Funky Speed Queen panel

[swestoyz]

Hey guys -

Took a drive across the country side today. Enjoyed a few small town alleyways and walked a few junkyards.

Spotted this very cool Speed Queen dryer. If it would have been the washer we'd be seeing photos of it right now in the basement, but since it is a dryer it was left behind. Almost reminds me of "Spirit of '76", but I think it is earlier.

 

[swestoyz]

Controls 1

 

[swestoyz]

Controls 2

 

[swestoyz]

Top of the panel. For a BOL model it sure looks fancy! Also was surprised it had a SS drum.

 

[swestoyz]

This Hotpoint jumbo drum was keeping it company. Again, why can these be washers! Would the match to this have been a solid tub or a GE design?

 

[swestoyz]

Fell in love with this 1958 Oldsmobile that I spotted in the yard I walked through. I won't stray from topic anymore - but damn was this a cool car in it's day!

Ben

 

[gyrafoam]

That would be the match to my first SQ----that I drove to a farm north of Cincinnati to get about five years ago and brought back to Atlanta, which I sold to Georgedon, and he sold to (?) in Atlanta I believe----so the match to that dryer does exist! And yes, "funky" is exactly how I used to describe the styling of the console----especially those squiggly lines on the top section-----how thoroughly Modern Maid.

 

[gansky1]

Fun panel styling - it does remind me of the Bi-Centennial consumer frenzy of the mid-70's but I think you're right, this was a bit earlier.

The Hotpoint would have been from the mid to latter part of the 70's - all GE by that point but the giant-drum dryers were made in the Hotpoint factory IIRC.

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice dryer! And it's amazing to me, anyway how much that 58 Olds looks like it's counterpart 58 Impala.

 

[gyrafoam]

Yeah, I am thinking my SQ was a 1968 or 1969.

Kenny---you are so right. It seems as though the lineage was apparent throughout the GM line-up in those days. It must have been a popular year for car buyers in my family, because I remember a lot of GM's offerings for 1958.
My Aunt Goldie (of blessed memory) had a coral colored '58 98 and that thing was the bomb in those days. I loved to ride in it.It was so powerful and smooth. The gas cap was concealed inside the left side tail light. Funny the little things I remember about it. I can remember zooming down Coney Island Ave. for a day at the shore. Those were the days.

 

[swestoyz]

1958 GM

Kenny/Steve -

Big fan here of 58's. One year only for almost all the parts. While they all look similar they each have their own personality. I prefer the Cadillacs but I love them all. IIRC Rick Reader had a 1958 Impala that he's posted photos of before.

Ben

 

[rickr]

Yes Ben, you recalled correctly <:

My 58 Chevy was my first car. It was Belair, model just below Impala

All GM 1958 car models were a one year body style run only, except for Cadillac.This was a very rare thing to do, even back then, because of the costs of body design and tooling. This move was done this way because GM went to shared body panels between brands for model year 1959. (except for Cadillac)

My grandparents had a 1958 Olds Super 88. They traded it in for the 61 Olds Super 88 that I own to this day.

 

[swestoyz]

My gosh Rick - at the same yard the scrapper had a very clean 1961 4-door Dynamic 88. Still had plastic on the seats. Black with a cream/beige interior. Certainly not as cool as your car, but something that I don't see everyday. Mr. Scrapper had it out in the front yard with other 'good' cars.

Oooops on your Bel Air. For some reason I thought it was an Impala. Something with the taillights being different on Impalas vs the other 58 Chevy's. Too tired to go digging now.

Here is something you don't see everyday. Too bad it is WAY too far gone (at the same yard as the 58 88). I swear I was there looking for Maytags and not Caddy's - I swear! ;-)

Ben

 

[gyrafoam]

Impala's had an extra red lens per side. One on each side of the reverse-light lens.