New Addition: 1962 Aussie FRIGIDAIRE Three Ring Agitator MultiMatic Washer

[mayfan69]

Hi Guys

Here's the latest addition to the collection. A 1962 MultiMatic. I actually bought this last October but have only just been able to get it home now. It had been sitting in a garage for the 10 years or so.

The machine seems to be working fine...pulsating and spinning correctly.

It will need a new diaphragm and ciculator ring as you will see. Need to try and track these down.

Cheers
Leon

 

[mayfan69]

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[mayfan69]

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[mayfan69]

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Long shot...cabinet in pretty good condition..may need a re-spray at some stage

 

[mayfan69]

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Left side control panel

 

[mayfan69]

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Right side control panel

 

[mayfan69]

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Money shot....interior
As you can see, the diaphragm is split and will need replacing. The circulator ring is cracked too.

 

[peteski50]

Euro Frigidaire!

Leon,
Real nice Frigidaire - I like the back open lid. I wish they would have kept that design in the usa. The water inlet looks somewhat different than usa models were. I hope you get it up and running.
Peter

 

[gyrafoam]

Very kool MultiMatic. The lines on the console remind me of the "instructions" at the beginning of "the Outer Limits" television program about the same vintage!

I also notice it has a rather lenghthy "Lint Away Wash" compared to its U.S. bretheren.

 

[phamq]

Mayfan69: you should have a link that shows your collection so we all can see.

 

[hilovane]

"Do not attempt to adjust the controls on your washing machine.
We control the wash time...the water temperature...the water level...we can make it agitate vigorously and spin at very high speeds. We can reduce the speeds to a more gentle mode..."

-paraphrased fro the opening of "The Outer Limits"

 

[gansky1]

Sweet!!

I love the fill-flume on the right side under the lid, would love to see this machine running!

Someone asked about an anti-clockwise timer - here is one example. The rounded cabinet corners and rear-opening lid make it feel like we're in the Twilight Zone...

Beautiful find - congratulations!

 

[appnut]

Greg, what do you mean by anti-clockwise timer? This one moves clockwise, not counterclockwise.

Leon, absolutely beautiful. I didn't like back-opening lids. That made the lids get in the way if I wanted to see what the timer was doing or if I wanted to move it around a bit and Frigidaires and Maytags were my prime targets.

 

[gansky1]

Timer moves...

Oh, duh. Too early for me I guess ;-)

 

[jetcone]

Actually Bob

we don't know which way the timer motor moves in that machine, it will depend on how many gears are mounted between the motor and dial. But if it was a direct control then to turn the dial clockwise the timer motor would have to turn CCW.

Leon very nice find it is a paralell universe machine for sure!

email me.

jon

 

[rapunzel]

'Euro Frigidaire!'

What? Did these come from Europe? I thought it was an Australian Frigidaire.

 

[mayfan69]

"Euro Frigidaire?"

Rapunzel,

Yes, Aussie Frigidaires were built in Victoria Australia.
I'm pretty sure Pete probably said "Euro" as a metaphor.

Leon

 

[rapunzel]

Mate, if washers had balls this would be it - nothing 'E

Ta mate for clarifying. I would have been extremely surprised had this been a 'Euro-Frigidaire'. This beauty of a machine looks as Aussie as the proverbial shrimp on the barbie (not the bl'dy doll). We took the blueprint from the Americans and made it all ours. In true Aussie style, wysiwyg, unnecessary embellishments and feminine flourishes were left out. It drips Australian confidence, masculinity, pragmatism and aesthetics. I reckon if there was such a thing as a bloke's washer this would be it. Mate, I'd be proud to let it wash my dirty duds.

Cheers

rapunzel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Australia_Fair

 

[jetcone]

Good on Ya!

And if you care to read the backsplash, it says "HOLDEN'S".

There is a big clue!

jet

 

[chestermikeuk]

Wow Leon.....

You certainly are finding those gems...keep at it I say, lovely looking Frigidaire, so classic & clean lines, whats the definition of the Lint Away Wash & Rinse...!!

Euro Frigidaire, it did exist!!! was called the Frigidaire JetaMatic and was based on the MultiMatic Mechanism with a 3kw heater built into it...thats gonna be like a holy Grail over here!!!

Happy Hunting, Mike

 

[mickeyd]

Gorgeous Washer--and in the spirit of

"Outer Limits" and too early clock-winding direction, what about my crazy perception? To me, the machine screams sheer '57 Tower. So there ya go;'D--except for the brown squiggly frosting decorations--now that, I agree, is masculine magic Australian originality. God! how I'd love to come down under before I croak.

 

[jetcone]

Hey Mike

In '77 I used a Frigidaire laundry in London. They had Jet Action machines with the gray 3 cone agigtators, and square windows in the lids, would they have been roller matics or Multimatics???

They had a bit narrower cabinet than US machines but they still got the clothes clean!

It was the tiniest laundro mat around the corner from Cheney Walk, I think it was off Sloane Sq.

 

[arrrooohhh]

Exiciting!

This is a lovely Machine Leon.

Hope it serves you well. This machine was featured in Choice 1965 test of washing machines. Apparently (according to my mid sixties copy of Mingays) there was another machine above this one, with another knob to select normal and gentle actions. It was advertised as being a 4 speed model (two wash and two spin speeds)

What is happening with the Hoover 565?

 

[mayfan69]

Hoover 565

Thanks Ash,

The Hoover 565 and a semi automatic Simpson Fluid Drive are on their way to Brisbane. They should be here next week sometime.

Cheers
Leon

 

[arrrooohhh]

Ohh is it this Fluid Drive that was on ebay a while back?

 

[mayfan69]

Fluid Drive

Hey Ash,

This one in the pic i did buy and was delivered months ago...just hadn't got around to taking any pics.

The one coming up is a later model, but still called "Simpsomatic" with the plastic ribbed liner.

Cheers
Leon

 

[jetcone]

Oh Leon

please more pictures of that Simpson! That looks cool!!!

jon

 

[mayfan69]

More pics

Very well Jon,

The next time i'm at my folks (where the machine is being stored), i'll take some pics. Hopefully, the other 2 machines will arrive this weekend and i'll take pics of all three.

Cheers
Leon

 

[arrrooohhh]

Cant wait for all those pictures!

 

[ronhic]

I love that Simpson...my father bought one for my grandmother with lottery winnings in the early 1960s....

My mother had a 1968 Simpson Fluid Drive automatic...had a lovely row of about 9-10 push buttons on the LHS...ribbed bowl and I used to love watching it spin with the whirlpool effect it created....