REBIRTH OF THE 1965 CUSTOM IMPERIAL

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this is what it looked like when i first saw it this summer!

a beautiful 1965 turquoise custom imperial rollermatic washer that my friend walt gave me. i drove to middleport new york just to get it!

 

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it was my dream washer!

my aunt had the same model in coppertone when i was a kid! i loved it then and i love it now!

 

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this is what it looked like after i got

done dropping it off the truck in erie pa. at about 2 a.m. in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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i was suicidal

i think!!!!

 

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i was sick over it!

i remember i picked up all the peices i could find that nite and threw them in the truck! it was dark out and it had landed in a ditch!

 

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i never thought i'd see that

control panel again!

 

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so i put all the peices away

for abour 4 months and concentrated on the rest of the machine.

like priming and painting the outside of the inner tub.

 

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priming and painting the outer tub

and even putting in a second drain.

 

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pulling out the mechanism

and giving it a complete tear down and cleaning. assembling it back with new stainless bolts

 

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here's a good "before"

pic

 

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all rollers were

dissassembled and cleaned. the motor was oiled.

 

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outer tub

cleaned up and painted very well

 

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as well as the

inner tub

 

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so after all that i got the

desire to try and put the control panel back together. i really did not want the washer to lose it's original look. making a panel out of wood or plastic would just not do it!

so in november with marilyn looking on i began my work!

 

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i dug out all my

peices and prayed that i had enough to do it right!

i bought plastic cement and began!

 

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i started gluing peices back together

using plastic rulers for support braces on the inside surface.

 

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a miracle started to happen!

here's pics of it all coming together!

 

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and

control buttons were not destroyed

 

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more

gluing!

 

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even this could

be fixed

 

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the timer

was not hurt in the fall!

 

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i even had enough

of the timer dial gears and parts to get it working!

 

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the control buttons

were coming together again

 

[70series]

Good luck on your rebuild of that machine. May you bring it back to life completely.

Have a good one,
James

 

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i wanted it to have it's

lited control panel again so i bought a new bulb. all the other parts except the switch were still there! i did put in a new ballast.

 

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starting to lok

like a custom imperial again!

 

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all switches but

2 work perfectly!

i wired it up and all cycles runs perfectly!

 

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the lid for the

detergent/fabric softner is not damaged and is made of metal!
love that logo with the "rapidry" on it!

 

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i did put on a new

motor protector i got from mark michaels. the original was destroyed in the fall.

def startin to look good!

 

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it was

turning out much better than i expected!