Hello, I'm thinking about installing a vintage fridge like this one, are there any Frigidaire experts out there that may be able to help with some tips? I have a line on a 63' version but I need to know things like dimensions, parts availability and retrofit options(if it breaks).
The main problem I have is one of dimensions, and next is that left hand hinges or side by side door operation is a necessity.
The dimension problem is a killer because I only have 66" height clearance without destroying vintage cabinets. The problem presents itself because my grandfather had probably one the earliest version of a built in refrigerator installed, it was a gorgeous 1965 brushed chrome Tappan side by side, 36" wide by 65" tall. It was the jewel of the kitchen.
Well he passed away in 1982 and rather then sell, my mother rented to friends, first thing to crap out from the added abuse was the refrigerator, I was too young to be kept in the loop, and she let the new refrigerator installer just walk away with the beautiful Tappan (something she now knows was a terrible mistake). She was living overseas at the time and needed a fast and cheap solution. She ended up selecting a 30" Gibson Golden edition and it was one of the first non-Ohio built appliances installed in the house. My grandpa was a mechanical engineer and through his service contracts dealt with nearly every company that need materials testing in the midwest and Pennsylvania,so he knew what was what. He specifically specced Ohio built appliances for everything down to the clocks and doorbells.
The Gibson was a great fridge as well but It's at the end of life (83' model) 31"w x 63"T x 23"D and it had a 4.6 CUFt top freezer! and cheap (this was before they started charging an arm and a leg for counter-depth free standers). She even had trouble finding something that would fit back in 1983, and this one has an ugly 3 " gap around the entire perimeter, it's like a baby fridge with a giant top freezer. Needless to say, nowadays nothing will fit except even narrower apartment compacts and even those are to deep.
So dimension are issue one, I once saw an avocado Ford Philco SxS built-in with the proper dimensions on CL but it was too far and I was too late....
I can live with a 30 incher and maybe make some vents to lessen the gaps, but I'm pretty sure it will have to be vintage to meet the height requirement. I'd prefer a Morraine built Frigidaire (after Tappan built-in of course) but I need to know who else made short fat refrigerators in the 1960's? I'd settle for just about anything that is 50's-60's-70's (Sheer look) that would fit.
PS: I know the easiest solution would be to just hack out the vintage upper cabinet and install a 36" Sub Zero. But even that approach presents a problem as there is double sub-floor and only 83" to the soffit. Everything is 84".