I found a a Volta vacuum in good looking condition on the kerb with its accessories only to find some numbnut had cut nearly all the retractable cord away.
There was just enough of a stub left to test the machine out with another plug and it worked.
So I harvested another cord from an Electrolux with a stuffed motor I had decided to keep and after careful soldering and the use of strong shrink I got from Jaycar, it's now the household vacuum with Electrolux famous suction and is very manoeuvrable with made in Australia prominently printed on the machine.

Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!