SPOTLIGHT
Beyond the Bank Terry Baker
From Vaults to Vintage: A Banker’s Passion for Restoring Coke Machines
Most people know Terry Baker, Executive Vice President, Peach State Bank & Trust, Gainesville, through banking, where he is the Senior Lending Officer with a team of ten commercial lenders. What some don’t know is a different side through his nostalgic hobby of restoring vintage Coke machines and other antique pieces. Terry was kind enough to share about his cool hobby.
How did you get started restoring vintage Coke machines, antique pieces, gasoline pumps, clocks, etc.?
I have mainly been collecting and restoring Coke machines from the 1940’s and 1950’s as well as collecting soda signs from the same time period. I purchased my first machine when my kids were little to put in our basement. My kids thought it was really cool to drink the Cokes from a glass bottle just as I did when I was their age. I can remember riding with my Dad to the hardware store when I was a kid. They had a pull bottle Coke machine in the store, and I always got a Coke while he made his purchases. One machine purchase led to the 2nd and now I have six soda vending machines, two ice cooler Coke boxes and about 10 picnic soda coolers. I have also added a number of metal soda signs from the 40’s and 50’s to decorate the basement of my house. It is a cool hangout place the kids and hopefully my grandkids once they are a little older.
1 8 | w w w.c b ao fga.co m | Fa l l 2 02 4
How long does it take you to do a typical restoration?
A typical restoration starts with the right purchase. I usually look for a machine from the early 1960’s or older that is complete and has the original factory paint. Parts for these machines are readily available but are quite expensive. I will take the machine completely apart, sand the metal interior parts and repaint them, replace rubber gaskets, rewire the cooling system, add new insulation, reassemble and polish the exterior paint. My favorite machines are the ones that have a few bumps and bruises on them and show the true age of the machine. I do have others that are completely repainted on the exterior and interiors are fully restored. This entire process will take me about two months to complete depending on the extent of the restoration. It is a fun process of trial and error and self teaching to get all the way through the process.