Vintage Nautilus?

[jimbuick]

Hey guys, been looking at different pieces of equipment to add to my home gym (and collect for a full gym I hope to open in the future) and have been looking into some of the older nautilus machines.

I've seen some members here who have some of the older nautilus machines in their gyms (irongym for example) and am just looking for some guidance on which ones are worth looking at/for and which are not.

Thanks for any help.

P.S. if anyone wants to let go of a nebula leg press for a fair price, I know a guy who will take it lol.

[ironwill2008]

The old. original, first-generation Nautilus Pullover machine has yet to be equaled to this day in it's effectiveness. IMO it is the one machine in existence that even works better than any free-weight equivalent exercise.


Good luck trying to find one these days though; they've long since pretty much all been scooped up off the market. And there's a reason for that.

[horsediente]

The local gym I go to in my parents' hometown had three old nautilus machines (two of which the gym owner gave when I purchased some other machines from him). I described the two I received in some detail in another thread, but here goes. The lat pullover is fantastic, good range of motion and the chain actually feels great. I have yet to use a pullover machine that is as slick as the vintage nautilus, it even has a seatbelt to strap yourself in, haha. The double chest machine is huge and I dislike it. It was built for college/NFL linemen who are tall and have long arms. The fly portion of the machine is at an akward angle, while the pressing portion of the machine has a range of motiin that is way too short. I have been trying to give this machine away for months now much in much the same way those Jehovah's Witnesses are always pawning off copies of watchtowers. I say "Hey, have you ever heard of a man named Arthur Jones? Some say he was visionary, even prophetic, I would like to share a small portion of his message with you by giving you a vintage Nautilus Double Chest, and your only commitmebt is that you never bring it back." Something to that effect. I may end up pulling the stack out and adding part of it to my pullover, as both machines take the same plates, and then turn that double chest machine into a roll cage for my demolition derby car. The other machine the gym had was the combination seated leg extension, lying hamstring curl. It was the biggest machine I have ever seen. It had an open sprocket with a chain right between your legs, and it was hard not to imagine my manhood getting sucked in and ground up every time I used it. OSHA and/or my wife would not approve. Vintage Nautilus is like anything, hit or miss and largely subjective to what you want.

TLDR: double chest machine: awful
Leg extension/leg curl: awful (if you want to keep your machos), awesome (if you want to have a sweet warstory about getting castrated by a gym machine)
Lat pullover: magical!!

[jimbuick]

This looks a bit different from what was linked above, is it a good one though?

I assume it's a pullover machine.

[ironwill2008]

This looks a bit different from what was linked above, is it a good one though?

I assume it's a pullover machine.

That one appears to be a different model; I don't have any first-hand knowledge about it.

[Hardgains88]

Jim, 1st, good to see you back here posting, i missed you the past few months!
So i just went through this same process. I have past on so much old nautilus over the years thinking it was either ancient ineffective equipment or require too much work to be wirth it. I kick myself because as little as 12-18 minths ago i had a guy literally begging me to take it from him for $100 a machine, he had 6.
Anyways fast foward to our resident authoroty on the best of the best recent foray into the world of refurbing Nautilus, and i started to rethink my posotion. Then there is the member here with three buildings worth of just nautilus, i atarted rereading arthor jones articles and looking for a few pieces to play with,
I am a novice having only bought and refurb / converted two, compound bicep and tricep, but i am in the look out and will add more.
They truely are still some of the most effective pieces of equipment ever built. The cams are tuned much more effectively then most other newer equipment and you feel it when you use them.
The original chains and sprockets, along with the bushings on anything but the last generation from thearthor jones days, need to be replaced. Healthnut does the cost no object version that requires boring out for full ball bearings and precision chains and sprockets. I have no doubt that his process results in the closest to 100% of the machines potential. I went with the process i see more frequently used that has a higher cost to benifit ratio and requires no machining or permanent modification.: to summerize:
1) standard prep of older equipment, disassemble & clean and degrease machine and stacks, replace any hardware needed, reassemble squarely
2) replace 3" sprickets woth either 3 or 3.5" pulleys. My machines fit 3.5" everywhere but the weight stack pulley holder wich i just fabricated a easy replacement. I got a great deal on 3.5" pulleys, think they were $8 shipped and they are good quality.
3) remove bushings on movement arms and replace with koyo needle roller bearings. This will leave a gap where the arms mount because the besrings dont have foanges. You can load up on brass washers or something similar but i had sheets of UHMW lying around in various thicknesses so made uhmw spacers to fill the gap.
4) choose a method to attach cable to cam, then your on your way!
I aiready posted pics in another thread, ill find it and link later. If you want pucs or any other details just let me know. The difference was astounding and it was cheap and eady. I did one machine just doing the usual clean up work but keot the chsin and sorockets ect to see how it felt to start, the second macine i converted straight away to compare. Its night and day. If your already going to do a full tear down to clean and maintain, a must usually on a 40 year old puece unless yor paying big bucks, the conversion Adds almost no extra tie, maybe an evening sinceits got to be disassembled anyway. My cost for the parts to convert each piece was about $130 a machine including some new hardware.

I like tge machines that they made that no linger have similar commonly available pieces made from other companies. The machines i would like, just of the top of my head:
Gen 1 -3 or spider pullover (i have a newer nitro one and would gladly have two)
Rowing Torso
Behind the neck
70 degree shoulder
Duo squat
Duo hip and back
bicep with your arms out above your head

There are lots of other pieces that arent as unique want
Leg extention
Leg press
Double shoulder
Double chest
The various flys

[jimbuick]

Jim, 1st, good to see you back here posting, i missed you the past few months!
So i just went through this same process. I have past on so much old nautilus over the years thinking it was either ancient ineffective equipment or require too much work to be wirth it. I kick myself because as little as 12-18 minths ago i had a guy literally begging me to take it from him for $100 a machine, he had 6.
Anyways fast foward to our resident authoroty on the best of the best recent foray into the world of refurbing Nautilus, and i started to rethink my posotion. Then there is the member here with three buildings worth of just nautilus, i atarted rereading arthor jones articles and looking for a few pieces to play with,
I am a novice having only bought and refurb / converted two, compound bicep and tricep, but i am in the look out and will add more.
They truely are still some of the most effective pieces of equipment ever built. The cams are tuned much more effectively then most other newer equipment and you feel it when you use them.
The original chains and sprockets, along with the bushings on anything but the last generation from thearthor jones days, need to be replaced. Healthnut does the cost no object version that requires boring out for full ball bearings and precision chains and sprockets. I have no doubt that his process results in the closest to 100% of the machines potential. I went with the process i see more frequently used that has a higher cost to benifit ratio and requires no machining or permanent modification.: to summerize:
1) standard prep of older equipment, disassemble & clean and degrease machine and stacks, replace any hardware needed, reassemble squarely
2) replace 3" sprickets woth either 3 or 3.5" pulleys. My machines fit 3.5" everywhere but the weight stack pulley holder wich i just fabricated a easy replacement. I got a great deal on 3.5" pulleys, think they were $8 shipped and they are good quality.
3) remove bushings on movement arms and replace with koyo needle roller bearings. This will leave a gap where the arms mount because the besrings dont have foanges. You can load up on brass washers or something similar but i had sheets of UHMW lying around in various thicknesses so made uhmw spacers to fill the gap.
4) choose a method to attach cable to cam, then your on your way!
I aiready posted pics in another thread, ill find it and link later. If you want pucs or any other details just let me know. The difference was astounding and it was cheap and eady. I did one machine just doing the usual clean up work but keot the chsin and sorockets ect to see how it felt to start, the second macine i converted straight away to compare. Its night and day. If your already going to do a full tear down to clean and maintain, a must usually on a 40 year old puece unless yor paying big bucks, the conversion Adds almost no extra tie, maybe an evening sinceits got to be disassembled anyway. My cost for the parts to convert each piece was about $130 a machine including some new hardware.

I like tge machines that they made that no linger have similar commonly available pieces made from other companies. The machines i would like, just of the top of my head:
Gen 1 -3 or spider pullover (i have a newer nitro one and would gladly have two)
Rowing Torso
Behind the neck
70 degree shoulder
Duo squat
Duo hip and back
bicep with your arms out above your head

There are lots of other pieces that arent as unique want
Leg extention
Leg press
Double shoulder
Double chest
The various flys

Wow, thanks for the writeup!

I'm surprised to see that you replaced the chain system. I thought most people would just clean up the machines and ensure functionality and leave them as is. It really makes a huge difference in the way the movements feel?

[g0ld3nuncw]

Wow, thanks for the writeup!

I'm surprised to see that you replaced the chain system. I thought most people would just clean up the machines and ensure functionality and leave them as is. It really makes a huge difference in the way the movements feel?

I have 40 Old Nautilus machines in 3 separate buildings (1-Chest, Arms, Core 2-Back, Shoulders 3-Legs). Most of them have been refurbished and converted to cable. Leaving with original chain, along with bushings in movement arms and sprockets, results in too much friction in my opinion. Converting makes the machines even better than original new condition.

Using in combination with free weights I get great workouts. Yes some machines are better than others, but almost all can be effective. I think many people use too much weight or use the machines too fast to get the full effect. The above mentioned leg double machine is not a leg extension/leg curl combo but a leg extension / leg press. It is one of my favorites, it fries your legs if done right in only 1-2 sets.

I am planning to make a video this summer of my gym, prob put on YouTube, I'll share here also.

[irongrandpa]

horsediente, i had an old Nautilus double shoulder machine. It was great for using as a lateral raise but sucked as a shoulder press.I tried to sell it for a long time with no takers, so I used the stack to complete a different Bodymasters machine which I sold. I took all of the remaining frame and parts to the scrap yard and got $83 for it. Even with out the weight stack it still weighed over 600 lbs.

[keyboardworkout]

You guys see this ad in the Chicago area for a vintage Nautilus circuit.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/spo/6137236998.html

Vintage Nautilus Circuit - $5000 (Galesburg)

I have a good condition, 11 piece Nautilus Circuit from a closed racquetball club with the following machines:

ABDUCTOR/ADDUCTOR
ABDOMINAL
BICEP
DOUBLE CHEST
LATERAL SHOULDER
LEG CURL
LEG EXTENSION
LOW BACK
MULTI PURPOSE MACHINE
TRICEP
SUPER PULLOVER

These are arguably the finest strength training machines ever built, and use a chain driven variable cam system which cannot be found on modern day equipment.

Please call to arrange a time for inspection and demonstration, as this is a very rare find. Shipping quotes can be provided.

This equipment would make for a superior personal training gym, corporate facility, or top of the line home gym.

Individual pieces are not for sale. The price is for the entire circuit.

[jimbuick]

You guys see this ad in the Chicago area for a vintage Nautilus circuit.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/spo/6137236998.html

Yeah, that is where I took the picture of the pullover I posted.

Averages out to ~$450 per machine and you get a few that are not so good and would likely be hard to unload. Not sure it is a particularly good deal, based upon other comments I've seen from people who hunt this stuff down.

[Hardgains88]

Wow, thanks for the writeup!

I'm surprised to see that you replaced the chain system. I thought most people would just clean up the machines and ensure functionality and leave them as is. It really makes a huge difference in the way the movements feel?

As g0ld said, the difference is very dramatic. Theres two seperate areas that conversion reduces friction. First is the drive components. From what i understand, reinforced by healthnutmd, in theory chains can be very low friction. The issue is this requires very expensive components, high grade chain and precision sprockets with bearings. I would guess on a machine like the conpound bicep with 7 sprockets and 10-12' of chain, this would be $500. Plus in parts (i am guessing so may be off quite a bit) because pulleys are usually fiber reinforced composites with built in bearings and very common standardized parts, sufficiant quality ones go for about $8-$12, the cable itself $10. And you have components that will reduce the drive friction over stock bushing sprockets and chain by 90% i guess for $80. And its as close to drop in as your going to get.
The second area of friction is the movement arms wich are two piece usually, the aluminum pulley and the arm itself with a counterweight that are then bolted together with a brass bushing in each of the two halves. The bushings are smooth when in free motion but under the resistance of the stack weight create friction. Most of these bushings are 1" OD 3/4" ID (theres also a 1.25" OD one in some of the heavier stack pieces i believe) koyo makes an exact drop in needle roller bearing assembly for about $1o ea (2 per movement arm) that while not as high load as a larger ball bearing would be, seem to be very adaquit for medium duty home or studio equipment use, so again, very easy and cheap. All in your around $120. Plus an evenings work for a huge improvement in oerfirmance and reduction in maintanance. For me it just came down to how easy amd cheap it is to convert a machine, not to mention it could always be put back to stock inthe same few hours, so theres not much reason to not do it Jim. The machine i tried first just by cleaning and lubricating wirked fine and was easly competitive with newer designed equipment in my gym because the design and cams are very effective overall, but it felt notchy, and i got a fealing on the last rep or two that if it was smoother i might have been able to force another rep out. Once the conversion is done they are as smooth as any new piece of equipment i have

I have 40 Old Nautilus machines in 3 separate buildings (1-Chest, Arms, Core 2-Back, Shoulders 3-Legs). Most of them have been refurbished and converted to cable. Leaving with original chain, along with bushings in movement arms and sprockets, results in too much friction in my opinion. Converting makes the machines even better than original new condition.

Using in combination with free weights I get great workouts. Yes some machines are better than others, but almost all can be effective. I think many people use too much weight or use the machines too fast to get the full effect. The above mentioned leg double machine is not a leg extension/leg curl combo but a leg extension / leg press. It is one of my favorites, it fries your legs if done right in only 1-2 sets.

I am planning to make a video this summer of my gym, prob put on YouTube, I'll share here also.

You were one of if not the largest influence on my interest in Nautilus. At first i thought your collection was more about the vibtage collector aoeal of the equipment, wich i am sure dies play a role, but i began to realize after reading and seeing your gym and comments that the intrinsic effectiveness played a very big role as well. You are one if the best known collectors online and i saw countless references to you and your gym. Thank you for taking the time to display and write about the Equipment. Over time the story and ideas behing these great pieces will be lost if it is not oreserved and told. Its a very important service in our small circle of gym equipment nuts!

[g0ld3nuncw]

As g0ld said, the difference is very dramatic. Theres two seperate areas that conversion reduces friction. First is the drive components. From what i understand, reinforced by healthnutmd, in theory chains can be very low friction. The issue is this requires very expensive components, high grade chain and precision sprockets with bearings. I would guess on a machine like the conpound bicep with 7 sprockets and 10-12' of chain, this would be $500. Plus in parts (i am guessing so may be off quite a bit) because pulleys are usually fiber reinforced composites with built in bearings and very common standardized parts, sufficiant quality ones go for about $8-$12, the cable itself $10. And you have components that will reduce the drive friction over stock bushing sprockets and chain by 90% i guess for $80. And its as close to drop in as your going to get.
The second area of friction is the movement arms wich are two piece usually, the aluminum pulley and the arm itself with a counterweight that are then bolted together with a brass bushing in each of the two halves. The bushings are smooth when in free motion but under the resistance of the stack weight create friction. Most of these bushings are 1" OD 3/4" ID (theres also a 1.25" OD one in some of the heavier stack pieces i believe) koyo makes an exact drop in needle roller bearing assembly for about $1o ea (2 per movement arm) that while not as high load as a larger ball bearing would be, seem to be very adaquit for medium duty home or studio equipment use, so again, very easy and cheap. All in your around $120. Plus an evenings work for a huge improvement in oerfirmance and reduction in maintanance. For me it just came down to how easy amd cheap it is to convert a machine, not to mention it could always be put back to stock inthe same few hours, so theres not much reason to not do it Jim. The machine i tried first just by cleaning and lubricating wirked fine and was easly competitive with newer designed equipment in my gym because the design and cams are very effective overall, but it felt notchy, and i got a fealing on the last rep or two that if it was smoother i might have been able to force another rep out. Once the conversion is done they are as smooth as any new piece of equipment i have


You were one of if not the largest influence on my interest in Nautilus. At first i thought your collection was more about the vibtage collector aoeal of the equipment, wich i am sure dies play a role, but i began to realize after reading and seeing your gym and comments that the intrinsic effectiveness played a very big role as well. You are one if the best known collectors online and i saw countless references to you and your gym. Thank you for taking the time to display and write about the Equipment. Over time the story and ideas behing these great pieces will be lost if it is not oreserved and told. Its a very important service in our small circle of gym equipment nuts!

Thank you sir, much appreciated. Well written description of the conversion also.
Yes, there is a collector appeal to the gym I have I lifted in a Nautilus gym when I was younger and it's a favorite part of my youth. But the machines when refurbished I honestly feel offer as much as any attainable gym equipment. I've worked out in in gyms while out of town and honestly I prefer my equipment to what I use while there. People who give the old Gen 1 and Gen 2 equipment a bad rap have never had the opportunity to use a converted machine, I bet most would change their opinion.

[keyboardworkout]

[AttyGuy]

Arthur Jones's autobiography is worth reading. He was slaying it back in the day. . . .

[matrix563]

ive tried nautilus pullovers and ive had a chance to get a few at 50 and 100 bucks. all were too wide though.

i paid a bit more for my polaris one but it feels just like a nautilus and its cable driven.

its also adjustable for different shoulder widths so that makes it worth even more to me. never seen another pullover like that.

[slik]

Hard gainer can u please post a link to your conversion thread? I'm going to try it. Thanks!

[urbanlifter]

About three fiddy.

[daniel327]

I have a 1st Generation Nautilus Pull over machine.

I am looking to get it appraised. Does anybody know the market value?

$3.50

[ampire]

When did Nautilus go bad? When Arthur Jones sold the company in the 80s, when the company was bought by Bowflex in the 90s, or when it stopped selling commercial gym products in 2011? I have used some nautilus branded free weight benches, racks etc 90s and 2000s commercial nautilus and it isn't bad, its a lot like hammer strength, cybex, life fitness etc.

Here is a catalog i found while googling, the catalog shows the Nautilus Leverage products that likely became Gary Jones's Hammer Strength designs.
http://www.ifr.net/IFR/Leverage_Pictures.html

[EricAtl]

When did Nautilus go bad? When Arthur Jones sold the company in the 80s, when the company was bought by Bowflex in the 90s, or when it stopped selling commercial gym products in 2011? I have used some nautilus branded free weight benches, racks etc 90s and 2000s commercial nautilus and it isn't bad, its a lot like hammer strength, cybex, life fitness etc.

Here is a catalog i found while googling, the catalog shows the Nautilus Leverage products that likely became Gary Jones's Hammer Strength designs.
http://www.ifr.net/IFR/Leverage_Pictures.html

Thanks for posting the catalog link, very cool.

[McBrody]

When did Nautilus go bad? When Arthur Jones sold the company in the 80s, when the company was bought by Bowflex in the 90s, or when it stopped selling commercial gym products in 2011? I have used some nautilus branded free weight benches, racks etc 90s and 2000s commercial nautilus and it isn't bad, its a lot like hammer strength, cybex, life fitness etc.

Here is a catalog i found while googling, the catalog shows the Nautilus Leverage products that likely became Gary Jones's Hammer Strength designs.
http://www.ifr.net/IFR/Leverage_Pictures.html

Yes, those machines look like Hammer Strength. Those pictures remind me of why the 80's were totally awesome!

[ampire]

Yes, those machines look like Hammer Strength. Those pictures remind me of why the 80's were totally awesome!

Why are modern machines levers rather than cams? Is it because the levers, cheaper, simpler, and sturdier, or is it because of patents? Clearly there is demand for a modern machine that has the same feel as a nautilus pullover machine.

[ffrink]

Why are modern machines levers rather than cams? Is it because the levers, cheaper, simpler, and sturdier, or is it because of patents? Clearly there is demand for a modern machine that has the same feel as a nautilus pullover machine.

I don't know about 'demand for a modern machine' but I miss using the Nautilus pullovers I had over the years. They really could 'blast and bomb' the lats. And, believe me, my lats could use it. For now, though, pullups will have to do.....

[McBrody]

Why are modern machines levers rather than cams? Is it because the levers, cheaper, simpler, and sturdier, or is it because of patents? Clearly there is demand for a modern machine that has the same feel as a nautilus pullover machine.

I haven't used them since I stopped going to the gym but Prime/Strive make some of the best machines available today and they use adjustable cams. www.primefitnessusa.com/evolution/

Actually their hybrid line has a pullover machine with an adjustable cam. www.primefitnessusa.com/hybrid/

[ampire]

Here is a Nautilus Pullover for sale near me
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/spo...588012060.html
Seller has this bi/tri machine too
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/spo...585364636.html

[KBKB]

This looks a bit different from what was linked above, is it a good one though?

I assume it's a pullover machine.

I see that I'm late getting to this thread, so I don't know if it matters anymore, but...

Yes, that's a (super) pullover machine. It looks similar to the one I used to use back in the late 80s and early 90s. The lever for the feet allowed the user to lift the weight and move the arm pads into a position for you to insert your arms. This was necessary because the machine was capable of a greater ROM than what most lifters possessed. (If you relaxed a bit, it provided a pretty good stretch.)

The Nautilus super pullover machine was one of my favorites back in the day.

[ffrink]

Here is a Nautilus Pullover for sale near me
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/spo...588012060.html
Seller has this bi/tri machine too
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/spo...585364636.html

I have done a few reps on that machine. It's a good one.

[AttyGuy]

Here is a Nautilus Pullover for sale near me
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/spo...588012060.html
Seller has this bi/tri machine too
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/spo...585364636.html

Looks like MUTASSIN.

[dparty82]

I have done a few reps on that machine. It's a good one.

I have the bicep/tricep plate loaded machine. Bicep side works pretty good although the tricep side I have to use standing up. Its like the seat was made for someone with a 6 foot torso or something so sitting down is no bueno. Or, maybe I'm just using it wrong.

I also owned the older lever chrome tricep dip station (one in the link above). Thing was huge at 7 feet wide and wouldn't fit in my current basement so I had to sell it. Worked awesome but also had to use it standing up since the adjustable seat just didn't feel right. Put you at an awkward position and put a lot of strain on the shoulders just to start. I'm assuming these machines were designed for tall people.

Bought both the machines for $100 and sold the dip station for $200.