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Tub lights on early Kenmores: I know several people who were suprised to find their parents' late 50's/60's Kenmores had a tub light. They were notorious for burning out/popping due to splashing water during suds return and when using low water levels. Our '60 had no working light bulb until I was five and figured out it needed one. It used to go out all the time, and I'd always replace it. The serviceman (the Model 80 seemed to require a visit from him every couple of years) finally put a foil shield in front of the bulb. Unfortunately, it altered the light angle and made the tub weirdly lit, so I took it out. I'd hold my hand in front of the bulb area during suds return (this is back when fast agitation was still used during that operation) to prevent the bulb from popping.
 
nce repairman and former Sears repairman too. They had a Kenmore 400 for most of the time they were here (as well as a Lady Kenmore dryer of unknown vintage, but I remembered it had that speckled white on black door & drum coating. The FIL had found these and fixed them up for them. She would do exactly what Libby did, add more & more, but she stopped at just as the load was barely rolling over. Poor machine. They got rid of them for a FabricMatic Maytag with the new fast, short stroke tranny right before they left here and a BOL gas Maytag dryer. She did the same thing to the Maytag and we know how much more difficult the 'Tag had with rollovers of wash loads.
 
Jon (and Eddy), congratulations! What BEAUTIES those machines are, I do like the aftermarket tub light. Of course those dial lights are quite cool as well, on a par with the lighted pushbuttons on the Hotpoint.

So does this mean you're gearing up for the next Convention? ;-)

*ducks and runs*
 
Eddy & Jon

Those are my all time fave Kenmores. I have an unrestored
gas dryer companion to those. I love that Cyclops Eye.
Your machines are beautiful!!!!!
(frontal being toptal)
 
Great Kenmore!

Now, that's a washin' machine! The timer dial always reminded me of a speedometer, but then I've always thought car and washer dashboards of a given era were similarly designed. A job to be proud of!

Kelly
 
a few more pics of mine

Jon, I just love the color mod's you did! Your control panel is in nicer shape than mine. Congrats on such a nice restore. Here's another shot of mine doing a spray rinse.

12-10-2006-00-06-12--eddy1210.jpg
 
You are all correct about the mods

Yes Bob & all I modded it by taking the colored swithces from my 56 parts machine and the light sockets as well. This machine had no sockets since it was the 1957 BOL.

And you are all correct it has the straight vane agitator but I LOVE that Atomic bomb rotoswirl!!

Eddy your rotoswirl is in great shape, mine has seen heavy use and has no glisten. I'll have to keep my eye out for a good one to put in this machine.

Thanks to Rickr for his help and to GregM for helping on reassembly.

happy washing

jon
 
Kickass cool machine. What is interesting to me is that we had a 57 Whirlpool Imperial machine as my Mom recalls that shared we are sure the same mechanics as the Kenmore, but Kenmore did a great job on styling the control panel to make it unique.
 
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