Vintage GE Oven Transformation

[sudsmaster]

As reported in an earlier thread about KA/Hobart dishwashers, I have completed the transformation of my '78 GE Harvest Gold wall oven to a stainless model.

The transformation was relatively easy. I simply removed two screws that hold the outer door skin in place. The door skin then tilts outward, and two tabs on the bottom are released when the skin is lowered. I then took the door off a very similar stainless GE wall oven I acquired along with the KDS-17A Hobart/KA dishwasher a couple of weeks ago, and installed that in its place.

I decided also to change the handle backing at the same time. I prefered the woodgrain backing on my Harvest Gold oven to the plain brown one on the stainless model.

There was no need to shut off power to the oven, as there is no electrical connection to the outer skin. In fact, the exterior light switch somewhat ingeniously merely releases pressure on the plunger for the light switch that is also released when the door is opened.

Here's a photo of the "before" Harvest Gold oven. Please note how it doesn't exactly coordinate with the stainless KA refrigerator beside it:

 

[sudsmaster]

And After

I think the stainless works much better here. What do you think?

 

[coldspot66]

Looks like you bought it that way. Fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sudsmaster]

Thanks! I can't stop peeking at the transformation from my family room desk. This saves me from having to try to get the original Harvest Gold door skin painted black (repainting never seems to work out too good with cooking appliances, anyway).

I guessing that whoever outfitted their kitchen in the 70's with stainless appliances (the Hobart/KA dw is also stainless) was way ahead of the fashion curve.

Of course, I picked the oven and dw up in San Francisco, a city known for being ahead of its time.

 

[48bencix]

great transform

What a great transformation. Those G.E. ovens are great cookers.

I face a similar dilema. I have a 1961 G.E. double oven, in light brown, everything else is white. I also have the matching push-button cooktop, but prefer a newer white one. So I would like white skins. (trade anyone?)

Martin

 

[sudsmaster]

Martin,

If you can't find someone to trade, it might not be too prohibitively expensive to have the brown skins re-porcelainized to white. Perhaps even powder coating would work (depending on how hot the skins get, I suppose). However separating the outer skin from the window glass, insulation, etc. looks like it would be much more of a chore than simply switching from one to the other, glass intact. But I've no doubt it could be done with no more than a couple of screwdrivers and a small pair of pliers (I used the pliers to release the inner clips from the handle backing).

And yes, these are great cooking ovens. The main drawback to this model is that it's only 26" wide on the outside, and only about 19"x19"x15" on the inside (not counting the heating elements on the 15" height). So the largest fresh pizzas from Costco won't fit (not since they switched to squares, anyway). But I make do by cutting them in half, and they just fit that way.

On the other hand, I quickly figured out that with a 26" wall oven, I didn't need a toaster oven any more, at least not for baking. The wall oven is far better insulated, and combined with its small size it probably doesn't use much more energy than most toaster ovens. It might even use less.

I cook turkeys, chickens, steaks, etc outside in a covered patio area on a stainless propane grill/rotisserie. And sometimes in a real charcoal roaster for that smoke flavor.

 

[gansky1]

Great job on the oven, with the price of new units, your solution is outstanding.

 

[toggleswitch]

Gorgeous!

..... and look ma NO COMPUTERIZED panel YAY!!!
Looks like a rotisserie model too!

 

[sarah]

oven painting

My GE wall ovens (we're guessing '60s) were painted from dark brown to almond by a local painter who used automotive paint and a professional spray system. I thought they had been re-enameled at first glance. They were painted before we bought the house, but they look pretty good (the paint job is about seven years old) except for a ding in the bottom of the top door and some wear under the hinge. I posted the pictures in an earlier thread. I'll check, and if it's not still active, I'll repost. I probably wouldn't have painted them, but he did a good job (except that he got the glass in backward--untempered on the inside--on the bottom oven and it cracked. It was bound to be much cheaper than new enamel.

Sarah

 

[sarah]

Sarah's Oven Picture

My repainted oven. BTW, some of y'all gave me some ideas for the date on this when I first joined the forum. I didn't realize the thread would disappear so soon and didn't print or save it. Can y'all refresh me on your ideas for my oven's birthday?

And that gold to stainless transformation is spectacular... forgive me for hijacking your thread.

Sarah

 

[sudsmaster]

and look ma NO COMPUTERIZED panel YAY!!!

And that's why these ovens have lasted so long, I think.

As for the rotisserie, that's my original oven still in the wall, all I did was change the door. The other oven, from which the stainless door panel came, was a lesser model without the rotisserie or the meat thermometer features.

However, I don't have the rotisserie hardware, nor the meat thermometer, so I have no idea if these features actually work.

 

[whirlcool]

Ah... A GE P7 Oven!

We have had these in a few of our homes that we have lived in. They are great ovens, the self cleaning feature works about the best I have seen in any oven.
The conversion looks great! Makes the oven look more updated.
There was a company I saw once at a home show that will pick up your appliance and repaint it into any color you want. It takes about a week. It wasn't too pricey. I think a refrigerator was $100, and a stove was about $50. They used a porcelin type paint. I saw a retro 50's style oven redone in a navy blue color. That really set off the chrome on the stove. Looked extremely sharp!

 

[scott55405]

Rich, that looks just downright handsome! Good for you for being resourceful. Probably a damn sight better oven than if you had bought a new one anyway.

I like yours too Sarah!

 

[retromom]

Gee....it's GE!

I love it Rich! There is something about stainless that I find very nice! It has never appeared "cold" to me. Congrats on a beautiful restoration and say YAY for stainless!!

Venus

 

[retroguy]

How AWESOME!!!

Touche!!! What a great job! Many snaps for keeping these older units in good condition, and where they belong!!! Awesome paint job, Sarah. If you're looking for a change though, just take another look at what Rich did. Very cool!

 

[jasonl]

A stainless housewife is a happy housewife. Lookin' good!

 

[southernmdgeguy]

That looks great, and like what has been said, I am sure it works better than most new ones, other than the high end models. I have an opportunity to pick up one of those soon, so I will post when I have it if anyone else wants one.

Scott

 

[sudsmaster]

Since the wall oven is smack in the middle of an L-shaped kitchen - on the inner corner of the "L", it is very prominent. So the "upgrade" to a stainless facade makes it blend much better with the other appliances.

I think I kind of lucked out finding this oven - and I don't expect everyone in similar situation to be so lucky, but then you never know.

Also, to be totally honest, in bright lighting it's evident that the stainless on the oven is lighter than that on the fridge. Part of this is the alloy - the oven stainless is magnetic, the fridge is non-magnetic. It's also because the oven has horizontal graining, while the fridge has vertical graining. In low light, they look very similar. But with the overhead flourescent lights on, you can tell. I think the horizontal graining must catch and reflect overhead light more than the vertical graining. But it still looks ten times better than the former Harvest Gold oven door.

It's also started to get me thinking about upgrading other things in the kichen... the wallpaper, while having a country charm all its own (repeating autumn-tone drawings of fruit baskets, pitchers, honey-pots, etc.) it's kind of kitschy and not really stainless-friendly. I'm thinking a change to a cooler tone, semi-gloss enamel would play better. And then the wood cabinets around the sink area need refinishing - not difficult but would probably entail removing them from the walls altogether. I plan on keeping the medium-dark stain tone, just plan to top it with a more durable, water-repellent urethane final finish. A quicker upgrade, for which I already have the parts, is to replace all the nice bright shiny knobs to more subdued brushed nickel jobs.

When I get around to it. ;-)