LOL Thanks, everyone--you're so awesome ;-)
Well, let's see...
Togs: Thanks! You'll have to come visit, and we can Amanafy! Bring all the clothes you own, and we might make the Ex-Large fill level. The thing holds a ton!
Jamie: I loved these, too...my family was a Kenmore/Whirlpool family all the way when I grew up (my friend had a GE Filter-Flo, and I remember just staring at it for minutes on end, mind blown by the single-action agitator and the lint filter), and stuff like the Raytheon machines (SQ and Amana) was just absolutely exotic by comparison. Of course, if one examines the repair history *cough*, we see that, much like an exotic sports car, it requires an attendant mechanic, but no matter

That's what we're for!
LOL--regarding using a broken Norge, I pretty much was. By the time I phased it out, Rick came downstairs and watched as it agitated slo-o-o-wly and could barely burpalate any water. He looked up, and said, "Is it supposed to be that slow?" I just sort of looked at him, and he muttered "right," under his breath, and went back upstairs. When I told him that I was setting it aside for overhauling, he actually quietly hissed a "Yesss!" The things a girl has to put up with! :-D
The final load in the Norge had to be removed by hand, then the machine agitated to drain it, then the clothes put back in, the timer reset to spin, and you hoped that it'd hit full spin speed.
I've got some work to do. *looks at fingernails*
Greg: Well, here's my theory. The main drive pulley on the Norge is bent and has a crease in it, so I suspect what happened is that the axle that broke-off underneath due to the failed weld probably wagged its way underneath that pulley, and at some point when the machine was set-down, the pulley landed on that axle, and it was bent. This causes the machine to chatter while running (godawful sound), and due to the now off-kilter drive pulley, it's constantly wobbling the belt and it chews it up...even brand-new ones. I need to figure out how to straighten the pulley without damaging the tranny. Maybe I can find a pulley to match it and replace it--I'm hoping it doesn't have an exotic seal where the pulley attaches to the shaft of the tranny. But it'll be interesting to find a pulley with not only the correct diameter, but also the correct collar length.
That, and I need to remove the top and redo the outer-tub seal properly--the duct tape and silicone has reached the end of the line

You know how it goes with Norges--factory-original materials like that just don't hold up over decades of use. It's understandable.
Re: the Amana--I think you're right, and it is a looker. It's fourteen years old, though, and that's well outside of it's maximal life expectancy already...so in all honesty, I'm cruising on borrowed time as it is. I'll just have fun with it while I'm able
Re: DD Kenmores--*slapslapslapslapslap!!* ;-)
Patrick: Thank you, and you took the words right out of my mouth. Most ads for these that I do see here say just that: "Has small leak. Probably easy to fix" (and then they price the machine at $150). If only they knew.
Mike: LOL!!! So wonderful to hear from you! Yes, I moved to Kansas City from San Francisco in August (to which I had moved from Tucson the preceding September). I know, I'm all over the place!
The Amana is slightly louder than a Maytag but far quieter than a Norge--let's put it that way. It's quieter than a DD Kenmore on agitation but has a resonating hum from the motor when it spins. It's not objectionable.
As for how I look in an apron, well, let's skip that and go straight for the gusto--I remember that little dainty you're talking about. It was a little hard to get over the shoulders, but it made my derriere positively callipygous!
Plus, with all that chiffon, just a trip through the Super Unimatic, and it was ready to wear! ;-)