G.M Frigidaire Imperial 43 refrigerator

thatwasherguy · Apr 2, 2022

Hi! I got a G.M. Frigidaire Imperial 43 mini fridge yesterday, and it’s a beauty (if you can look past all of the rust and moss that resulted from years of sitting outside, that is). The frame and sides have some rust, but it’s not rusted through yet. I’m going to clean it up and use it, but it needs a full restoration first. The rust is pretty bad on the coils and compressor, so I’d be surprised if there’s any R-12 left in it, but I need to be sure of that before I open the system. I also had a few questions regarding it. This unit says it was made in Spain. Does that mean that G.M had a Frigidaire plant there, or did someone else make this? If someone else made it, then who was it? How old is it (I’m guessing 1970’s)? I saw another similar looking refrigerator online that said Deluxe 43. I’ve included that picture as well. How many versions wash this offered in, and what were the color options for it? How much did it cost new, and does anyone have a parts catalog or service manual for it? Any input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Thatwasherguy.

jamiel · Apr 2, 2022

Believe the 43 was actually 4.3 cubic feet...would guess that the Imperial had pushbutton defrost and maybe an extra slidey tray while the Deluxe was simpler on the inside.

combo52 · Apr 2, 2022

Compact Spanish Built Refrigerator.

These little refs from the late 60s through the 70s are always cute but they really don't have anything to do with the brand names they carry.

The bad thing about these little refs from this time period is they use a lot of electricity, you could run a new 18-20 CF frost-free for what these little refs cost to run.

Hopefully the condenser etc is not rusted through.

John L.

thatwasherguy · Apr 9, 2022

Here’s a few more pictures of the refrigerator...

And a few more questions. If this wasn’t made by Frigidaire, then who was it made by? What kind/size/capacity of compressor/coils should I look for? (As you can see, the ones on it are toast.). Where would be the best place to find a parts list for this machine? (A couple of the shelves are badly cracked, so I don’t trust them to hold food.). There also appears to be some cracks in the interior at the bottom of the machine. What could I use to patch them up? Just some JB Weld or something? Thanks,
Thatwasherguy.