The Great White Whatsit, or Almost a Food-a-Rama

[fridgefixer]

I am an appliance repairman and used appliance dealer. I get trade-in/haul-away appliances from a couple of big box stores, then fix them up for sale. Frankly, I often let the older ones go to the scrap yard, but I recently saved an early '60's (?) refrigerator because it was in amazing shape, and had pretty much all of the hard-to-find pieces. In fact, the only thing that seems to be missing is the half of the manufacturer tag that would have had the model number on it! Anyone know what this is? It's an Admiral side-by-side with a manual-defrost freezer section. It is 48 inches wide, about 5 feet tall, and counter depth, all very unlike modern refrigerators. It has a lot in common with a Crosley Food-a Rama, but looks like it might be a few years newer.

It's making good temperature, has nice gaskets, and is in really amazing shape. The most significant damage is a bit of cracking on the lower door sill of the freezer compartment, probably from the previous owner trying to cram something a little to big under the non-adjustable shelves. Mechanically, it has a wheezy condenser fan, but it runs fine with the help of an external fan, and the original looks just like the motor used in the glass-front beverage coolers at your local convenience store, so it would be a simple thing to replace. It is also massively, monstrously heavy, as well as being eccentrically sized, so it really needs to go to a collector, rather than going into a rental property, like most of what I sell, but I am out of my depth on this one. Anyone know what I have, and if it's special enough to be collectable?

 

[norgeway]

LOVE IT!!!!

No frost free, That sells it to me!

 

[norgeway]

I wish I was closer,

THAT would be in my kitchen!!!!

 

[tomturbomatic]

Great Find! Thanks for trying to save.

OK, Going by info in the NARDA appliance trade in blue book which is not always absolutely accurate, 1962 is shown as the only year that the model that was 63 inches high by 49 wide was available both as no frost and manual defrost which would make sense in the early years of no frost freezing compartments. The model number for that box is DR421 and the freezer is rated at 346 lbs. The two no frost freezer models were NDR521 and NDR621. The basic manual defrost box sold for $480, the next model for $535 and the NDR 621 for $565. It might have had an ice maker, but I don't know about that.

Two part epoxy will easily repair the freezer door sill crack. Probably new high efficiency fan motors would reduce the operating costs.

 

[launderess]

Believe what you've got a hold of their is an Admiral "Duplex" refrigerator/freezer.

They came in three sizes; big, bigger, and giant. *LOL*

https://books.google.com/books?id=r...onepage&q=admiral duplex refrigerator&f=false

https://www.repairclinic.com/UserManual/957ea5afd431441790c7769d19f41167/Admiral-Refrigerator-Repair-Manual-Dns22h9-7L45A-Dns22h9-8N57A-Dns22h9

 

[launderess]

For You OP!

Pipe:

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[rp2813]

I had a feeling there was supposed to be a basket at the bottom of the freezer section.

 

This may be a tough thing to unload due to its dimensions, and not everyone feels the same as Hans when it comes to frosts-freely models.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

My mother-in-law said she’d once owned an Admiral Duplex side-by-side, too...

Surely hers was not that big, and I know it defrosted itself...

And White was the color of every major appliance she’d ever owned....

— Dave

 

[jamiel]

Wow---that's a behemoth. Interesting reprise of the Foodarama...with the cold plate and everything. I'd bet this was a completely stripped (base) model (without a freezer basket) because it's logo is "Dual-Temp"...I'd bet that Duplex implied frost free both-sides, and this might be one year before the picture above (though the picture calls out cold-plate refrigerator). I don't think that Admiral and Kelvinator ever partnered for refrigeration; but this sure is a linkage between the two.

 

[goatfarmer]

I'm betting that weighs about 3000 pounds, give or take! Surprisingly nice shape, most times the trade ins I get are dented, scratched, missing shelves, etc, because the delivery people don't care.

Beautiful 'fridge, I would have picked it up just for it being unusual. I saw a similar Coldspot fridge, in Avocado, years ago. Still kick myself for not getting it!

 

[turbokinetic]

Really nice!

I haven't seen one like that before and as you said, it's quite unlike modern units. I've got 10+ fridges now and can't take in any more, or that might be an option....

 

[norgeway]

If I could lift

And it wasn't so far away I would buy it in a heart beat,,,I HATE LOATHE DESPISE Frost Free fridges and self cleaning ovens, Sensi Temps and Speed Heat!!!!LOL

 

[launderess]

Admiral was advertsing "Dual Temperature" Fridges

Going back to the 1950's



It was their way of promoting their refrigerators offered two separate temperature controls; one for fridge and another the freezer. So all types of foods could be stored at proper temperature.

The brochure in second link provided spells everything out.

Still this "Dual Temp" fridge in OP is advertised to hold nearly 340lbs of food. Cannot imagine buying and storing that much unless one was Mrs. Mike Brady.

 

[jamiel]

And from a few years earlier....thanks to Michigan State University library

https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/sliker/msuspcsbs_admi_thehomeeco4/msuspcsbs_admi_thehomeeco4.pdf

 

[jamiel]

And even earlier...Hudsons' was Detroit's great department store, massive building in downtown Detroit. They were big enough to private-label their own appliances (as you can see here) rather than using AMC (believe they were members, though).

Refrigerators | Detroit Historical Society

 

[turbokinetic]

Jamiel, that's a neat brochure. They really cover a lot of useful info on the food prep as well as use of the fridge and freezer.

 

[kate1]

I would love a fridge like that. I just don’t have the space for one in the house I’m renting right now lol. I actually prefer manual defrost freezers but they’re pretty much impossible to find combined with with a refrigerator nowadays. A fridge that size would definitely need to find a home with a big family like mine, otherwise I can’t imagine being able to keep it full.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Wow, you got ME just ADMIRING this ADMIRAL!

I had no idea that next to dryers, there was a need in your REFRIGERATOR for an Ozone Ultraviolet light!

Where exactly did it go?! In the same housing as the light that goes on when you open the door, then off when you close it, and in turn actually sustaining more life for your food, extending more life to your perishables?!

Where is a feature like that today, where we seem to be actually throwing OUT more things, just because the expiration date is a mere DAY-OLD?!

Take a look at MY refrigerator lighting: Only ably lighting the cabinet, and in this "daylight-themed" ordinary incandescent... (Boo, my Whirlpool is Jealous!)

(Or perhaps, I need an RCA, circa 1968, in FAWN!)

-- Dave

 

[norgeway]

notice in the old commercial

The reason the old fridges keep food so much better...MOIST COLD modern frost free fridges blow air over your food, drying it out, the old ones like this keep fresh food much longer, I hate a frost free, also in the freezer the fluctuating temps during defrost freezer burn everything, defrosting is one chore I never minded.