1967 GE cooktop repair or replace?

[fixit1962]

Just found this site and am interested in any advice/opinions. The cooktop pictured below is in my dad's house and is original to the house which he built in 1967. Only one of the burners is working at the moment and as best i can tell the fault is in the push-button switches located on the range hood. I haven't taken anything apart yet but I think the buttons are either gummed up with years of grease (they don't operate smoothly) or they are just flat out broken. I swapped the burners around and they all work in the one slot so I think they are all fine except for one.

We went shopping for a new cooktop last weekend but were both disappointed in the flimsy quality of the new stuff. Although it would be a lot less work for me to just spend the $1000 bucks or so and drop in a new one which I can easily do myself, repairing and cleaning up the old one with a new countertop has a nostalgic appeal to us both.

But.... are parts still available and what are good parts sources? Are service manuals avail too? And for those of you with expertise in restoring older appliances are they worth the time/effort?

Thanks for suggestions and really enjoy some of the old photos posted on this website! Really enjoyed browsing through the discussion forums this morning!

Ps, the oven works fine but the door won't stay closed tightly....is there a spring or adjustment in the door hinge to fix that?

 

[turquoisedude]

Oh wow - the original GE dishwasher is still there too!!  

 

Those push button switches can be tricky, but the good news is that replacements can still be found if necessary.  Before going down that route, however, I'd suggest that you try removing one and giving it a good shot of contact cleaner.  It may just free up the switch again.  

 

[rp2813]

That was quite the with-it kitchen in 1967!

 

Another suggestion would be to check the appliance listings on craigslist, using a search term like "vintage" or "older."  I've seen entire cook tops and hoods with push-button controls turn up there.

 

Oven hinges can be tricky and may require more disassembling than you feel comfortable with.  Maybe others here will have some suggestions for an easy repair to try.

 

[norgeway]

The cooktop

Would be a simple fix, the switches and units are easily obtainable, and its much better than anything available today.

 

[cuffs054]

Yep, the DW sold me. Fix it, keep it, love it!

 

[cuffs054]

Fixit, just noticed the dark spot on the back splash. Could that be from an electrical short? Where in ATL are you?

 

[fixit1962]

Thanks for all the comments/suggestions! Its encouraging to hear from other folks who share my interest in keeping the old stuff working rather than replace with the cheap stuff on the market today. Im going over there this evening and doing a little more digging around the switches....maybe just pull the range hood off and bring it home where i have all my tools and can work on it.

That thing that looks like a burned spot on the backsplash is actually some kind of ceramic magnet novelty item that my mom stuck on there years ago. Other than being dirty the paint/finish on all these appliances is nearly perfect condition which was what got me not wanting to see them end up in the scrap pile.

Oh and yes, I didn't say anything about the dishwasher because it still works! The tub liner has some staining on it but mechanically it's fine.

 

[henene4]

How wide is that?

Because you mentioned cheap new stuff, and guessing it's 36":
If you'd ever have to replace any if these, here's a little calculation.

Each of these appliances would have been between 200$ and 300$ in 1967 (Correct me if I'm wrong) . So let's say 800$ in 1967.

Give or take, that would be 6000$ of value by today. For that, you'd get a 36" normal ceramic Miele cooktop, a good MOL-TOL Miele self-cleaning convection oven and a BOL Miele DW, MRSP that is.

Cheap in this comparison actually is cheap.