A Graveyard of Washing Machines

[mayfan69]

Hi guys,

I was contacted by a washer repairer who said he had a "graveyard" of machines, some of which he said i might be interested in.

So, on a recent trip interstate, i decided to pay him a visit. Here are a couple of pics of some of the more older machines.

This first pic is a Wilkins Servis 506 (pretty much a helical drive Maytag) in Avocado. I have already purchased it. Defintely will require some work and more than likely a re-spray. I already have a nice spare control panel which hasn't faded.

Cheers
Leon

 

[mayfan69]

2nd pic

Interior of the Wilkins Servis

 

[mayfan69]

Another machine

This is a 1967 Malleys Whirlpool Model 1292. No money shot sorry, but the interior has the all black bakelite agitator.

 

[mayfan69]

Another machine

1970's Hoovermatic Twin Tub in Coppertone!!!

 

[mayfan69]

Another machine

1965 Frigidaire Multimatic "Master"

 

[mayfan69]

Another machine

1965 Frigidaire Multimatic "Deluxe"

 

[ronhic]

Zodiac

Leon...

In the top left of the picture above looks to be one of the first Australian Hoover Zodiacs...

your thoughts?

 

[mayfan69]

Another machine

A Lightburn "King Size". Nathan (Brisnat81) has a similar machine

 

[mayfan69]

Another pic

Picture showing the graveyard from the road...
Yes, the shed had machines too, but mainly newer ones and some parts.

 

[mayfan69]

Hoover Zodiac?

Hi Chris

Yes, that's a Hoover Zodiac. He had a few Hoover's there, plus lots of Simpsons and Kelvinator's of various vintages.

Unfortunately, we were both on timetables, so i couldn't take pics of everything. I will more than likely be going back sometime this year and decide exactly what else i might want....defintely one of the Frigidaires above thats for sure.

Cheers
Leon

 

[ronhic]

sigh...

What I wouldn't give to have a nice keymatic....

I actually wonder if there is some little old lady that has one stashed away...

Leon, the 4spd Fluid Drive that you have...does it work and do you know the history of it?

c

 

[mayfan69]

4 speed Fluid Drive Auto

Hey Chris

Well....you could always try and advertise for a Hoover Keymatic. Nathan found his that way, although it wasn't initially the machine he wanted, but there are still some out there.

As for the Four Speed programmed Fluid Drive: Yes, it does work, however, the timer will need a repair as apparently its not completing the entire cycle and the gearbox will need to be swapped over with a spare one i have as during transit, it unfortunately leaked oil on the way back from interstate.

The owner was an elderly woman who bought it new in about 1970 and when it started give timer problems, bought a new one and put this one in the shed.

Cheers
Leon

 

[ronhic]

timer...

Well mum got hers in 1968...August to be exact as they moved into the house on the bank holiday long weekend (she worked for the Bank of NSW)

...and it is interesting that mum did the timer in hers at least twice in the time she owned it and then something happened to the 'spin'. When it was fixed it would spin rather slowly and you could still wring water out....so that coupled with the hotwater solinoid going meant the machine went...

 

[mayfan69]

Slow Spin

Hmmmmmm

Sounds like the clutch lining had worn away. That was one of the issues with that type of mechanism or maybe the fluid drive itself needed replacing. To replace the lining is fairly simple...i did it on a 1976 Simpson and its spinning to full speed now.

Leon

 

[ronhic]

Question...

What exactly was the 'fluid drive'?

 

[revvinkevin]

Wow!

That looks like a very interesting place to wonder around! I would love to rescue some of (or all of?) those machines! Being that they are all out in the weather, it looks like some (most?) are not in that great of condition.... but hopefully with a little TLC.......?

That Lightburn "King Size", I've never seen anything like that, pretty neat!

And the photo of the 1965 Frigidaire Multimatic "Deluxe", what is that growing out from around the lid? Mold, fungus, moss? Eeew! LOL

 

[aussie-plugs]

Where, oh where?

Hi Leon,

I'm amazed - I didn't think there was still Gold in the Goldfields, but I was wrong. What an amazing place to find nowadays when everybody is so environmentally conscious that things like this have to be carted off to a "correct" disposal station and crushed.

As to the Lightburn, I have very vague recollections of having seen something like this in my childhood (late 50's/early 60's). I believe they were Australian designed and manufactured, but I'm not sure.

The Hoover Zodiac is from the early 80's. I bought a similar machine in white in 1979 and the colour scheme you see here came out a few years after that. I think mine was one of the first made here - I say this as I had friends who had Hoover front loaders bought around 1975 and they definitely came from the UK and looked somewhat different.

Cheers,

Nick

Cheers,

Nick

 

[sudsmaster]

Yikes!

That Lightburn looks like a bathroom fixture, lol!

 

[blackstone]

Looking at that yard, it makes me want to catch the next (long) flight to Oz. Got an exact location, so I can Google Earth it?