March 1982 was good for MATCHED HOTPOINTS!

[robm]

Hi Paul and Rob

Congratulations on your new acquired machines, they look lovely and mint. I wonder, does this have the interim straight to top speed spin?

I don't actually know how to tell how old my 18580 is, can you help at all?

Rob

 

[hotpoint95622]

I want one

Absolutely fantastic, what a testament to made in Great Briton, built to last, why cant we have stuff built to last any more, we should ask Hotpoint to produce re-runs of the liberators and the 18 series. I would be first in line to order. I want one..

 

[aquarius1984]

Cheers Lee,

They are way superior to what is badged up as Hotpoint these days but thats what makes them so special I guess.

Just explained to Matty why these are so rare to find due to the lack of features one in particular I forgot to mention, no Fabric Softener Dispenser.

Probably a good thing for me being a FS junkie - you should of seen Mikes face yesterday when I just open and poured a good glugg of Comfort Tropical into the Servis Starlight although I did use half the reccommended dose of vintage Wisk Liquid.

 

[electron1100]

Tumble dryers

Argghhh you lads .......
Amazing absolutely amazing...I like it all.

That tumble dryer was the very first dryer i ever bought, i had that my first automatic washer which was an Electra (Zanussi) which spun at 470 rpm, I lived in an upstairs converted flat and that tumble dryer was on for hours, I also remember taking out sheets etc and reloading them becuase they used to end up in a ball as it rotated in one direction only also the droning from the motor went right through the flat (suspended floors), it annoyed the old lady downstairs so i agreed to not use it at night.

But to see it again and of course with its matching washer is great........well done again, i am pleased for you both.

(and please note that I have not even metioned the strawberry blond)

Gary

 

[matchboxpaul]

Its my turn tonight!

Thanks guys for all the nice words written. Its really nice to be able to share our 'luck' with people.

Our luck is to have a great mate over in Cardiff who, not only found the machine, but stored it for us, brought it up to us in Crewe and helped us rebuild it.
Although he isnt a member of the forum - yet! - he does keep a close eye on what goes on here, so will read this...

you are a superb friend and generous to the nth degree! Thanks for helping us rebuild our Bradford find (the 95620) and for finding and dealing with the 18361. All power to your elbow mate.

I am so glad that i stumbled across that old link to one of your ebay purchases!

Thankyou.
Paul and Rob

 

[matchboxpaul]

How do David. I will try and post a vid, either tonight or tomorrow, of the final rinse distribute and 800 spin. The file is a bit big, so will probably take all evening to load up on my antique computer and crappy performance wifi broadband - kindly!!!! supplied by my landlord Rigsby!
I can also confirm that the dryers are loud - especially this one as it needs new bearings, for which an order will be placed soon.

Hi Darren. Hope you are fine and glad you are enjoying the thread. Will be posting some more of the nitty gritty restoration pics very soon.

Hi Ingemar. Cheers for your comment, although what looks like the door handle is in fact the hinge cover. Believe me though, you arent the first person to make this mistake by any means. The number of Liberator (the purple version) and 18xxx series machines you used to see, in the 1980s UK, with that hinge cover missing was uncountable. They do look just like big door releases and people used to break them off as they fought to open the door, not noticing that straight in front of them was a door release button.

next some more pics!
paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

The script...

 

[matchboxpaul]

The name...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and the sticker...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Matt. agree with you wholeheartedly - they aint bad lookers!
always stuck out a bit in kitchens due to the bigger than usual gap betwen the top of the machine and the bottom of the worksurface, but then Hotpoint sold enough of their short n' squatt-uns, so people obviously didnt mind too much.

Hi Zachary. Brought memories of my mothers 95452 flooding back. Identical pattern of spin cycle to my mothers machine, whereas the 95620 stopped stationary in between spins and redistribution.
Memories of a machine that served my family well for just short of 20 years with little fuss. If it had gone on for two more years, it would now be in mine and robs collection and it really pains me that it isnt.

Hiya Rob.
I only discovered the secret of the Hotpoint dating process a couple of weeks ago and post an image of the spreadsheet i put together below.
I have only dealt with the 70s through to early 1990s, as i know neither when they introduced the system nor whether they still use it.
Either way, you look on the information panel on the rear of the machine. If the serial number is written like mine and robs machine, take the first two digits. On older machines the two digits are found in a seperate box to the right of the serial number, usually with the word 'code' written above.

This two digit number refers to a month and year, which you can uncode by using the table below. Mine and Robs machine is '59' which, you have to know the rough time of manufacture, dates it to November 1982.

Things are a bit wishy washy between 95 and 02, as hotpoint didnt use some of these numbers and i cant remember which ones they were.

I am pretty sure that the table below is accurate, as far as it goes, so date away people.

Cheers
paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

The restoration begins

Sorry to tease a bit Darren....to be continued tomorrow night:

 

[newwave1]

Wonderful stuff! That last pic was such a tease! I have great memories of these machines! We owned 2 18371 models, the first was ours replaced by the 9534 then when that was temporarily out of action (as things were to tight to repair it), my grandparents gave us their identical model and bought an aquarius 1200 99...eeh its late i forget, i'll back to you on that. And annoyingly that has just died and my grandma said "ooh i never thought to ask you if you'd want it dear!" 13years!!!!!!!!!!!! i've waited 13 years for that machine! lol!

Paul & rob, does this just the one water level throughout? I remember mine filling just up the door an inche or two and that was about it.

Heres a pic i found on ebay of the same machine i had!

Darren

 

[newwave1]

And heres the late great grannys aquarius 1200 WD!

R.I.P Hotty lol.

Darren

 

[liberator1509]

Wow

Hi Rob

What a fantastic find, and restoration - really cool to see such a great pair, and very rare Superbuys too...more power to you! Love the side-by-side pic!

 

[seamusuk]

Hotpoint Date codes..

Hey Paul

We have a copy fom 1990 odd to 2009 at work- will scan and Email ya Friday or Saturday.

Seamus

 

[mattywashboy]

wow they had no fabric softner dispenser??, how quirky lol.
I guess thats why it explains the flower symbol is the final rinse so housewives knew when to chuck in a good splash of Comfort !
M

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Darren.

So I am not the only one to have a Hotpoint 'Next Generation' snaffled from beneath my fingers! You lost a washer-dryer and I had a 1986 first series 9530 - oh the agony of it all. Bloody annoying eh!

Unlike you, I cant remember any of my family members having the later 18-series machines - friends had them though. My family had Liberators (1828's - no two button or variables), bought in the mid to late 70s, which saw them through to the New and Next Generations.

The fact that the basic mechanics of the Liberator saw service for 20 years, through the 18- series, New and Next Gens through to the WM's, is a testament to what a sound design the machines were. Well done Hotpoint!!!

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Lee.

Indeed, it has crossed my mind too that hotpoint should do a rerun of the Liberator design.
What fun that would be - would have to have the old superior build quality though or else it just wouldnt be right.

Unfortunately, with the story about the disposal of their own private historical collection (when Merloni moved in), it'll never happen.
We can but dream - plus we have our memories.

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Here you go Darren

The machine had some quite major internal restoration (and will need some more in the medium term) as it unfortunately suffers from the bane of enamel tubs - the dreaded rust, with the accompanyment of the good old leaks!!!!

We were aware that it had these issues as it had quickly been examined back down in Cardiff, so we knew that it needed things doing to it, although its safe to say that just quite how heavy a rebuild it would be came as a surprise to me and Rob.

This was how the machine looked, the first time we saw it in the flesh...

 

[matchboxpaul]

then fast forward to Crewe on Sunday just gone.

backplate and drum removal....