Vintage Fridge Restoration Advice Please

[melissa]

I now am the proud owner of two identical GE refrigerators. One works and one does not.

The broken one is in better cosmetic condition than the working one. I'm thinking about switching the doors on the two fridges, but I can't figure out how to remove the doors.

I'm also thinking about having the fridge repainted, but I can't figure out how to remove the exterior trim.

I'll need new gaskets I think... I'd love to hear what you guys did to make your fridges sparkle after 60 years. Any advice would be very helpful! Thanks in advance.

The picture on the left with the shiny chrome is the broken fridge, the new working fridge is top right. The worst damage to the fridge is the bottom right where the bottom gasket hits. There's some rust and slight plastic buckling inside the fridge.
Melissa

 

[rp2813]

Yeah, even elbow grease and car cleaner/polish won't get the finish on the working fridge to anywhere near as nice as that of the non-working one.

 

The doors shouldn't be that difficult to switch out once you figure out how to get them un-hinged.   I'm sure there's someone here who knows how to do it.  There's not a temperature-controlled butter keeper in either fridge door is there?

 

Those early models of Combination fridges have always been a favorite of mine.  The fact that so many of them are still around and functioning after 60 years or more is a testament to the build quality GE used to be known for.

 

 

 

[stan]

Hi Melissa

Do you know what's wrong with the broken one? Someone here may be able to diagnose, or help!

On the working fridge, I can't see it well enough to tell, but you could try some Barkeepers Friend on the rusty spot. It wont remove all of it, but dose wonders with rust. You may have to apply and let sit (over night maybe)

Also for the paint on the working one. You could try some Meguires Mirror Glaze Fine cut Cleaner, sold at auto parts/paint. This dose a good job at restoring and cleaning old paint. After the fine cut, wash and rinse well, then wax, buff.
This may save you the expense of repainting and "could" be all it may need?

Hope this helps

 

[rp2813]

Stan,  I think it was determined in another thread here some months ago that the dead fridge is just that, and would be prohibitively expensive to repair.

 

There is surely a way to remove the doors and kick plates from the two machines and switch them out. 

 

I agree that once the good pieces are on the functioning fridge, a rub-on/buff off car cleaner/wax such as Meguiars will do a fine job shining them up.  I used it on my '57 Combination and the before/after difference was dramatic.

 

 

 

[circlew]

RickR should have all the details she needs. He has one like this that he had refinished in green, and it turned out beautiful.

 

[whirlaway]

Broken Fridge

Do you know whats wrong with the broken one.I would have it really checked out it may not be as bad as you think! I would not start changing things until I was sure its just a shell.Probably has a butter keeper in the door.

 

[rp2813]

You might want to try e-mailing rickr directly if he doesn't notice this thread.  I'm pretty sure he had a friend with a paint booth do his fridge, but don't recall if he shared the process and whether the doors were removed.

 

[melissa]

hinges

Yes! It's those dang hinges. I have no idea how to get them off!

The door does have a butter warmer. Of course I would like it to work, but if it doesn't, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I'd be willing to sacrifice warmed butter for a prettier fridge. Somehow I've managed to survive to this point in my life without warm butter!

I am sad to say I'm pretty sure the prettier fridge is officially dead. Yes, the forum members determined it was unfixable for a reasonable price. But being stubborn I still had a vintage fridge repair person come out to my house, and he too diagnosed the compressor as dead. It's in such good condition it's hard to believe it doesn't work, but sadly it doesn't.

 

[rickr]

Hi Melissa, there are sheet metal covers over the screws on the door hinges. Gently pry them off, and you will be able to access the screws to the door hinges.
There are thin cardboard shims under the hinges, so be sure and keep those in relation to where they came off for reassembly. If you are switching the doors, you will have to re shim the hinges anyway, but at least you will have somewhere to start. In fact, you might try and switch out the shims with the doors. You might have a closer fit. Also, the wiring from the butter heater must be disconnected before removing the doors. BTW: this is not a job for one person to try. While the doors are not THAT heavy, they are bulky and clumsy to work with, so you will need some help.

There are some other tips I can give you, but I don't have time right now. I will post them tonight though.

 

[rickr]

Hi Melissa, here is my $00.02

You have a few options. 1.You could simply switch the doors out. 2. Have your vintage refrigerator repairman switch the compressor from the ugly working fridge, to the nice non working fridge. 3.Restore the ugly working fridge. 4. Look for a nicer looking working GE combo.(They are still out there) So you need to choose what way you want to go. Myself, I would rather restore one so it is perfect, but I can do the work myself (except for the painting, (that has to go to a body shop) If this is simply a basement or garage fridge, I would have the compressor changed out, or look for a better example of a GE combo. If you simply switch the doors, then you still have the rust on the inside, plus bad paint on the rest of the cabinet. The fridge that you have has not been taken care of very well, as it shows.
If you choose to restore the working fridge, you remove and gut the doors. The screws to take the inner panels off the doors are under the rubber seal. The handles are bolted on from the outside, under the stainless handle trim. The stainless trim just clips on, so be careful not to damage it. Throw away the old insulation inside the doors, and replace it with new. You can purchase it at a home centre. Also install a grounded three wire cord, just for safety sake. The bottom door seal was still available a few years ago, but the freezer door seal is N.L.A. Mostly the fridge seal goes bad, only, because the oils from people touching seal at the top area cause the rubber to rot. My freezer gasket was perfect, and it is original.
Here is a pixs of my fridge as it was being torn down. The little stainless trim parts come off the inside with screws, and then the door latches come off. after that the plastic parts can be removed for cleaning and painting also. This work is not that hard, and in fact, we were remodeling the house and garage pictured while I was preping the fridge for repainting. Just take your time, if that is what you want to do, and you can take photos for documentation as you dissasemble for future reference. If you go this far, you can change the colour to whatever you like as well.

 

[rickr]

.

after

 

[melissa]

insulation

rickr - I'll see if I can use your strategy on the doors.

A couple questions (I'm sure I'll have many more)

- why do you need to reinsulate the fridge?

- Where did you get the fridge gaskets?

 

[rickr]

insulation replacement

These refrigerators form frost inside the lower compartment, which melts as the lower door is opened from regular use. This is normal for these combos, per the owners manual. Because of this, the inside of the fridge usually has moisture running down the walls, and somewhat the inner door. What is inside the compartment flows out the drain at the bottom and into the drip pan. But what moisture forms on the inner door panel drains down to the lower door gasket. After decades of running like this, the old insulation in the lower door becomes damp and moldy at the bottom. It also smells bad. Therefore it is best to replace it with new. There is no set rule that you have to replace the insulation, but it is really best to do.

You can call Gordon at Home Appliance in Fort Wayne about the lower door gasket. The number is 260-422-2788 Be sure to have your model number ready. If he has any questions he can call me, as he has my phone number.

 

[goatfarmer]

I've seen Rick's 'fridge up close and personal, it's a fantastic job!

 

As for the gasket, you might check with a local parts retailer, and see if they have a universal fit gasket. That's what I used on a 1947 Firestone I did a few years ago.

 

[melissa]

oops

Well, I goofed. The picture I posted of the 'new' fridge - was the wrong fridge! It was a fridge I considered buying but didn't. Oops! The one on this post is the new fridge. It is much cleaner - it's actually been repainted, which is part of why I want to use the doors from my 'old' broken fridge. When they repainted it, they painted over some of the chrome trim.

It does have some of the rust on the bottom inside of the door like you said, and there is a very slight smell to it ... but I'm wondering if I swap out the doors, if the other fridge maybe doesn't smell... maybe I could keep the insulation.

I have some fear of working with insulation - when I rehabed a chambers stove and it all came out fabulous, but I never got the insulation on the oven door perfect, so it still gives off a little heat.

 

[carlmon]

Old thread, new questions

I just picked up one very similar to these on Thanksgiving day, model NHX8-HB It has pull handles instead of levers (see photo), butter warmer, and foot pedal door opener. I'm guessing this means it's a bit newer than those previously posted here.
And it needs some work. At the bottom where the door seal hits the body it looked ok until I started polishing it, but the metal had corroded so badly from the inside that only the paint was holding it in place, and my polishing rag poked right through. Fortunately it's a small area. There's also a small dent in the door that needs to be repaired, so I'll have to at least repaint the main door, but will probably do both doors to make sure they match. Too bad there were these two flaws, because everything else cleaned up very well, after a couple days of rubbing compound!
Anyway, I'm going to tear it down completely to repair and re-insulate it, and have a couple questions:
How do you detatch the butter warmer wire between the door and body? Screws inside the door?
It has magnetic door seals (I think you guys have compression seals), and I'd like to replace them if possible. They're in tact, but looking old with rust stains at the bottom. Seems the compression seals are easier to find- any suggestions for where to find these early magnetic ones?
It's missing the meat tray that hangs from the rails at the top of the fridge compartment, and a couple of the shelf pegs have been replaced by wood dowels.
Anybody have these parts they would be willing to sell me? (Melissa- do you still have your twin fridge?)
Anyway, I'm excited about it. Had been searching for a 50's one with a separate top freezer door and fixed handles, and the extra luxuries like the butter warmer, freezer thermometer, and especially the door foot-pedal are bonus! I need another project like a hole in my head, but I want to make it perfect.
- Carl