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Coca-Cola Coolers

Discussion in 'The Antiquated' started by 1953naegle, May 7, 2020.

  1. 1953naegle
    Joined: Nov 18, 2013
    Posts: 281

    1953naegle
    Member

    I've had this one in storage for years, but finally made shop floor space to put it on. We got it when we moved our family business into an old building and it was left behind. It's a 1930's Westinghouse "Master" wet cooler. I want to fully restore it so I can weld up some thru-rust in places, but I'm likely going to settle for patching it up and getting it running for now, then restoring it later.
    1588834870848464613595.jpg 1588834926188586807509.jpg 1588834950855-1617924192.jpg 158883497115352725936.jpg


    After I made the above video, I went ahead and plugged it in and it fired right up! It only ran for a minute before the power cord shorted and tripped the breaker (rotten wire), so new wire, but I was pleasantly supprised! The agitator motor didn't kick on, only the compressor and condesser fan, but that could also be due to the bad wiring. Once it's rewired, I'll let it run longer and see if it still gets cold. I was kicking myself for (re)starting another project, but feel much more optomistic now.

    Any other old cola chests owners on here? Any tips and tricks to get them restored and running? I did find a couple of sites that sell parts for them, but I'll also have to fabricate a couple of missing sheet metal bits.
     
  2. SAM3 Customs
    Joined: Oct 22, 2008
    Posts: 70

    SAM3 Customs
    Member
    from Michigan

    I have a similar Coca-Cola Master cooler that my father converted into a parts cleaning tank. It has a pump and solvent reservoir below.

    Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
     
  3. bowie
    Joined: Jul 27, 2011
    Posts: 3,098

    bowie
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Not a cooler, but this Vendo 39 nickel machine was at our family’s business since it was new. 4D8E6CA8-AC6E-4C47-87FD-302451294B8D.jpeg
     
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  4. partssaloon
    Joined: Jan 28, 2009
    Posts: 677

    partssaloon
    Member

    Had one just like it, customers loved it because it kept Coke's so cold that when you popped the cap the coke would freeze into a slush.
     

  5. krylon32
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 9,397

    krylon32
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Nebraska
    1. Central Nebraska H.A.M.B.

    Local restaurant has a Coke themed decor and they just had a similar cooler restored and made into a salad bar.
     
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  6. mr shiftys used cars
    Joined: May 2, 2012
    Posts: 55

    mr shiftys used cars
    Member
    from sedalia,mo

    I have one that was backed Into and tweaked pretty bad I cut it into pieces to try to straighten
     

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  7. Chevyhill1
    Joined: Dec 29, 2013
    Posts: 12

    Chevyhill1
    Member
    from Sweden

    Got this for myself as a birthday gift...
    Made in Italy, probably early 50s. That's unfortunately all I know, haven't found out much more than that. I'll appreciate any information about this cool piece. 20200331_210558.jpeg 20200328_160010.jpeg 20200328_155953.jpeg 20200328_160025.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G390F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  8. 1953naegle
    Joined: Nov 18, 2013
    Posts: 281

    1953naegle
    Member

    I've made a little progress on mine. I cleaned out the basin with CLR, replaced the drain, and sealed all the seams with clear caulking. I filled it up with water and it held pretty well, but there was a couple drips seeping through, so after it dries out, I'll give the seams another pass.

    I've replaced all the wire and now am trying to sort out some shorts in the motors. The wire leads were also cracked and shorting, so I took apart the agitator and fan motors to try to splice in new wire. It's tricky because there's so little room to work and some parts are pressed and formed together. I think I'm going to replace the fan motor with a new one (they're pretty cheap). The agitator I was able to fix and reassemble, but I want to run it for awhile before I fill the thing with water and electricute myself..

    The compressor is another story. It was running fine for awhile while I worked on other issues, but is now shorting and its the kind that dosn't come apart so I can't find where its shorting inside. I might end up cutting it out and soldering in a generic freezer compressor.

    Once the electric is 100% safe (I also plan to add a breaker to it as there's nothing right now so when it shorts, I have to flip a breaker outside), I'm going to get the freon-12 evacuated and recharge the system. I had it running for about 20 minutes, but the coils didn't cool at all and I heard a lot of bubbling in the tubes. The compressor has a little rattle to it too, so it might not even be circulating fluid as it should.

    Still a few unknowns to sort out, but I'm getting closer to giving myself diabeatus via mexican coke.
     
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  9. Saw this one in a small museum in Long Pine Nebraska. JW
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Big AL Neenyo
    Joined: Feb 27, 2020
    Posts: 39

    Big AL Neenyo
    Member

    That made me laugh ... cool.
     
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  11. '34 Ratrod
    Joined: May 1, 2019
    Posts: 268

    '34 Ratrod
    Member

    This is a 1949 model 27, I've had it for close to 40 years; it even runs.. 0619181937_Burst01.jpg
     
  12. I just finished my cooler . After the body work and paint I was reluctant to try hand painting the embossed lettering so I contacted Funtronics , (217-857-1759), who sells resto parts and vinyl lettering . So the lettering job was made simple with their kit . Still a bit tricky to transfer the lettering but overall I'm happy . My coke chest was gutted so I made a internal box out of polished aluminum diamond plate and used 1 1/2 inch high density foam for insulation . I also was missing the original lid , I had a left over aluminum hood from a 2 ton chevy box truck that had the perfect rounded lip ...it took a lil fabrication but it looks like it was made for it. It was a fun project and now it is functional.
     
  13. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,753

    Deuces

    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  14. I only have these two. I just put ice in the old box cooler when we having a garage party. 20200728_131046.jpeg

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  15. pigIRON63
    Joined: Nov 25, 2019
    Posts: 825

    pigIRON63
    Member

    I here that Coke is a very addictive substance, so I steer clear of it. 20191106_172941.jpg I do the Pepsi thing. This one is from my great-grandfather's gas station. It started life as a Coke machine but at some time it was taken over by Pepsi. Under the blue paint it's red, inside are Coke decals. It was my dad's responsibility as a boy to keep it stocked. I wish it was still his responsibility........
     
  16. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    If this gets deleted, I fully understand. I was given an old Coke cooler that the previous owners called the " white colored" Coke machine although it was painted red. It came from somewhere down south and someone had painted "white" on one side and " colored" on the other. Not a good reminder of past sins.

    Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  17. ZZ Top Chop
    Joined: Aug 12, 2018
    Posts: 533

    ZZ Top Chop
    Member

    I have this model, I'm getting ready to make a bathroom vanity out of it. I'll post some pics when its finished.
     
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  18. 1953naegle
    Joined: Nov 18, 2013
    Posts: 281

    1953naegle
    Member

    No, not a "good" thing, but you know what they say about history repeating itself, so thanks for posting!
     
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  19. Worlds greatest liquid! I’ll drink CocaCola if there is nothing else, but Pepsi is the best!


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  20. ZZ Top Chop
    Joined: Aug 12, 2018
    Posts: 533

    ZZ Top Chop
    Member

  21. Modelafish
    Joined: Mar 6, 2018
    Posts: 20

    Modelafish

    I bought this Model 44 around 1978 for $75 from a friend that was moving. It still runs and cools, but the motor started making a noise last year, so I unplugged it. My plan has been (and still is..) to utilize about a hundred of the later 6.5 oz bottles and put a high ABV home brew in it. Just another project on the "to do" list.
     

    Attached Files:

  22. greaser 35
    Joined: Feb 15, 2010
    Posts: 809

    greaser 35
    Member
    from FRANCE

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  23. eldiablooxidado
    Joined: Jan 11, 2019
    Posts: 59

    eldiablooxidado
    Member

    Picked this up a while back.... IMG_20200826_163917693.jpg
     
  24. 1937ford
    Joined: Jan 17, 2008
    Posts: 3

    1937ford
    Member

    I have a 1940 Master box that I have restored but do not have any of the cooling components working. Compressor is missing too many parts to recover its use however I do want to use the water agitator but need to rewire it before I try to run it (frayed insulation). I do not see an obvious way to disassemble the motor. Were you successful in rewiring yous? Suggestions for disassembly?
     
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  25. 1953naegle
    Joined: Nov 18, 2013
    Posts: 281

    1953naegle
    Member

    The tin cap on the top pushes off to reveal the end of the armature, retained with a nut. With that removed, you can carefully press the armature section out and get to the field and wiring connections (very little room to work with in there though).
     
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  26. 1953naegle
    Joined: Nov 18, 2013
    Posts: 281

    1953naegle
    Member

    Another update on mine. I was able to remove the compressor board assembly and the cooling lines/coils without cutting or major bending, so I'm going to take the assembly to a professional and see if they have any tricks to fix the original compressor. If not I'll let them do the hard part of soldering a new one to the assembly, purging, and recharging the system.

    There's a local appliance store that has lots of antique appliances in the showroom, so I assume they'ed be my best bet to fixing the system. I'm just hoping it's a low $100's job at worst and not a high $1000's job.
     
  27. Frisco Joe
    Joined: Feb 28, 2022
    Posts: 2

    Frisco Joe
    Member

    Just picked this up. It’s a Junior model. No refrigeration unit. 41F839F6-28C7-420E-A68B-06395C489A4F.jpeg
     

  28. I remember getting Coke from a machine like that but it had a stand under it when I was a little kid, probably 8 years old, that was in the 50's.

    [​IMG]

    The machine was at Jack Thrashers Barber shop, Jack had a board he put across the chair for kids to sit on while he cut their hair, funny I also remember he called every kid that sat in the chair "Pee Wee". HRP
     
  29. 1953naegle
    Joined: Nov 18, 2013
    Posts: 281

    1953naegle
    Member

    16848070292161904270426240688870.jpg
    So I bought another metal lathe recently, and this old coke sign had been welded on and painted over as a belt guard. I did my best to surgically cut it away and cleaned most of the grey paint off, but I can't find anything like it online. It has a maker's stamp on one corner of "C&H Fan Co. Atlanta GA" and it has the same graphic printed on both sides so it would be some kind of 2 sided cooler, just not sure which. Any ideas? I'm thinking it'll fit well with my cooler in the start of this thread, just curious about it.
     

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