Vintage Fridge Thread

[ovrphil]

Blackhat - if you have a picture of what you're looking for...not saying I'll find it, but if I come across it in my CL's searches....would let you know. Here's one that's upright - is it similar to this one:

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/app/4293941737.html


Your 1956 makes this one, asking $500, look like a scrap yard find

http://savannah.craigslist.org/app/4311810468.html



Phil [this post was last edited: 2/8/2014-22:39]

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/app/4293941737.html

 

[philr]

Phil, you find a lot of interesting things! I wish I could afford to travel anywhere to get them!

 

[moparwash]

1953? Kelvinator

This came with the house I bought in 2007...keeps pop and beer nice and cold!...the tag on the back says Nash-Kelvinator..predating the May 1, 1954 formation of American Motors

 

[moparwash]

Money shot...have all the shelves and crisper...

 

[ovrphil]

"...a lot of interesting things!"...

PhilR - there were so many interesting shapes, designs and options, it seems, in past appliances.
Like the 60's - each year, we'd wonder what the new(released in September usually)cars would look like.
That kind of change doesn't fit the financial models today.

But wait, there's more....

When 3D printing gets really good and reasonable...we'll just keep all the old vintage stuff going and
maybe make a few of our own designs....10-15 years from now? Father time, mother reality..maybe longer.
lol.

 

[58limited]

Ovrphil

That Frigidaire deep freeze is a 1955 model. Wish I was closer, I have the matching fridge:

 

 

http://home.roadrunner.com/~limited58/1955frigidaire.htm

 

[ovrphil]

58limited - ohwow, wouldn't it be nice to have those paired together? I'm glad to post these, but can't help
feel some of the "pain" when they're too far away to fetch. Your restored '55 is nice! I've read about your house, too, David. You've done a lot to improve that house - nice place, nice location, too!

 

[vacosaurus]

Looking at your two gas Servels reminded me of when I was a young boy we had one of these I think it was a 1948 that my father bought new and it stopped working in the mid sixties. My father figured out what was wrong with it. The flue that the hot gases went up to heat the refrigerant warped shut and the heat would not go up. So he came up with the idea to weld a extension rod to a drill bit and chuck it in a hand electric drill and the plan was to drill a hole thru the obstuction. So he laid the fridge on it's side and knelt down to start drilling from the bottom a few seconds later a jet of refrigerant started shooting out and then caught on fire from the sparks from the drill's brushes and armature. He was lucky his face was not in line with the flue because the flame shot straight out about 3 feet like a rocket but he did singe off his right eyebrow and got a huge 2 inch long pus blister on his right hand. I was about ten years old and ran and got our CO 2 extinguisher and put out the flame but the refrigerant continued to hiss out for a while after the flame. Needless to say that Servel was in the rubbish the next day. About ten years after that we had another even older Sevel we used for pop and beer did the same thing with the flue and I just came by when he was screwing around with it and he was sticking a 3/8 inch round steel rod down the flue and I said to him do you really think you should be doing that. He stopped dead in his tracks and said your right and said OUT meaning the refrigerator in the rubbish. I thought of that episode many times in my life and it probably saved me from doing a lot of dangerous not well thought out things. It's funny to look back now because no one was seriously hurt. Bill,

 

[circlew]

The old Kelvinator that Jerry (Moparwash) shows looks a lot like one we had in our basement for a while. Seems like I saw something on it to indicate it was a '49 model. My dad had bought it used in the late 60's, and it ran for a couple years and quit. It was replaced by a '47 Frigidaire, that was still working the last time it was plugged in.

 

[BlackHat]

Ovrphil...

This is what I am looking for..(the fellas site that I pulled it from has yet to reply back to me)

http://www.denisbyrne.com/fridge.html

 

[northwesty]

My refrigerators

Hi All, thought I might start a new thread but upon finding this one I guess it could go here. Here is my monitor top GE -- it would take a lot for me to part with this great fridge -- I've had it over 30 years. But, I noticed some rust on the bottom the other day, it had been there awhile but when I went down to clean it horrors I realized it was coming from rusting from the inside out.

SO it seems that while defrosting this over the years there developed some leak that let water into the bottom and this water had been down there for years. I had to basically tear it apart, which I have done before, but it is going to take a while for me to fix it.

Meanwhile I had seen a fridge on a site featuring estate sales so I figured I better go check it out...

 

[northwesty]

1954 GE

I was looking at this and it was 50 bucks, so I figured I better get it. I had no idea how heavy this thing was, and I've moved these Westinghouse washers, plus my Liberator stove, myself. The Monitor top is heavy too. Any this was in the basement and it took about a half hour to get it out. I trapped a bunch of people in the basement as it was stuck at the top of the stairs. The estate sale people were very kind and we all finally got it out. But I was much embarrassed.

I was a little rusty looking but this inside, looks like it has never been used. There is a little discoloration on the gasket but it cleaned up nicely. I don't know if it has been off for years, but they suggested it was off for three months. There was a diet coke from 2002 inside, but with water in the freezer, so who knows. It is in really good shape though.

 

[northwesty]

Inside

Anyway, this fridge is sure a more practical addition, and more in line with the vintage of the stove. I have known about these and really was so fortunate to have only gone one day without a fridge and have such a find fall into my lap.

It had a bit of a temp gauge issue but I think I fixed it - it seems to be in perfect working condition.

I slather these vintage appliances in Soft-Scrub with bleach, I put some plastic over it to let it sit for a few hours, or even overnight, and it takes out the discoloration in the finish very well. Still, this one might need repainting but I won't do that till the summer. Again, the inside, after cleaning, was great.

Thanks for looking and happy holidays.

 

[danemodsandy]

Brian:

That range and fridge together are terrific! I have always had a soft spot for GE 40-inchers of that vintage.

And you have the Kenmore laundry pair. Lucky guy!

I really like your kitchen. I well remember when a kitchen like that was considered damn nice; you didn't dream of wanting anything grander. I especially like the cabinets, which are wipe-clean in that white finish. Why people want to deal with carved cabinet fronts that trap grease and dust is beyond me.

You really do have a nice early-'50s thing going on there. Great to see.

 

[ovrphil]

Brian - your new GE looks perfect with the stove and your kitchen is a time-warp. I can't believe you had that monitor for 30 years? When did you get it, when you were 12? I'd need a course in survival training to have such a smallish fridge. You did well, if that was your only fridge for all these years. I'm glad you found the GE and…good to know your back is still with you. I say, also, because I worked for moving companies during summers between college. Just imagine moving in the 30's, 40's and 50's; the stoves, refrigerators, and washer and dryers were missile weights, unlike the appliances today that are easy lifted trebuchet ammo.(and where most of them should be used, after they die their short lives, in some cases).

Congrats.

Phil

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

Brian, what wonderful appliances. Love your kitchen. Reminds me of my aunts kitchen when I was 5 or so.

Do you use Softscrub to lighten the outside of the refrigerator? My 64' GE is a bit yellow with age.

 

Congratulations!

 

[moparguy]

Beautiful! The kitchen, both fridges, and your range! And you will find ways to fill all that extra space inside the fridge!

 

[captbrp]

data plate on a late 40s or early 50s GE refrigerator

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and thank you all in advance for your help. I have a late 40s or early 50s GE refrigerator that has been in my wife's family since new. It has been stored in a barn for over 35 years. It works great but the paint, especially on the door needs repainted. Where will I find the data plate so that I can find the manual, parts, ect.... Also, do the letters on the door and logo bolt on or are they glued?

 

[goatfarmer]

They are bolted on, from the inside of the door. I just picked up a mid 50's Hotpoint, the data plate on it is on the front, behind the lower panel.

 

[captbrp]

Thanks for the response. I found the data plate. I took off the lower plate and it was on the back wall. According to the date code it is from January 1947. I am excited to start the restoration of the outside. The interior is in perfect condition with the exception that one of the glass shelves did not make our recent move to Mobile unscathed. Easy to have new glass cut.