Old Coleman lantern. Should I do a full restoration?

[Donnchadh_Sempill]

So, I snagged this old lantern at an estate sale. It's a Coleman 220F dated 1970. Got it home, and lit it up on the fuel in the fount/mantles that were already installed. (who knows how old it is) She sputtered a bit, but lit up fine! She held pressure the entire following night.

She's a bit of a better. While there's no dints in the metal, the paint is worn/chipped. The burner tubes are caked up on the outside and the frame is a bit Rusty (I think some vinegar and steel wool will fix all of the above).

I'm planning on tearing it down, cleaning it up and replacing the generator and gaskets. Here's my question: Should I stop there, or do a full restoration? This would be a first restoration project for me. I'm guessing that the full restore will cost me around $30 (including reproduction labels), while a functional tear down will cost about half as much. Your thoughts?

 

[Bebe]

definitely replace the gaskets... the generator might be good if it lit up, change it you want to.
Give it a good cleaning and will be good for another 50 years.

 

[Neil-O]

I have a few lanterns and have left them as original as possible (sometimes the fuel caps or pumps need to be replaced). I often see repainted ones at antique stores and I personally don't care for the look of them. My 2 cents.

 

[Donnchadh_Sempill]

Thanks! That's probably what I'll wind up doing. In fact, I might just grab up a bottle of fuel and some new mantles and see what happens for a night. Definitely a clean up, though.

 

[Laird]

I'm no expert, but save and recondition the old parts as you may find the new replacements that are available are not the quality of the originals. Like many things nowadays.

 

[Donnchadh_Sempill]

I'm gonna salvage as much as I can. I have found a site that sells NOS parts if I need them.

 

[dws]

If it were me, I'd fix the essentials and leave the character it's gained alone.

 

[David57]

The generator may not need to be replaced. They can be cleaned.
Oldcolemanlanterns has a good fettle area that explains how to do it.

 

[Donnchadh_Sempill]

I'll check that out! Thanks!

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

Cleaned up a bit I think that would look really good. I believe there's no need to do a full restoration; it would take away some of its character.

 

[Donnchadh_Sempill]

That's what I'm thinking. Give it a good cleaning and make sure it works for a night. Otherwise, leave it as-is.

 

[otto76]

Neat Coleman. Just looking at it takes me back to childhood camping with my family and friends, swatting at bugs that were drawn in by it.

 

[Deltaboy]

Clean it up and replace only what is needed and it will serve you another 50 years.

 

[bberg100]

Clean it up and use it. Still miles ahead of a new one's quality.

 

[Mr. Bonney]

I've got 3 lanterns and 2 stoves. I always keep a lantern full and ready to go during monsoon season.

Found a great on-line place for parts and advice:

OldColemanParts.com

 

[Donnchadh_Sempill]

Thanks! That's a very nice site...full of info.