'55 Unimatic-------up and running at last!!!!!

[gyrafoam]

It has been since February that I brought this machine home to work on, and it HAS been work. It has also been interesting to learn the "mechanics" of it----baptism by fire would be a better way to describe it. It was a delightful (if guarded) expierence to see the machine working properly today. (Although she still needs a new timer).

Many, many thanks to those of you who through your knowledge, expierence, and compassion saw me through. Greg Nunn, Mark Harmon, Steve Bisso, Robert Perdue, John Lefever, and Robert Seger just to name a few. Oh, but it was poor Greg Nunn who listened to my raging on an almost daily basis (we are now "even" after his ordeal with his '59 Multimatic!).

In any event, NOW there is another survivor!

 

[gansky1]

Here is Steve's 55 Unimatic! Congrats on getting it done and being one of the few who has actually been inside and intimate with a unimatic!

 

[gansky1]

Open lid shot == notice the tub color!!

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Steve....machine looks great....congratulations!!!....hope you have plenty of fun washing times ahead....

 

[westytoploader]

YAY!! Another '55 saved!!

Beautiful work Steve!!! Are my eyes deceiving me, or is the tub really shiny black?

In any case, the machine looks mint! Congratulations!

 

[appnut]

Steve, definitely a resurrection of aghost given I saw what little of that machine was left when we were at the 2002 convention. I"m in awe and humbled. Bob

 

[gyrafoam]

Nothin' a little POR-15 couldn't handle-------

Yes the tub is a solid gloss black. There were many rust issues with the tub as well as outright holes in the balance ring! Even the tub hub was a mass of rust. I knew in order to repair the tub I was never going to be able to keep it looking "factory correct". So I decided the best shade of POR-15 to use was black.
This machine did not have an agitator when I got it, and,
of course, the '55 Unimatic was the one with an all black agitator. John Lefever sent a new (after market) pulsator in dark gray that looks great in the machine. It is so dark Gray that now that it is in the machine it almost looks black! I was able to scrounge up the rest of the parts over time.

The POR-15 did a great job of covering the areas I had to "fill" in the balance ring, and the rest of the tub too, for that matter. It ended up smooth as glass---almost perfect. I also did the tub hub, and the interior of the outer tub as well as underside of the top panel.

 

[lightedcontrols]

Y A Y ! ! ! !

.....now just think, we only have 8 more to go!!!.....LOL!!! Mark

 

[tlee618]

Steve, Congratulations on a job well done!! I know at times this machine has been your worst nightmare! It must be a very satisfying feeling to know what condition this machine was in when you began and now to sit back and see what you have been able to do!! Way to go!!! Terry

 

[frigilux]

Beautiful restoration---and I love the black tub; nice choice!

 

[toggleswitch]

GORGEOUS...

A job very well done.

 

[Washaholic]

Great Job!!!!!!!!!!

 

[peteski50]

up and running

Steve,
I am so Happy it's finally running.
Chat with you soon.
Peter

 

[mayken4now]

Nice Nice Steve! Way to go.

Steve

 

[chestermikeuk]

Congratulations

Hi Steve

All the hard work paid off, well done that man!!!
You even beat the UK Hotpoint Filter Flow for pushing the rpms`s now...

Now for the dryer!!!

Cheers, Mike

 

[retromom]

Say YAY for the restored Uni!

Steve:

Congratulations! This washer was quite a challenge! Don't you just love POR-15? It's kind of like Merle Norman cosmetics...it covers up all the flaws and blemishes and makes you beautiful! She looks fabulous!

Have fun with your Unimatic, and remember.....keep all foreign objects out of that tub during the spin! LOL

Venus