Georgia Boys Haul It In!!!

[gyrafoam]

Les-----

You are certainly invited to my next little wash-in------maybe by November I can figure out a Saturday to pull it off.

Today I cleaned the two Unimatics I brought home. They really shine. Surprisingly, the WL-60 has almost no rust anywhere---just a little near the drain inside the water container---an easy fix with POR-15. The WO-65-2 has a spot the size of a pencil eraser on one of the little riblets at the bottom of the tub---also an easy fix. Both machines are VERY clean underneath with both mechanisms showing no sign of oil or water leaks.

In spite of my best efforts to ward off any hitchhikers yesterday, as I was peering under the WO-65-2 a Black Widow spider came out, trotting at full speed. A quick squish later and I was re-armed with more bug spray! I think I'll wait a while to make sure everything is dead this time!

I'll need to change the oil and replace the power cords, etc. before I can test them---so I'll keep you posted----if they don't need anything major we can have a Frigidaire wash-in soon!

 

[mayken4now]

I am like Venus - speachless

Steve R.:

No wonder when you were here you told me to ask Don Gray of Gray's Maytag here in Pensacola, who the Frigidaire dealer used to be in town. And hook up with him. Well I have not yet, but will!

Steve

 

[angus]

Congratulations to all of you for your hard work. It must have been something to see all those treasures at once. A lot of cleanup work but so worth it in the end. The nest of Frigidaires alone is a terrific achievement, but to uncover a Norge Timeline AND a Philco Automagic is beyond amazing.

We are all keeping good thoughts for Rhinnie.....

 

[tlee618]

Thanks for sharing those neat pictures Peter. What a haul. It is almost like a dream that comes true. Gives hope that there are other places out there like this where time has just stood still. Again thanks for sharing. Relax and get some rest, I am sure that you all need it. Terry

 

[lightedcontrols]

THE MOTHER LODE!!!

CONGRATULATIONS BOYS!!! What a GREAT find. Sometimes it takes time to get these beauties, but it sure is worth it! I know ya'll will have many happy hours in restoration ahead of you, but what joy it will be to see these jewels back up and running. Can't wait!!! Mark

 

[toggleswitch]

Thanks for the factoid Kenny!

 

[frigilux]

An amazing haul, boys; congratulations! I don't recall seeing a '61 Frigidaire washer before. And AGAIN, it has a different console than the '60 or the '62. That GM design team must have been working overtime.

 

[lesto]

Steve, be careful about squishing black widows. One of them might be Tallulah Bankhead! LOL.

I am so looking forward to your next Saturday wash-in and seeing these new awesome machines.

Les

 

[Unimatic1140]

Toggle, Frigidaire was made in Dayton, OH. Its really not that they are rare in the North, its that they are rare period, just like any other washer from the 1950's. The NY metropolitan area used to be BIG Frigidaire country. I can remember plenty of Frigidaire coin-op self-serv laundries when I was a kid there. I can remember some old Frigidaire laundry signs at laundromats in the early 80's in Manhattan where the machines were replaced, but the signs were still there.

 

[user 12105]

A couple of my relatives here in Jersey had Frigidaire laundry and refridgeration.

 

[kennywhy]

Congratulations on the incredible finds!
It would be sort of a simultaneous dream and nightmare scenario for me though. Incredible potential for saving and restoring some classic machines, but a lot of time and labor (not to mention parts) perhaps necessary to do it.
Have fun.
I'm curious what your plans are for the machines. Where will they ultimately be on display? Is there space at your home? Do you plan to sell or "e-bay" any of them?
Best wishes
Ken

 

[peterh770]

We will have to see as time goes on. We each know which ones we want as keepers, and then the rest will be parts donors and fixer-uppers. What is left over will probably end up on eBay. Don't hold your breaths -- 2 of us have more than fulltime jobs, so it will be a while before there is much movement on the restoration of the bunch.

 

[gregm]

absolutely unbelievable

wow, that is a record # find at one time, right ? many congrads, man oh man, I thought I had a lot of stuff to "fix up" ......

 

[toggleswitch]

Thanks Robert / Unimatic.

SO ODD. I don't remember more than one Frigidaire product in this area, and that was a Frigidaire 1-18 washer in a summer home in Miller place (Suffolk County) L.I.

I did see Frigidaire brand in Rehoboth Beach, DE and Winston-Salem, NC. so I ASSUMED it was more southern.

Interestingly people's homes where I grew up (in a small area "suburb" outside of Flushing, Queens) came with a lot of WP. When those died lots of Sears KM came in. A spattering of Maytags and GE were around as well.

My earliest recollection of laundromats is mostly F/L wascomats and Philco-Bendix.

 

[scott55405]

Very nice finds! My great aunt had that RCA Whirlpool timeline washer with suds saver, from about 1958. Sadly a very shortlived design, but very longlived washer. It replaced her Westinghouse Laundromat, though she had the Laundromat dryer through the entire run of this washer. Both were still working when she passed in 1993.