Good Morning, All, Here is my 1947 Coleman Speedmaster 500. Found back in 1988, at "that same old Swap Meet", it came with it's original box, all it's paperwork, and cost me all of $9! However, the generator was plugged up tight. The box had English printing on one side, and Spanish printing on the other side, and so I began calling this "my Mexican Coleman"! I believe that someone in it's past, burned horrible and cheap auto fuel in this stove, which plugged the generator. The spring inside that generator was rusted and the generator, itself, was bent in the middle, as if someone had banged away on it, to "unplug" it! Fast forward to recently, a very kind CCS member (Thanks, Joe!!) sent me a brand new generator for this Old Timer, and after having installed it, this 1947 fired right up, for the first time since I've owned it, and very probably for the first time in far longer than that!! It was a fairly windy evening out, and as you can see, the flame pattern is being blown to one side. But, it fired up very well, and worked like the Champ that it is!! Here are some shots for you to enjoy. Note the outstanding simmering flame that is possible with these old Model 500's. Hard to beat that, Folks! And, once the flame settled down, it burned blue and hot. Great stove, in all respects, that's for sure. Thanks for checking out my "Mexican Coleman"! 8) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Good morning /evening Doc well done indeed bringing a superb old classic back to life and what a fantastic simmer control it has on 60 year old stove. That happens so often Doc people will burn auto gas in a gas stove even modern unleaded in my opinion is not good for any stove my optimus80 i got of the bay had four star petrol in it by the smell of it (leaded gas)i could not get a single drop of fuel out of the jet it was so bunged up until i cleared it out completely it was quite difficult to clear unlike the standard kero stove by heat and quench.many thanks doc for shareing it with us and a superb fetlle as usual
Hello, Mr Optimus! Many thanks, Sir! In truth, had it not been for the kindness and generosity of our friend, Joe, my old '47 would still be a door stop, down in the Hobbit Hole!! Actually, both Flivver and Lance have offered to resurrect the old generator, and so again, with the help of our CCS Friends, that one, too, may make heat again, someday! Isn't CCS a fantastic place??!!!! If the world, at large, worked similarly, I do believe most of our problems would simply not exist!! Thanks, again, Brian, Merry Christmas, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Very true indeed Doc i have learnt a lot from all the kind members since i have been a member and i wish you and sweet bride a very happy christmas and prosperous new year and happy fettleing god bless
Nice..i always pre heat mine with meth,when i try by just pumping and let some fuel run into the burner it seems to flood and i get a major blaze ..this is a nice big stable stove and we hope to see more shots out on your deck when the snow falls again
Hi Dave: I can't imagine why one would one would wish to prime a 500. It is probably one of the faster starting older stoves around. About 15-20 seconds from light to cook. By releasing fuel to the burner you are absolutely flooding the manifold. Make sure the lever is turned to the right before lighting and fuel valve is well open, after 15-20 seconds flip lever to the left and start cooking. If you do not follow these instructions it will take up to ten minutes to clear the flooded manifold. The lever has to be in the correct position before opening fuel valve. Then light. Mike...
Mark: It was my great pleasure to help you out on your 500 Speedmaster. Hate to see a good old stove not being functional for lack of a simple generator that, while out there, tend to be little too pricey especially from a couple of parts dealers who, in my opinion, are a bit greedy but then, that's capitalism for you. I like to help out others who have a need and want to resurrect an appliance for their usage and/or collection, not those who just want to flip it over for a quick profit at my expense, when I can and if I have the parts to do so. After all, there were quite a few who helped me out when I had a need with my large collection in the past, mainly lanterns. Nice flame on your stove, by the way. The way it should be.
Hi All, Doc wonderful stove and the flame is fantastic, these are very nice stoves , from high to simmer they run great. The simmer is the best I've seen on about any stove - you did a great fettle on this one and i'm sure it'll get used regular as a domestic appliance- well great job ! And a shout out to Joe for his generousity in getting a proper gen. for your 500. Mike, I agree 100%, no need for "pre-heat" , that's what the "LIGHT" lever is for . It affords a heavy mix of air and a little fuel to get the stove started and then after 20 seconds or so , turn lever to "BURN" and this will cut off the air and only fuel will come out, but will be vaporised in the generator. Then it's off for a great burn like Doc's. That's why they call it the "Speed Master " I make it a habbit to turn the lighting lever to "Light" after each use, insuring it's in "light" position for the next round. Often this lighning lever gets forgotten as it's out of sight, but it's critical to proper stove operation . Again Well done Doc - that flame is so nice Tom
Morning, Guys, Thanks, very much, for the kind and supportive comments! And another, and very heart-felt, "Thanks, Mate", to Joe, for his generosity in sending the new generator for my "Mexican Coleman"!! MUCH appreciated, Joe, and if I can ever help you with parts, lanterns, stoves, or other such things, please do not hesitate to ask me. I will do my level best to help you in any way I can!! Yes, the Coleman 500 Speedmaster is a fantastic old stove, and out-performs many stoves from it's day, and most of today's offerings, as well!! It's too heavy for backpacking, but for basecamp cooking, I really think it's one of the very best stoves ever designed, period! Take care, Friends, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Great stove, Mark - I've fancied one of those 'spider-webs' for ages! But in the first image, is it meant to have the flame coming out of the valve block?
Hi, David, You saw it, just as it happened, Sherlock Holmes!! 8) When I first fired it up, I saw, right away, that the nut needed a bit more tightening, and so applied the wrench to it, which stopped that bit of flame leaking out the side of the valve block. Good eye, David!! I was afraid to crank it down too much, in the beginning, but as you so keenly noted, it was definitely in need of a bit more tightening. Well spotted, my Friend! Now, where's that "wish list" you owe me??!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Congratulations on the 500 resto and as you say, Joe - and flivver and lance as the back-up team - are to be congratulated for their support. I'm enjoying my Coleman 500's immensely, and the boxed example with the Spanish writing on it - 'La Cocineta' - shall forever (thanks to your coining the phrase) be my 'Mexican Coleman 500'. Bravo, Doc. John
