My New GE Dryer... A little help please...

[geextrarinse]

Hello everyone. I just picked up this mid 80's GE Dryer. Nothing special but the thing is - it's practically BRAND NEW. As the story goes - the owner's mother bought it new and never used it as she preferred to hang clothed outside. The woman I bought I from said her mother maybe used it half a dozen times but hated the static electricity and the whole experience next to line dried clothes and sheets. I agreed with her and was glad to pick this practically new machine up for relatively cheap.

 

[geextrarinse]

Here's some more pics...

inside...

 

[geextrarinse]

buttons...

shiny like new!

 

[geextrarinse]

Timer...

Mint!

 

[geextrarinse]

Name Plate...

nothing fancy...

 

[geextrarinse]

Model number

can someone give me a manufacture date?

 

[geextrarinse]

But here's the thing...

I HATE this faux woodgrain backsplash!!! It doesn't go with ANYTHING I have! Is there an older model similar to this one that I could swap out the controls for? Or even just the backsplash plate itself?

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions or better yet - a REPLACEMENT CONTROL PANEL - please let me know - I'd love to get a black and white one or even an earlier one. The overall machine itself is perfect - I just want to to look like it maybe somehow fits together and isn't so jarring.

Let me know what you think guys...

Thanks!
Matt

 

[akronman]

Serial number

Here's the link I always use for dates on manufacturing.

 

GE re-uses codes every 12 years, this is from October of 84, 96, or 2008.  We know it ain't 2008, but a GE expert here will best advise if it's 84 or 96, I'm not good at that-----but I'l bet a buck on 1984.

Appliance411: Service: How old is my appliance? Age finder

The serial number is usually the key to determining the manufacturing date (aka 'age') of most major home appliances. You can use our age finder service to try to find out how old your appliances may be

www.appliance411.com

 

[geextrarinse]

Yes it's got to be 1984

they didn't make these in 96 anymore - they went to cheap white plastic by then.
Thanks for that info!

 

[danemodsandy]

Matthew:

Let's face it, if you go messing around in the '70s or early '80s, you're going to hit Ye Olde Fayke Woode Graine sooner or later. Probably sooner.

I don't care for it any more than you do, but it's as much a part of appliance history as big, chromed, die-cast emblems are for '50s appliances.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I enjoy originality in vintage appliances. I'm sure modding and combining is fun for those who enjoy it, but I enjoy preserving appliances as they actually were.

That having been said, I am still trying to make my peace with the Almond color of my Maytag 806s.

 

[qsd-dan]

I am still trying to make my peace with the Almond color of

If I can make peace with 3 harvest gold 806 sets, you should be able to make peace with one Almond set standing on your head

 

[rp2813]

I like how the outline around the timed cycles ended up looking like a coat hanger.

 

[qualin]

If it only had the matching washer!

 

[tomturbomatic]

Congratulations! I like GE dryers

Do like many of our moms did and keep a cover over it when not in use to protect it from dust. Something like a folded sheet will hide and protect it.

 

[toggleswitch]

1984 sounds about right. This was the first dryer I owned.
Enjoy it!

(Mine was the gas version)

 

[gansky1]

Nice dryer - and your favorite brand! I don't mind the woodgrain - represents the era it came from and a panel-swap isn't out of the question. Good find!!

 

[danemodsandy]

Dan:

"If I can make peace with 3 harvest gold 806 sets, you should be able to make peace with one Almond set standing on your head"

If I could find a complete set of Harvest majors, I could probably live with it if I had a bit of an adjustment period.

Avocado, on the other hand, would take Thorazine.

 

[geextrarinse]

Heres the set...

It's a start - but a more appropriate backsplash on the dryer would be great....

 

[bajaespuma]

If I were you, I would do nothing and wait for a backsplash from a similar GE dryer to come along. That set of controls (five buttons on the left, 4 temperatures, 1 safety start switch; control dial with 3 cycle regions, Automatic, PP, Timed)really didn't change that much over a period of more than 15 years and it's likely you will find a GE dryer with the same set of controls attached to an older backsplash that will fit the controls and wiring of your machine. Maybe even one that will match (more or less) that beautiful, I'm betting 1969 WWA8500D?

 

This one was posted by a member many years ago; maybe they still have it and would sell it to you. I'll keep my eye out for one.