1963 GE Fridge "Decommissioned"

[kevinpreston8]

Well, we continued to use our 1963 GE "Bottom Freezer" model about two years past the point that I wanted to. We were going to get a new KA matching unit when we first moved in, but other priorities came up and we waited.

We went out yesterday and got the new KitchenAid side by side Superba model, so we "retired" the GE to the "back house".

The unit will remain operational, will serve duty as emergency overflow, as well as for large holiday platters and desserts. Here it is sharing some non-sorted out space with our semi-retired O and M oven in the back house kitchen.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Here are some details

All three shelves pivot outwards. Lighting is from two sources, along the top of the back wall, and down the back left corner, with a curved plastic piece that somehow reminds me of Motorama lighting.

Shelves are stainless steel and remove for washing, but are rather thin so I have always used caution to not bend them. They are in good shape except for one small area where I think tomato juice discolored the finish. If anyone has any ideas to restore that, let me know. I might just leave it, it't not that bad. The shelves are perfect otherwise.

They are all held up by a very "meaty" metal post at the front right, and large metal flip latches unlock and let you adjust the height.

 

[kevinpreston8]

More of the inside....

How do you like this detail? Colors and trim have held up remarkably well.

The two small compartments on either end of the (adjustable temperature) butter holder have bottoms that pop out for cleaning.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Meats and Vegetable Trays

These are in perfect condition. To the left (not visible) and over the glass see-thru panel/shelf, there is an adjustment for compartment temp of the left side tray. It is simply a lever and shaft that opens a little plastic flap behind the tray, allowing more or less cold air to blast the tray.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Moving on to freezer

I was amazed they made these back then, freezer on bottom, but then I remembered the Cleavers had one, it seemed close to this model.

The freezer contains three compartments. The bottom, which is part of the door assembly, the middle rack which moves in and out, and the top rack, which--unbelievably--contains an ice cube maker and "short can" frozen juice holders.

I never did hook up the ice cube maker. What this model does is actually fill up the ice cube tray on the right. The weight of the tray pushes down on a little sensor that shuts off the water when full. There is an adjustment knob on it that allows you to control how big you want your cubes to be, by shutting off the water with more weight or less. The tray is hinged, and you flip it over and knock the cubes into the tray to the left. The lightened tray then triggers more water when the door is closed. There is also a switch behind the vegetable keeper that allows you to switch off the unit, apparently. I always wondered if the thing worked.

The other amazing note is that I never realized, until I moved this yesterday, that the freezer had a light bulb. It is way high and unless you get way down and look under and up, you don't see it. The door on this will slide out, then up like a file cabined drawer, allowing complete removal. I did so yesterday, scrubbing out the entire compartment, which has an oven-like spray on coating on it. The added plus was the bulb in the freezer only needed tightening, and it came back on!

 

[kevinpreston8]

Here is the crazy ice cube maker...

Amazing.

The only thing I have to work on is that there are a few plastic cracks here and there, and anyone's suggestions for a good glue would be appreciated. Again, I might leave them, but I don't want them to worsen.

I purchased this almost 12 years ago from the once fabulous Applicance Remanufacturing Center in Pedley, CA. They had (evidently) resprayed and baked on a new finish, and had done some crack repair. A few of those repairs have loosened, and there is one small tear in the rubber gasket. Aside from that and maybe a small amount of wear, this is how we bought it.

And it has had heavy use, with two kids, lots of milk, lots of spills. I have not had one service call on it, I was sure it would not survive the move well, but it has.

So after a busy 12 years, it is out in the back house for occasional use and enjoyment as a collectible.

 

[cehalstead]

bottom freezer

We had an Amana bottom freezer model. I think it was purchased in 1959, because I remember being in the first grade. Seems like everything old is new again.....(we could only hope.....)

 

[sudsmaster]

What a wonderful old GE fridge that is. You're right to hang onto it, even if in semi-retirement.

The shelving is reminiscent of a Westinghouse bottom freezer unit my folks bought in the 50's. This model also had rotating shelving, but they rotated around a center post in the front of the fridge chamber. I was too young to understand how to work the shelf button and would get yelled at by the rest of the family if I touched it. LOL. Also, I was also chastized for opening the freezer instead of the fridge... the freezer was just much closer to my eye level, you see... LOL... Maybe those childhood experiences account for my never having gotten into bottom freezer fridges since then. Still, it was a cool appliance and I especially remmeber that big W with the little balls on the ends.

 

[sudsmaster]

PS- Cool range! Is that an O'Keefe&Merritt? I've been "collecting" old Wedgewoods. Those older ranges, once given a good cleaning/tuneup, cook so nicely.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Sudsmaster...

That is exactly what it is. I have the year data and model number floating around somewhere. That unit was also our daily stove for almost 12 years in the old house. I have cleaned the outside but need to work on the inside to bring it up to the level I would take pictures of!

It has the Grill o Vator in the broiler and the nice looking instructions in the broiler door. We bought it needing some rechroming and re-porcelaining in some areas, but we always just used it as is. Believe it or not we got it for $500.

It has the original salt and pepper shakers with it too, they are still stored in a box from the move!

The unit still works well but I have not hooked it up in its new home. The nice thing is that the back kitchen does have a gas line that is right behind where the stove sits.

Interestingly, we had a cheap Magic Chef stove that was in perfect shape, where the fridge is now. That was the stove we got with the place. Saturday I put it out on the curb with a "free" sign on it. Our neighbor across the street asked if she could have it, as her stove just went out!

I love it when you find a home for everything.

 

[petek]

Those old GE fridges seem to run forever. My mom had one before I was born in 56, the single door model with the rotating shelves and it's still running today albeit at my BIL's "office" holding beer and has never broken down. The neighbors next door growing up also had one but theirs had a foot pedal to open the door but otherwise was pretty much the same fridge. One of our other neighbors had the similar one to yours with the bottom freezer. Funny how what's old is new again when it comes to bottom freezer models.