Great thrift store find!

[doug hodder]

Steve E called me at the store today and mentioned that he had found a really nice old Coleman stove over at the local thrift store today. I beat feet over and found a really premium 425C with the original box, instructions and warranty card. 8$. I wiped it down with some white gas and here's what I got. Rainjer says it's about a 1963, paper work in it is dated 8/62. It has been cooked on, but not much, no dents or scratches! Thanks Steve! Doug

[madjack]

...whatta find ...congratulations............................

[rainjer]

That is a very good find. The 425C was made 1961 and 1963-1964. That is in much nicer shape than mine was in when I bought it. After a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint, this is what mine looks like.



You can see I painted it with the wrong color green. I mis-read the the list from the Coleman collector forums & did not know it until I pulled tha masking tape from over the instructions. The tank is really the correct color, it is just the sun play reaking havac in the picture.

Jeremy

[starleen2]

whata greaaat find - going to start looking at the thrift stores!

[rainjer]

whata greaaat find - going to start looking at the thrift stores!

You should not pay more than $10-15 for used stove. Before you buy it, pump it up & make sure it hold pressure. After that, crack the valve an make sure you hear a hiss. If it passes both of those tests, buy it. Even if it doesn't. You can still get it to work with some work.

This site has instruction on how to rebuild a old stove:
http://www.oldtownyucca.com/coleman/tech/re_stove.htm

Also take a look at the gas cap on Doug's. If it has that kind of cap, replace it before you fire up the stove. You can buy a replacement cap for $3-4 like the one on my stove. That also goes for the lanterns. The old cap have a hole in the side the gas & air will shoot out if you open the cap under pressure which could either get in your eyes or ignite it the stove/lantern are still hot.



Jeremy

[doug hodder]

Also....parts are pretty much readily available to restore an older stove. I'm a Luddite, just say no to propane!...I love the smell of a white gas stove in the morning when camping...."smells like victory!" apologies to Robert Duvall....Doug

[mandy]

That Awsome Doug.
I always dream of finding something like that.

Rainjer: I didn't know that you can repaint a coleman stove. Do you have to use special paint?

Have Fun
Mandy

[Kevin A]

Great find, Doug.
Love those thrift store finds.
I found this lantern at a flea market several months ago for $15.00. It's a 1936 AGM (American Gas Machine)

I'll have to bring it to the IRG and see if I can make it work.

[rainjer]

The stove you can just use regular Krylon spray paint. On lanterns you can only paint the tank, the top is enamel. You just need to find the correct color for what you are painting.

Jeremy

[rainjer]

Great find, Doug.
Love those thrift store finds.
I found this lantern at a flea market several months ago for $15.00. It's a 1936 AGM (American Gas Machine)

I'll have to bring it to the IRG and see if I can make it work.

Kevin, check this site:
http://www.oldtownyucca.com/coleman/tech.htm

It may help you figure it out. Also they have a great forum with a bunch of lantern collectors that are very helpful.

Jeremy

[doug hodder]

Kevin....you're killing me...just spent some time searching for one of those today! I gotta have all the appropriate gas appliances for this new trailer. That one is a honey! Oh by the way....about cookies....just a gentle reminder! Doug

[Airspeed]

Also....parts are pretty much readily available to restore an older stove. I'm a Luddite, just say no to propane!...I love the smell of a white gas stove in the morning when camping...."smells like victory!" apologies to Robert Duvall....Doug

The sound of a gas lantern always gives me a warm feeling! Every time I hear one I am taken back to my childhood, camping with my family at BigBear lake, my grand parents had a very small cabin up there. It had no electricity and we would set up a canvas tent outside ( I still remember the smell or the canvas!) I couldn't wait for it to get dark so we could sit around the campfire and light up the Coleman lantern. Those were some of the best times of my life!
Even at more than $4 a gallon it's still cheaper to run a lantern and stove on unleaded gas than it is to use propane, people always ask me why I dont get rid of my gas lanterns and get a "modern" propane lantern. I dont understand why they dont get a gas powered lantern! Propane is for city slickers who camp once every two years.

[Nitetimes]

How about one like this????

[doug hodder]

I'm with you Airspeed! I think that a lot of people that use the gas powered lanterns and stoves might just have memories associated with them. I've got the "family" Coleman stove bought in the 50's and still use it. It's still a cooker. Reminds me of camping as a kid in an old ratty canvas tent and the 57 Ford station wagon we had. I'll hang on to it forever. Doug

[Airspeed]

How about one like this????

I have the exact same lantern! I found it in an old abandoned shack up in the mountains near my home. It is in perfect condition and even had the wick in it! I use it to burn citronella oil on my deck to keep the mosquitoes away.