Introducing... the 1968 WP Imperial MK Xll dryer with the "station wagon tailgate" door!

[revvinkevin]

You may remember I acquired this 1968 Whirlpool Imperial Mark Xll washer and dryer set a few months back. Well, the dryer door only opened one way and today finally took the time repair the door so it now opens properly.

So now I present the station wagon tailgate (clears throat) erm, the Whirlpool dryer with the two-way door!

First, the dryer itself.

 

[revvinkevin]

Close up of the door....

Before Gordon (Kenmoreguy64) told me about this set, He, I and the shop owner who took in this set in, had NEVER seen a two way door like this!

 

[revvinkevin]

The door opening as most do... dropping down.

 

[revvinkevin]

Now the surprise... that old station wagon trick... the swing open!

It's wild that this dryer door opens two ways like this (since I had NEVER heard of one doing this)... but it's pretty cool!

 

[scott55405]

Wow, who knew? Very cool. I guess they figured since they had the station wagon wood, they may as well do a station wagon door! LOL I think that was about the time those 2 way station wagon doors first became popular.

 

[laundromat]

I heard Whirlpool swings both ways!Now it's all come out in the wash---or should I have said dry?

 

[stainfighter]

what a guy!!!...

we're lucky to have Kenmore64 Gordon aka Dr. Kenmore

 

[polkanut]

Personally, I think that set is gorgeous! It's too bad that today's machines are so generic looking.

 

[bygted]

Neato

It's magic! - just like the 50's Philco V handle fridge that opens from either side!

 

[redcarpetdrew]

It might even look nicer if you'd finish taking it out of the box... (ducks and runs...)

RCD

 

[autowasherfreak]

That's cool. I've never seen a door like that before. That set is gorgeous anyway. Was it possible to get the wood grain with other colors. I think the wood with harvest gold would make a nice combination.

 

[revvinkevin]

Red Carpet Drew.....

Wow, really? Dam! I always thought that was part of the machines all this time! Since you are the appliance repair guy you would know for sure.

OK, I'll remove the rest of the packaging this weekend, but I think it's glued on and having to scrap all the adhesive off may damage the paint (if there is any paint under there to begin with)! I'll let you know what happens!

 

[polkanut]

Kevin,

Just leave well enough alone! It looks fabulous the way it is, to do anything else to it would ruin it.

 

[DADoES]

John Lefever/Combo52 has one in coppertone, I saw it at the Beltsville gathering in 2002.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

I'll let you know what happens!

ROFLMAO!!! I don't think I ducked low enough or ran fast enough...

Now, Kevin... If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were being slightly sarcastic...

Seriously, I think the way that door opens is really neat. The only thing that could have been cooler is if they'd made it so the door swing was reversable. Was there a matching washer with the wood covering?

RCD

 

[goatfarmer]

Great looking set, Kevin!

And I thought I'd seen it all.....

 

[polkanut]

It is a shame that Whirlpool isn't a switch hitter ;-)!!!

 

[circlew]

The dryer that thinks it's a Country Squire

I like it! This model also came in Sapphire Blue and a tan color whose name I can't recall. Don't think they'd come out with Harvest Gold yet when these were available.

 

[gowest84]

Out of curiosity....

Does anyone know why they made and marketed a machine like that? Was it popular or was it a fluke? (I think I know but I'd rather hear from others since there might be something I'm missing.)

Beyond the novelty, was there something about the houses or laundry rooms that required something like that? I guess it's the history major in me wondering why.

 

[supremewhirlpol]

I do really like your set Kelvin. That is my Dream washing machine. There is no other Whirlpool like the 1968 version. What an awesome machine!! Kelvin you cherish those puppies.

 

[magic clean]

Color question

tan color whose name I can't recall="Doeskin"

 

[scott55405]

Glenn I just noticed something interesting-John's dryer's drum has the "fins" that are "molded" into the metal, where Kevin's appears to have the ones more like we know today. Perhaps it was about that time they switched the style from one to the other?

 

[circlew]

Thank's for responding

Magic Clean, but Doeskin wasn't the name of the color. The one I have in mind is somewhat darker, but not as dark as "Toast" that they had later on. It was mentioned in the ad from around '67 or '68 (think it was a pic of day a month or so ago)that showed Coppertone, Saphire, and Avocado. Though the tan wasn't pictured, I remember seeing it in the stores at the time, and it was a bit darker than the Doeskin Sears Coldspot fridge my friend Glenna had.

 

[DADoES]

Edged Fawn, perhaps.

 

[DADoES]

Scott, interesting question. I'm not knowing the details regarding changes in drum baffles. My note on John's dryer says it's a 1970 model, as compared to Kevin's being 1968 ... but I don't know for sure as I don't have a pic of the model tag, and for some idiot reason I also didn't get a shot of the control panel.

On a quick look at the four Whirly dryers in my garage, RJ's 1985 standard-capacity has two small integral baffles and one larger plastic attached. The other three are super-capacity (198x Kenmore, 1992 KA, and 2003? Calypso-match) and have three plastic baffles, 2 large and 1 small IIRC.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Cool question about the dryer baffles - our 1972 Kenmore was configued like most 5.9 cu. ft. dryers, with two in-molded baffles like you see in John's coppertone machine, and one black plastic baffle that you can see in Kevin's. The in-molded ones are either very reminiscent or identical to those in the belt-drive blower dryers of the early 60s.

I am pretty sure that 5.9 cu ft. models were made that way for many many years, until either recently or are still made this way. I don't think the 6.5/6.8/6.9/7.0 cu ft. models with the filter on top ever hand in-molded baffles. My 1986 Kenmore and my 1977 Kenmore both have the baffles as DADoES describes them - two large and one smaller one. One is a 6.8 unit, the other a 6.9.

 

[revvinkevin]

BTW.... here is a photo of both the washer and dryer together.

On the dryer baffles: All of the KM or WP dryers I remember seeing (except the new ones) have 2 metal molded baffles and one plastic. I just looked in the 1963 70 series dryer I have and was surprised to see it has 3 metal molded baffles only.