The new guy and his Pink 1959 Lady Kenmore Washer / Dryer

[LadysMan]

Hi folks, just wanted to introduce myself and my new Ladys. The Ladys were listed on C-list for all of about an hour and a half when I found the post. Unfortunately they were holed up in a thrift shop that, while they listed a phone #, closed immediately after posting the ad! I called and left a message and e-mailed a reply with no response. They had listed the hours of operation so I had to get up early (I work evenings, ugh.) and drive about an hour to the shop to get there before they opened. Yeah, I was pretty serious. I arrived about 15 minutes early to find the front doors wide open. "Yikes!" But all was good, the Ladys were still tucked safely in the back room. No haggling. I happily dropped the $200 in the sellers hand and loaded up the dryer. I had to get it home, make an appearance at the girlfriends moms, and then make the hour trip back to get the washer just before closing. I got them home safely, cleaned them up and took some pics. Hope you all like them! Oh, and how do I get the dryer door open? Do I need to plug it in?



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[volvoguy87]

Congratulations!

You have a rare find there. Before hooking these beauties up and seeing how they run, I would strongly encourage you to see what comes of this thread. There are steps to take for awakening these machines from a long period of storage which may include:

Pouring in some very hot water and letting it soak for a little while to prime and soften the pump,

Checking certain components for wear, proper adjustment, and signs of leaks,

Properly lubricating certain parts,

And finally a specific sequence of 1st time operation to test components in a specific order so you can stop the procedure if a problem arises.

See what Kenmoreguy64 and others say about how to awaken a WP/KM Belt Drive washer. They have several known points of wear and failure and it would be a good idea to inspect these areas to determine their condition prior to running them. They can be tricky, but are worth the effort. Just take care so you don't inadvertently damage any hard to find parts.

Congratulations and welcome,
Dave

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice save!

 

[saltysam]

Nice save LM!!!

Wow fantastic looking set you found there........Where about in St. Louis are ya? Festus here.
Mark

 

[revvinkevin]

You found The Holy Grail!

Holy pink washer & dryer Batman! Those have to be the ULTIMATE find (in my humble opinion), I am SO jealous, CONGRATULATIONS!

Last year I helped a friend sell a 1959 Lady K washer (in white) and had a chance to play with it first, very, VERY cool machine!

Congrats again!
Kevin

 

[bellalaundry]

Wow, great score!

Beautiful machines.

I went to your flickr page...you have great style! I'd love to find an untouched house like yours!

Where is the laundry room in your house? Is it finished?

Guy

 

[frigilux]

Congratulations! They're a beautiful pair and so much fun to play with. I grew up with a 1960 Kenmore Model 80 (same type of rapid-advance cycle selectors) and then found a yellow '59 Lady K pair sitting outside the appliance store across the street from my warehouse apartment in 1994. The dryer had been used quite a bit, but the washer had never seen water! Stupidly, I sold them for almost nothing to a struggling young couple who needed a set.

You're going to love it. I hope the interior tub light and ultra-violet light work, as well as the in-console fabric softener dispenser. And you have the best of both worlds: a waterfall recirculator without having to actually clean a lint filter!

Looks like a suds-saver model. Awesome. The dryer door should open by pulling on it. The "pin" in the latch at the top of the door may be stuck, holding it shut.

 

[appnut]

OMG!! You deserve some sort of meddal ior award or citation for your diligence and dedication. but what an incredible prize. I think you trumped Robert's Pink Ladys with these being the model with the rapid advance timer!! I'm not a fan of pink, but words cannot describe how bowled over and exicted I am for you and for all of us here for such a save of beautiful machines. You'll love them.

 

[combo52]

1959 LKM PAIR

I also have a pair of these mime are white however. This model washer was the first Km machine I had and rebuilt as a teenager, it is a very cool and complicated machine it could have all sorts of problems or it may be fairly functional. If you intend to use these as you regular machines you will likely face many challenges in keeping them operating. Its neat that your dryer is gas as it makes it much faster and more economical to operate. Using these machines on a daily basses would be much like driving a 1959 Chrysler Imperial as your everyday car except that more parts and help are available for the Imperial. Anyway back to the door problem, on this vintage dryer the nylon plunger in the door catch tends to stick making it hard to open and close the door. You should raise the dryer top and spray some silicone into the plunger assembly and that will most likely make it work just fine. I could answer any technical questions about these machines if you have any other problems, it would be best to E mail your phone # Good Luck John.

 

[mrb627]

FREAKIN' AWESOME!

I knew there had to be a set of these hidden somewhere just waiting to be rescued. Just beautiful. You are very lucky to have these in your possession now. Use them with loving care!

Congrats!

Malcolm

 

[easyspindry]

GREAT FIND!!!!!

Congratulations. That's a beautiful pair.

Take to heart the suggestions here about "waking" them up. These guys have been there and done that -- and they know whereof they speak.

Enjoy. They're beautiful.

Jerry Gay

 

[swestoyz]

Nothing like all porcelain cabinets! The set looks beautiful in pink, besides the fact that the '59 LK's were some of the best looking Kenmores made, IMO.

I have the complete Kenmore Laundry Volume II Service Manual scanned, in which I can email you the specific sections relating to the timer control section, as well as the recirculating filtering system - which was unlike anything else Kenmore/Whirlpool had done up to those models.

Congrats! Keep us posted on the progress.

Ben

(BTW - I've always loved your CL ads!)

 

[bygted]

I was wondering who got these

Very nice catch!! I called that seller as well but I was 2nd in line. I have a pair of these machines in white also. If you love mid century mod - these are really cool with their Jetson's push buttons - CONGRATS!
Excellent job on your home furnishings also!
We are obsessed with retro decor in our house too.

 

[foraloysius]

What a treasures! Amazing!! Congratulations!

BTW, love your blog.

 

[maytag63]

Nice find!!!!

 

[frigilux]

Stopped by your blog...

...on my daily blog crawl. Great photos! Looking forward to making it a regular stop. I think you'll find your blog and this site fit hand-in-glove. Was going to leave a comment at Modtomic, but don't fit any of the profiles. Will have to break down and set up a Google account.

 

[LadysMan]

Thanks Everybody!

Thanks everybody for the warm welcome! I'm sure you'll be getting all kinds of crazy questions (like, "how do I open the door?") from me in the near future. I'm pretty sure the seller said they had been stored for only about three years. These are going in my '50s bungalow while my '70s Harvest Gold Maytags are coming over here to my girlfriends '65 ranch. Just for continuity, you know...right? I snatched up the Maytags (in excellent working and aesthetic condition) a few years ago just after missing out on the Pink '57 Lady Kenmore Dryer. I had caught the bug and had to have a "fix". Turns out to be my good luck that they will fit with this house perfectly! You know, there was another vintage set at the shop where I picked up the Ladys. Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like their phone # and e-mail. They might be something great. I got the impression that they were a few years younger...maybe '63 or '64. They were white. That's all I got.

My Blog in the link below.

Mr. Modtomic

A daily blog: Vintage Modern mid century danish Eames atomic tiki retro art deco furniture fashion collect refinish identify buy sell travel lifestyle

mistermodtomic.blogspot.com

 

[jeffg]

Wow, congrats. They look close to unused! Any money shots?

 

[northwesty]

Congratulations!

My daily drivers are older than those so it is do-able, you might have to have to adopt a little different attitude towards the old stuff, it needs a little TLC now and then. My car is old too so I'm used to it. I would suggest keeping my eye out for another old Kenmore for parts, or parts in general.