Yet ANOTHER $20 dishwasher!!

[firedome]

Picked up a portable KD-57 Imperial just a few blocks away last week, making this our 3rd KA 17th series d/w. I'm obsessed with these 17s: love the build quality, fast wash, simplicity, mechanical everything, the loud whoooshing, yada yada. If nothing else we'll have spare parts galore. Has the butcher block top, it didn't look this good, but wasn't bad, mostly dirty, so we just sanded it and put on a few fresh coats of flat poly. She's rust free all around, inside & out, and looks lightly used by the late '80s previous owner lady. It was missing it's lower rack, proably why the price went down as far as $20, so the one in the pics was scrounged from our Harvest Gold KDC-17. The lower rack in our KD-67 Deluxe portable is a worn and rusting, so now we need TWO lower racks!
Sea Trials to begin soon!

 

[firedome]

Imperial = MOL

 

[firedome]

stole the lower rack from the KDS-17 for photo purposes... you can tell this d/w hasn't had much use by how blue the upper rack is, now we need 2 more lower ones!!

 

[firedome]

The famous 4 Way Hydro Sweep - cleans amazinlgy well with just 1 wash arm!
darn clean inside, and no hint of rust:

 

[firedome]

Upper rack has adjustable side partitions, something the KDC-17 lacks:

 

[firedome]

undeside free of rust and leaks it appears:

 

[william637]

I am completely jealous!

Congratulations on your find!

 

[firedome]

For $20 I'm happy, even if it does need a rack. Now I just need the KDS-17 Superba model to complete the 17 series!! Coppertone would be nice...

 

[firedome]

What I really don't quite get is...

how the heck do you lose a rack???
The guy I got it from just bought the house from the PO who was in her late 80s and had owned the house since the 1950s, and he said no rack was ever in it... weird!!

 

[gansky1]

Perhaps the PO took the rack with her - compliments are always nice, even if your nice rack is from a dishwasher!

 

How does the later style racks work with the 17 series machines?  I've never tried this but if the plates roll under the top rack, it's all good.

 

I have the 16 and 18 series Superba portable machines, now would like to find a 17 Superba to round up the group.  Not that I need one, I have enough machines and spare parts to last my lifetime and perhaps, another but it had better come in harvest gold *hand to forehead* as that's what the others are!

[this post was last edited: 5/4/2012-18:19]

 

[rollermatic]

looks beautiful

and well cared for. it also has a great looking wood top!

the 17's are my all time favorite kitchenaids! whether it's custom, imperial, or superba!

enjoy it!

 

[bigalsf]

Wow! Great find! We had the built-in version of this same dishwasher growing up. My mom got in 1975 while I was out of town (the nerve!) and she really loved it. It replaced a 1961 Waste King. She used it practically every day and it never broke down until 2003! I was not around to fix it and she couldn't wait so she got a Whirlpool to replace it.

Your machine looks like it's in great shape. Enjoy using it!