Ge Stove - Model 1J405N - $600

[ovrphil]

Ad reads:

" Vintage early '60s PINK GE Electric stove in good physical and working condition. Enamel finish in excellent shape. Bakes consistently well. 4 top burners in working condition; one only partially. Remaining burners work well. 3 storage drawers.
"

Does it warrant $600? !

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/app/4262715182.html

 

[tomturbomatic]

J405M is a 1955 model. The N might be the 1956 version. 1957 brought an end to this cabinet style, I think, unless there were pieces of steel that had to be used up. If one surface unit is partially working, there is probably a switch problem. If you have to have pink, the price is a bit more justified, at least on the seller's part. Closer to spring, it might be lower.

 

[ken]

I never knew GE offer 40" models with the burners spaced like this at the same time they also had the left sided burner arrangement. All Ive seen from the 50s had the burners to the left. Maybe the lower priced models had this arrangement and the upper priced models the left sided?

 

[tomturbomatic]

GE offered this arrangement, as did Frigidaire on a couple of models in certain markets. The surface unit arrangement might have been a holdover from GE's 36 inch ranges. This was considered by some to be a better arrangement for canning, especially if you were preparing a meal with the canner in place. It is interesting that after the redesign in 1958, Westinghouse only offered the divided cooktop on their 40" ranges.

 

[danemodsandy]

Ken:

You came so close to answering your own question!

The lower-end models had the wide-set burners because those were the models farm wives, with their canning and preserving needs, were likeliest to buy. Clustered burners were all very well for ordinary cooking, and looked trendier than wide-set ones, but you needed elbow room for canning.

Back in those days, GE did a lot of farm business; in most rural areas, it was electric or wood-burning, take your pick. Frigidaire was also very well-regarded out in the country. Both companies made high-quality, long-lasting units and backed them up with a service network that covered the nation.