood grain front, big and nice looking Coca Cola signage on the sides. Just from what I can see it's intact and empty. Dad had a thing about hiding keys nearby things that needed it, so I imagine that (if) I pull the thing out the key will be hanging to the side of it or behind it somewhere. I wouldn't think it is still operational, but never really know. It was at one point but that's been at least 20+ years ago.

Where could I find some info and what type place would repair such a thing while keeping its possible value intact? I have no real idea if these were a desirable type.

[Seajay]

Looking forward to pictures! If it's like a real old model they can be worth a lot! Any kind of restoration business can probably help you.

Is it like this one?

https://www.instructables.com/Restoring-a-1960s-Coke-Machine/

[punkncat]

Here it is...

[Junglepeanut]

I have a couple of those but Pepsi machines. One that size and one larger. Believe they are worth in the 600-800 range working. Coke may be worth a bit more but guessing somewhere near there although that might be a generic style machine that you could put any brand label in in which case a little lower. Still full of old change? Maybe you can cash in with a few silver coins in there

EDIT I am no expert so may be way off but doing a little research guessing that machine (working) is in the 400-500 range

[autococker04]

I’ve got one in my basement from my wife’s, grandpa’s, old auto body shop still in working order. The mechanical coin counting mechanism is really cool and reasonably easy to work on if you’re mechanically inclined. The cooling part - ours still works but I have no idea how to fix it if it didn’t

[zenmic]

The lock for those things are tubular locks of that era, so no serious security pins in there. Like Autococker04 said, the mechanical coin mechanism is really cool to look at, as a kid I was totally fascinated at how the counter-balances worked and could not wrap my head around at all those levers and weights. Going back to my memory, you would have to modify the weights and balances to change the price, but do not ask me how. That being said, there should be a manual unlock lever (we are talking mechanical and not some electronic switch) that can engaged that unlocks the bottles so you can pull them. It is there to deal with jams an if a bottle shatters in the vending machine.

The cooler is essentially a refrigerator from that era. If the compressor and tubes are still intact, then the Freon should still be in there. If not, then that is another hassle.

When I was a kid, it was one of my jobs around our mini-mart to fill up all the drink machines. I had the fondest memories of doing the Coke machine. Little did my 8~12 year old brain, not realize that it was probably the most dangerous, as glass bottles in a container a lot bigger and taller than I was.

[punkncat]

The last time I saw this in working order was just under 30 years ago. Dad did something to it where a quarter plug was all you needed and it would send that to the coin return so you could reuse it. I think at one point he had it set up for a small amount of change to help pay for the cokes. Shouldn't be too hard to deal with.
I am going to try to bring it home next month if I can get in to it. I am really hoping the key is right beside it. Going to try it and go from there. I don't particularly use soda this way so may just end up passing it along if it's worthwhile.

[Tarsun2]

my brother picked one up back in high school. this was almost 25 years ago at this point. its still there and was pretty cool to keep stocked. he'd get knock-off soda and sell it for 25c or 50c (i cant remember). but i do remember his high school friends stopping at the house to pick up some soda late at night (they must have been farming or farmers since they would always talk about "cotton mouth") lol
the guy delivering oil would also buy one, the fedex guy delivering packages would buy one as well. pretty much everyone that stopped by.

but remember, its a refrigerator. so factor in cost of ownership if youre going to run it.
you might have a hard time selling it though since to use it at a store front (in NJ at least) you need a vending license.

its a novelty things and once that wears off, your stuck with a few hundred pound brick.

im sure my parents would gladly get rid of theirs if someone in northern nj was interested.

[scrounger]

one mans "brick" is another mans treasure
personally LOVE to have one of those in working order (wife says NO to anymore projects for me ).

too bad i dont live near NJ or id take you up on it in a nano second.

where i live in IL dont need a license unless plan on selling it for money / business.

scrounger

[oldschool]

I knew this really fun chick years ago, oh wait, you're not talking about that kind of coke machine.....

[punkncat]

So, resurrection of the thread.

I went to my aunt's house back in Nov last year and couldn't even access the machine. It was a complete wreck in there. She opted to hire a service to come out and clean out the barn and something like 6 truckloads later this should be the only remaining item in there along with an appliance dolly I asked them to keep next to it. The key was not located.

I was supposed to go pick this up today, but the weather has been thunderstorms all day. I am going to shoot for tomorrow at this point but also appears the weather will be the same.
My biggest issue at this point is where to put the thing. When she offered it, we had room in the garage which has since been taken. There is an ongoing project which will free that room up dependent on another family members action in getting some things moved so we can set up the wife's art room. My intention is to unload it here onto the dolly so that it can be moved and just see if it still works before going too far. If it does, I think we will utilize it as a novelty. If it doesn't, I will probably list it cheap and see if I can get a buyer for it.

I will see about getting some better pics after getting it home and cleaned up a bit.

I have seen coke machines outside, but am not familiar with this particular type being placed there...?

[Riot]

I usually just call it a “nose.”

[acrewofone]

I do not want ot admit my "criminal" youth past, but when I first started driving at 16 (1972), there was a machine like that outside a local fruit stand, that we always bought cokes from, while we were hanging out late at night (cruising). My older brother discovered that if you reached into the hole when you pulled out the bottle, and did not let the mechanism reset all the way back up, to let the next bottle fill the hole, you could continue to pull bottles out of the other slots, basically getting 8 cokes for 25 cents. The poor guy that refilled the machine probably wondered why they always lost money.

[flyweightnate]

The old "The Way Things Work" has diagrams that show the old change counters.

As good an excuse as any to buy the world's best coffee table book!

[punkncat]

I did pick the machine up today. It was only infested with a small amount of spiders (Black Widow to boot) and is overall in seemingly great mechanical shape. I have to get a new cord for it as the rodents chewed on the exterior cord, but appears that they left the inside alone. There were still drinks inside it, and true to my dad's nature the key was on a nail right beside it. There was also about $6 or so in change inside.

I put it on the driveway and hosed it down, washed it off a bit with a soapy rag. It will need much more to make it shine but am planning to temp. splice the electrical wire and see if she does anything before moving forward. Seems to take 10oz bottles but the "pull bin" seems sized that it might take some variance.

[punkncat]

For you folks that are in the know....

This machine was stocked with 10oz bottles that actually fit and rolled correctly. There was an 8oz bottle that did not.

I see there are only 8 or 12oz bottles being sold now. What do you stock this with, if anything?
I wouldn't even mind throwing something like plastic bottles in, beer, etc. if it would actually operate properly in the case that it is useable.