Vintage Drink Machine Repair and Restoration

Partial Restorations and Repairs

Partial Restoration & Repair Costs

Many of our customers only need repairs or a partial restoration.  We use these terms interchangably.  If you like the old patina or your machine is in good shape, or your budget it tighter, this is a great option.   After all, “they are only original once”.    A partial restoration can include anything from a new cooling system, repairs to the machine, set to free vend, and even recoating the inside of the machine. 

NOTE:  The one thing we do NOT offer on repair / partial restorations is full exterior painting or spot painting.  We only do these on a full restoration.  Among several reasons is that to do it right we need to disassemble most of the machine and sandblast it.  See: How to decide what to do with your machine

Here are some common items:

  • New Cooling System
    • Most requested repair.   We completely replace the cooling system with an all-new system (not a refurbished system), including installation and testing.  $1199-1399 installed  (Why we don’t fix old compressors.
  • Interior and Exterior Options
    • Clear-Coat the Exterior:  Clean the exterior and put a fresh coat of clear coat (see details) on the exterior to seal it.  $299
    • Interior:  Respray the inside tub and shelves or drum (see detail), or bottle stack with industrial coating –   $299
    • Interior: Restore or replace the door liner on the backside of the main door  –  $175 – $200 (not available on all machines)
    • Interior: Fix rusted-out tub bottoms in the drink area.  $100
    • NOTE:  Repainting the exterior or spot painting damage on the exterior is NOT offered on a partial restoration, only on a full restoration as it is not possible to match the paint color and blend the clear coat.  
  • Repair vending issues:
    • Replace the electric coin mechanism with a refurbished tested one, reset the vend price. $250
    • Fix other vending issues, quote on request.
  • Replace missing parts or shelves.  Quote on Request. 
  • Lights – Fix marquis lights, or replace them with LED light fixtures.  $95-150. 
  • Gaskets
    • Replace bottle door gaskets, breaker strips, and insulation 
    • Quote on Request based on your model.  Typically between $150-200.  
  • Set to Free Vend
    • Set the machine to free vend (no coins needed to vend)
    • For Mechanical Coin Mechanisms – Free Vend $45 
    • Unlock the bottle gates on a bottle door machine $50
  • Change to a Cooler
  • Bottom Line: Usually, these jobs run $1600 – $2000

Partial restorations cost less than a full restoration, and when you open the machine, it looks new inside again; best of all, it operates correctly!

Internal Restoration: Use the slider to see before and after.