Restoration Process
Whether its a restoration for a customer or a restoration for a machine to sell, this is the process most of our machines go through.
Disassembling
When a machine first arrives, the majority of parts are stripped off of it. This includes removable door panels, handles and coin mechanisms, and other pieces. The refrigeration unit is also removed. Once every piece has been taken off the machine each piece is power washed as well as the cabinet. At that point the dissassembling is done.
Painting
After the disassembling the machine is set to receive the majority of it's repainting. The refrigeration unit is repainted black and it's base is painted silver hammerite. The interior of the cabinet is painted silver hammerite as well, along with the parts from inside. The stack from inside the machine is taken apart and repainted as well.
The most important painted section, though, is the exterior. The exterior of each machine is painted with colors agreed upon by the customer and is applied by a professional paint shop. The paint is a high quality base-coat, clear-coat paint job. Furthermore, if there are any embossed letters on the machine, they are hand painted by a professional sign painter.
Rebuilding
In order to make each machine run properly the refrigeration unit is checked out and all questionable parts of the unit are replaced. Any parts which are missing from inside the cabinet are also replaced and damaged ones are repaired as needed. When all interior pieces are finished and repainted, they are reinstalled inside the machine with new screws, washers, nuts, bolts, etc. The stack in the machine (having been repainted and lubricated) is also put back inside the machine.
Finishing Touches
Once the machine has been repainted and rebuilt, the machine is tested for proper running conditions. If it does not cool properly, the controls are adjusted until it does cool correctly. Thereafter new decals are placed upon the machine which are correct for the year it was produced. The machine is then ready for shipping or delivery.
Original Finish Restorations
Some machines which still have nice finishes we will keep in the original paint. These machines receive an extensive cleaning and polishing of their exterior to ensure the original paint job looks as good as it can. These types of restorations can otherwise be quite different. We will specify all the details of these restorations when we list machines that are still original.