A sought-after Kenmore found!

[kenmoreguy64]

This has been a neat day. Since getting back into my washer hobby (in overdrive) in January 2008, I have been buying Sears catalogs to go along with those that a friend I met through the site had left me. Now I've got all the 1970s, and all the 80s through the last belt-drive machines.

One machine in the 1980-1981 catalogs has intrigued me, and it looked to me like the ultimate belt-drive machine, but it is a higher-end model (essentially TOL) that I have seen few if any of.

I got one a few weeks back from that truck from Arizona that the authorities raided, but it has a 1979 70-series control panel on it. Cant' have that, so I put out an inquiry on the site to see if anyone knew of a spare, proper control panel. Well, as wonderful as he is, Andy aka RedCarpetDrew came across one on Friday and the panel is on it's way to me. Oddly, I came across a whole machine on Craigslist in Charlotte, and just as the wash-in at WebMaster Robert's was in full swing, I saluted all the attendees and the host by hauling home the nastiest, grossest in-service washer I've seen in a good while.

What was a nasty ugly-duckling has blossomed today into quite the swan though! Take a look:
[this post was last edited: 5/16/2010-15:13]

 

[kenmoreguy64]

It's hard to imagine people using something like this to CLEAN clothes. Touch the wrong spot and this washer would make them dirtier.

Yes, that is a block of calcified detergent on the back of the lid well. I had to scrape some of it off with a paint scraper.[this post was last edited: 5/16/2010-15:15]

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Just nasty...

 

[kenmoreguy64]

More...

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Yet more, and this is as removed from a laundry closet last night.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I thought this was rust but it turned out to be cigarette smoke residue.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

The worst part, wow

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Underneath

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Chech her out now!

I am not done as I want to touch-up the porcelain knicks, but I adjusted the lid hinge so the lid doesn't lay so flat, which causes the knicks. There are a few abrasions on the panel, but it's really nice now.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Posing

I am bonding with this machine already...

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice machine, Gordon, hope ya got 'er cheep!

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I made the machine wash her nasty rags. Check out that water!

She runs wonderfully, and for the first time probably in my life, I ran a normal cycle with second rinse (by using the one in the timer that is). All that soap in the machine was supplied by the residue on the washer, none was added, and it took two rinses to get it out.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

More...

As Kevin would say "Ain't she purdy?"

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Ready for real laundry...I think I'll have to run one more load of shop towels in her before I do that though, can't get the image of all that schmutz out of my head right now....

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Kenny -

The washer and a nice but equally dirty 1986 70-series dryer were less than a hundred bucks for the pair. With the way the washer works, I think it was worth it!

Gordon

 

[lebron]

Great looking control panel Gordon, glad you were able to find one... Pretty nasty looking at first but that last picture! What a difference, nice job cleaning it up.

 

[best-cleaning]

Nice! Anothe Kenmore for your collection.

Gordon, What is this inside the lid, next to water level switch?

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Rodrigo

The item you mentioned allows the machine to do the combina-
tions of soak, prewash and wash without returning to the ma-
chine to add detergent for the second wash. It holds a detergent cup. When the main washcycle is reached a solenoid
activated button hits the dispenser through the little hole below the hanger. A spring loaded door is released and the detergent drops into the tub for the main wash cycle. Not designed for liquid detergent!

 

[pulltostart]

A fitting challenge

for Mister Kenmore. Congratulations, Gordon!

Lawrence