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Unimatic1140

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I'm surprised no one found and posted this Craigslist ad, but three days after it was up I called and went and picked up this little 70s Whirlpool washer look-a-like dishwasher...[this post was last edited: 5/2/2013-23:07]

unimatic1140++5-2-2013-23-07-14.jpg
 
I've never had a Whirlpool made dishwasher before. It will be fun to play with for a while. Last night when Fred and I first put a bit of test water in it the water ran right out and onto the floor. Had towels ready.

unimatic1140++5-2-2013-22-10-47.jpg
 
Turned out that the big rubber sump gasket wasn't able so seal properly anymore. Luckily they are still available. I went to my parts place and picked one up after work today. Installed it and the machine seems to work perfectly now.

unimatic1140++5-2-2013-22-12-26.jpg
 
and closer in. So we haven't washed dishes in it yet, but we will soon. I'm looking forward to see how this machine performs.

Now it needs a window!

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Neat Find!

That's a great looking Whirlpool dishwasher Robert. Perhaps a little pricey, but still an absolute steal, considering age and condition. 

 

The wash system also looks like it could clean anything (within reason, of course), and I imagine a machine of this age won't have self-clean filters (This is pre WP PowerClean module, right?). I certainly look forward to seeing a plexiglass window on this machine, that's for sure (Bob-Load of super-soiled dishes! Imagine the fun of watching all that "crap" flying around in there). 

 

Again, an absolute steal. Hope you and Fred have plenty of fun with this one :-)
 
Robert, You and Fred find the coolest things. The "Whirlpool" logo looks fairly contemporary. Have you been able to determine the year of manufacture? I think there would still be a market for these in older homes with tiny kitchens and no option for a built-in. Very nice find. arthur
 
Hey! I used to have that dishwasher. Give it back! I owned this exact model for over 7 years. The only weak spot for me was the detergent dispenser bottom door. The plastic hinge would wear out.
 
Cool Machine

I bought my Mom in 1970 a Mark 100 TOL.
It had the exact same Wash Arms and Filtering System.

Here is another example of "Will wash the chrome off a Trailer Hitch. SuperWash does exactly what the name says.

Have a Blast with that Gem.
 
Congratulations!

John had one like this with a fluorescent light that a collector got. You will be amazed at what this machine does. For as good as I believe KA dishwashers to be, I believe that WP dishwashers are more powerful cleaners. This model is a little funny with the tower-mounted upper wash arm, but I think you will be very pleasantly surprised at the way this modern machine performs.
 
Oh, very cool Robert! Nice to see that the detergent cups are intact on this one - The Inglis that Phil mentioned had that issue (as well as the 'wash the floor while you wash the dishes' problem.... LOL).

This is a great find indeed - congratulations!
 
Have you been able to determine the year of manufacture?
Not exactly, but I believe its probably 1974-1975 range. The model number is 5VP80W0.

Does the upper wash arm lift off when loading the lower rack, or do you just rotate it out of the way as you load?
No you just rotate it out of the way, not the most convenient machine to load, but if it washes as good as some say it will be fun to use.
 
 

 

That is TOTALLY awesome Robert and it's in really amazing shape too!

 

I really like that it has an upper wash arm.    If we were closer I'd put my name on the interest list once you are ready to move it along.

 

CONGRATS!!!!

 

I look forward to hearing more about how it works!

 

Kevin
 
Beautiful

"B" "A" Love the way they organize the Rinse/Hold cycle, almost as much as I really love the push/pull giant dial. How rare and cool is that-- a REAL dial!

The DD here is a WP Portable TL, doubly armed, surgically clean dishes.

Have fun. Whirlpool Rules! ;'D

.
 
Portable Memories 1988-1997....

Robert,

It's so funny that you got this machine as I was just discussing this machine with my mother a few weeks back. I was looking for a portable for my new house, and how I wished we still had the "pop-top glass smasher" as she used to call it.

You see, we were given this VERY machine by her grandparents. They had JUST remodeled their circa 1975 Kitchen (when they first built their last home); and in the remodel my Gran decided SHE wanted a "built in kind" instead. I do remember "Pops" telling once when I was playing with it , (and with the admonishment to STOP that); with the fact that it cost more than his first car that he bought in 1928 so.... :-)

Anyway, after the remodel was over, they gave it to us so we could have a dishwasher. We got it from them and put it to use RIGHT away. My sisters, brother and I thought it was the golden savior cometh...LOL! Anyway, it was a VERY good dishwasher. Of course up until then we did all ours by hand so we did have little to go by. The only thing that every happened to it was : It survived my youngest stepsister putting DAWN dish detergent in it when we were out of our standard Cascade or Electrasol, and unknowingly set a movie scene in motion.. That was our only Brady Bunch moment. IT put about three feet of suds in the kitchen, mudroom and into the dining-room before it was stopped by her realizing what she had done.

The only MAJOR issue to us was that upper rack. We had several instances with the rack dropping out of the little "Wheel" tracks on the side. And dropping glasses below where of course they would shatter into a bazillion pieces we'd have to suck out with the vacuum. Because of this, after about a month we ended up having a no glass glass rule in the dishwasher after about 10 glasses smashed in the bottom of it.. Design flaw maybe??

Chad
 
Nice DW, Robert.

It reminds me a lot of the Kenmore portable my Aunt Doris bought while we were visiting her family in the summer of '68. My then five year old cousin Melanie kept saying I like it, I like it, I like it.
 
 
03920F939

The serial seemingly indicates Findlay, 1969, 39th week.  Otherwise 9 would be 1979 or 1989 which isn't reasonable for the vintage of the unit.

Older serial syntax with the factory & date info at the end.

"New" syntax would be F93903920.
 
DADoES is right. I bought mine in 1969. No one would ever call it quiet, but it was very powerful, especially on the Super Wash. Almost never had to scour pots and pans.
 
Aferim!

I just love Top Loading Dishwashers. And these 'pools with their backsplashes were especially cool machines. Use it in good health!

 

One of the reasons I collect them is that they're absolutely great for washing things you wouldn't put in your daily driver like tools, trash bins, appliance parts, refrigerator bins and shelves, filters, dispensers, agitators, icky home stuff that you don't want to wash by hand, but wouldn't put where your dishes go. They are wonderfully useful. This one reminds me of those nifty Japanese Clothes washers.
 
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