1964 Frigidaire Multimatic Custom Imperial Washer Ephemera

[mickeyd]

Having to change T-shirts here, reading this mega doctrine, for the drool!

Growing up, never saw this TOL miracle. Even here at Aworg, no one has this model, as far as I know.

It looks like the Clamshell 63 as far as the pushbuttons go, but this year's model has the elevated control panel--lots of steel or chrome--with the lighted glass dial clock on top and the main dial on the lower deck.

But here's what's got me gaga: Imagine there WAS one in my childhood, and I'm observing the soak cycle, as it soak, soak, soaks, when suddenly the water valves open and warm water shoots in and an overflow begins, but there is no agitation. OH NO the valve has broken....Pull the plug. (Saw this happen in our first Unimatic.)

Not at all. This over-the-top gem has a static overflow--just like Aworg's equally beloved Kelvinator rinsing--at the end of the Soak Cycle. Who knew? The best thing is that you don't find this out till you get to the "electrics" charts. So cool. How fun. Love to see it some day when we discover a 64 CI.

You know what else it does? On the Suds model, the first minute of the overflow goes out the rinse hose, then the valve clangs shut, and the rest of the overflow goes into the suds storing sink.

I most love that these BOOKS are so much more satisfying than the meagerly paged manuals. This doctrine is enormous, at a hundred thirty some pages, with totally satisfying explanations. No stone is left unturned; it's almost gluttonous. So much stunning new material only available on the Custom Imperial, and I knew none of it, and I have Frigidaire papers, for Pete's sakes. We Unimatic lovers underestimate the Multimatic. In fact, the mechanism looks like a unimatic's, only the motor is removed from the bottom and twice belted on the side. Amazing.

Does anyone have one, or has anyone used one way back when?

Hey Robert, this one is a killer, so thanks; and at a buck 39, that's only 39 cents more than it was 40 years ago. Nice to see you keeping inflation in check :'D You must be a republican LOL.

Here's my Multimatic--Ben says it's a 62 & 1/2-- nice and wet, returning suds with the wonderful valve from Saint John of the Belt, the gift that keeps on giving.[this post was last edited: 12/4/2013-22:27]

 

[gansky1]

My 1959  WCI-59 has a soak cycle, the first year for a dedicated soak cycle, and it does a static overflow as well.  The 68 Gold Crown also had the same cycle profile.  I remember wondering if it was busted when that Gold Crown started to fill again, then the joy of water-tossing & spin begins.  I don't recall reading the reason for this in doctrine, perhaps for floating away greasy soils risen to the surface?  

 

I've been offering up praises of thanksgiving to St. <span style="text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;">Jeff </span>of the Belt this week, my WP Mark 12 dryer belts are in hand  

 

[philr]

Static overflow

Really?! I'm wondering if my 1968 Gold Crown and my (and Greg's former) 1965 Custom Imperial have that too. I'll have to try!
I never used the soak cycle on the Gold Crown but I did use it on the 1965 (with the automatic advance to wash) and I was never around when the cycle completed.

About '64 Custom Imperials, I dream of having a set of these. Somebody who used to service Frigidaire appliances in Quebec told me he scrapped a good set in Coppertone just a few years ago and got something like $11 for the scrap... It's the last year that true TOL Custom Imperial washers and dryers were made here.

In 1965, the Canadian TOL models were Imperial only but the Imperial dryer was a Filtrator. In 1966, we did get a cross between the US WCIK and WCIAK. The washer was all pushbutton like the WCIK but it had the aluminum rather than translucent plastic control panel, no dispensers and no chrome trim on the edges of the cabinet like the WCIAK. The matching dryer was like the WCIAK with electronic dry control but it was available as a Filtrator only. The lineup stayed pretty much unchanged until the Canadian factory closed in 1970 except for control panel color updates for the L and N series. The "L" series added a vented TOL dryer and the "N" series eliminated the Filtrator dryer (and all porcelain cabinets).

 

[Unimatic1140]

I love those service manuals too Mike. The one you are reading I got when I was about 13 or so. I used to write away to Frigidaire, and all the other washer companies for that matter, but Frigidaire would send me all these Tech-Talks for free. The mail box the was the most exciting part of the day when I was waiting for something.

And I agree you with Mike, the cycle-charts were one of my favorite things as well, I would study those for hours!

 

[mickeyd]

Robert, it must have been heaven to have had such treasures as a boy, and I'm not surprised at Frigidaire's encouragement and generosity. Bittersweet to see such a magnificent and brilliant company gone.

Interesting information, Phil. When I saw the 64 Custom Deluxe in the doctrine, I did a double-take because it looks exactly the 65 we had when I was a teenager, except that the undersides were vastly different, 65 being the first year for the Rollermatic. That's the year when the buttons went North on the Custom Imperial panel. I would love to see the 66 crossover model with button-on-chrome. The Quest goes on.

Greg, it came to me through the midnight ether that Frigidaire must have had a a secret commandment: Thou shalt not spin without first floating over.... in wash rinse or soak.

So the soak floats, and Phil will soon know the joy.

Maybe we could start the holiday greeting card season right here with Multimatic or other Frigidaire Favorite Pix. Here's one of mine ~

"Shades of Gray"

 

[whirlcool]

Micked:

That's the same washer my parents had. It lasted until around 1972 or so when it was replaced with a GE Filterflow.

The Frigidaire could hold a ton of clothing and still have proper rapid turnover of the clothes. I loved the noise it made while agitating. Nothing else quite makes the same kind of noise. And I was able to use it myself as a teen from time to time. Now my sister was famous as a teen for washing just 1 item at a time in this machine. If she had a blouse and a pair if jeans she washed them separately. My dad would go bezerk over this total waste of water as he called it, my mother suggested that she add other clothing along with hers to be more efficient. My sister would just respond "Why would I want to do that? Let everyone else wash their own clothes!".

If I remember correctly my parents never had a service call on the Custom Imperial. They also had the matching gas Custom Imperial Dryer. I never did find out why the set was replaced. I just came in from college out of state and noticed that the Frigidaires were gone and new Filterflows were in their place. I asked my mom whatever happened to them and all she said was "the washer broke so we bought a new set."

I wish I could find another one today.

 

[mickeyd]

WhirlyC ~

Maybe that's why the machine was so trouble free and long-lived, thanks to your sister's light loading and lots of exercise. Did you like washers then, or were you a late comer ?

Small world: When I came home from college out of state, our Rollermatic had been replaced also by a Filter Flo. My mom burned through washers every seven years. Then a TOL Westy Top Loader, then a Kitchen Aid, which lasted for almost 20 years, and now a Maytag (really another KA) which should last as long as she does.[this post was last edited: 12/6/2013-14:47]

 

[whirlcool]

I think I first started noticing washers around the time we had the Frigidaire. I used to stand there with my chin on the top of the washer with the lid open watching the agitator going up and down and all the water patterns it would make. The clothing always turned over really quickly. Plus I loved the design of the 62 Custom Imperials. And I REALLY like the lighted control panel. You could light a room with one of those. In fact my parents used the lights on the control panel as night lights in the laundry room which was right next to the door coming in from the garage.

You can imagine our disappointment when in 1982 we went to our local Frigidaire dealer (MSP at the time) and said "We want to look at Frigidaire JET-ACTION washing machines. The dealer just looked at me with a funny look on his face and said "They don't make those anymore". We were shocked! We missed the news on the WCI buyout. thought those were such good washers that they would make them forever.

 

[philr]

Mike, 

 

I have read several other service manuals and it seems that all 1959-70 solid tub models with a soak cycle have that overflow soak. I wasn't aware of that!

 

I had to try that on my '65 Rollermatic today!

 

 

[mickeyd]

Wonderful!

It made me laugh, and I don't know why, I guess just happy for such a nice surprise Never expected to see this.

What fun. Did you edit out the pause or does it go right from overflow to spin, another treat, harkening back to the unimatics?

The second speed ramp-up brings back fond memories. Where yours has a soak, our 65 Custom Imperial had a Delicate Cycle on the big beautiful lighted clock face.

Thank You, Phil. Which cycle on which machine of mine would you like to see?

 

[philr]

Mike,

I didn't edit the video, just like on the timer chart, as soon as the overflow stops, the washer stops to spin (there's a pause during the regular wash cycle just to let the motor stop before it changes direction (just like in the Multimatic) but since it's already stopped at the end of the soak cycle, there's no need for a pause)

 

My washer is a 1965 Custom Imperial! Yours, if it had a round lighted dial showing a delicate cycle rather than a soak cycle must have been a 1964 Custom Deluxe. On all 1965 models, there's a soak cycle on the dial and there's a separate speed selector (or Fabrics selector) on 2 speed models (the 1964 Imperial and Custom Imperial also had speed selection through their "fabrics" selector). 

 

 

This picture shows a 1964 Custom Deluxe dial at the top, a 1965 Custom Deluxe dial in the middle and my 1965 Custom Imperial dial after. The 1966 Custom Imperial also had that dial. 

 

 

 

 

[mickeyd]

You are so right, Phil ~

Have mentioned a thousand times our Bronze 65 Custom DELUXE that made my teenage washer experience a dream, but tonight I got it wrong. Go figure. See what I just wrote in Paul's Tub Turns Thread. Gotta laugh at ourselves. I know this stuff cold and got it all wrong anyway. So funny. Our dial was orange red (Sunset) exactly like the one in your pic.

The pix are beautiful. What splendid Holiday Greeting Cards they'd make. How about a shot of the control panel?

Really cool that it goes straight to spin without stopping. Glad I got you soaking.[this post was last edited: 12/9/2013-23:10]

 

[philr]

Mike, your washer must have been a 1964 Custom Deluxe as in 1965, all Frigidaire washers had a soak cycle on their dial and none had a separate delicate cycle.

 

Here's a picture showing Cory's 1964 Custom Deluxe, this one has a delicate cycle on it's dial. 

 

[philr]

I also have a 1964 Multimatic washer but mine is a single speed model so it doesn't have a delicate cycle (it has a soak cycle instead). 

 

[philr]

1965 washers have the top of their cabinet extending where the timer knob is (on models with a remote timer). Note that the motor protector reset pushbutton has been moved from next to the timer knob to next to the timer dial in 1965. 

 

Here's my Custom Imperial set. 



 

And the 1965 Custom Deluxe models have the same (note the extra knob for the speed setting and the soak cycle on this one too).

 

This one I think belongs to easyspindrier (James).

 

 

[mickeyd]

#14, The C I's ~ THEY TAKE THE BREATH AWAY

Move over Hallmark.

 

[mickeyd]

You said your 64 is a Multi. I thought Rollers didn't arrive till 65. How did we have a Rollermatic in 64 and not a Multi. Clarify. I know you know your stuff. Is it the USA, Canada Frigidaire differential?

I know that our machine was a Rollermatic because I drove the Installation Man crazy with questions, but he was stuck in a loop and kept saying over and over: "It's all rollers, just rollers, nothing but rollers, all rollers." none of which helped me understand, so the Rollermatic became even more "mythical," mysterious, and magical for me. I imagined a fleet of rolling pins under there running the show. Unravel this dating mystery for me, Phil.

 

[philr]

Mike,

 

I did say my 1964 is a Multimatic but I took care not saying that yours was as it could have been a Multimatic or a Rollermatic!

 

A few 1964 models switched to the Rollermatic transmission in during the production run. According to the documents I have, 4 models the WDA-64, the WCDA-64, the WDC-64 (which is probably the model you had) and also the WIA-64 switched to the Rollermatic transmission.

 

And if I understand correctly, the transmission change on these models was made before the change to the Deep Action Agitator. If that's correct, it means that some washers with the Rollermatic transmission could have been made with the gray 3 ring agitator. And since some models continued to be produced with the Multimatic transmission at the time of the change, this also means that some Multimatic washers were made with the Deep Action Agitator. My WDR-64 is a Multimatic and it has the Deep Action Agitator but it's serial number indicates it's been produced before the change so it should have the 3 ring agitator.  

 

 

[mickeyd]

'Mornin, Phil ~

The variety is both astounding and amazing. Had no idea there was so much variability at Frigidaire the way there was at Whirlpool. I was well aware that you didn't say mine was not an R. I simple couldn't see the whole picture. Now I do. Thank You. Frigidiare shook it up anad went out of the box like crazy.

I'd love to see a Jet action agitator in a 10 pound tub. Is that one out there as well?

What did the 67's look like?