Art & Inspiration OT buying a 50's Refrigerator to stick in the shop....

Check out these people, they restore, upgrade and do custom paint ...

http://www.antiqueappliances.com/

 

..I like it the way it is...that color screams 50's! Maybe just stripe it or put some vintage deacls on it..... it's only original once.



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Mine has not been repainted or pinstriped......
YET!

 

A vintage fridge belongs in every garage! I love the look, but use it for storage and a place to display lots of stickers.

 

Dang! Ive heard of guys who could fix anything with a hammer and a pair of vicegrips...........now Ive finally seen ones garage

 

The answer to not wasting electricity in a refrigerator is to not store the beer , but to drink it as fast as your buddys bring it!

 

I love vintage fridges, my pal hotrod roadster has a sweet flamed one. Another buddy gave me a cool one I have never picked up, the fridge is almost as big as my damn model T garage. A couple of cuties shown in these pix, hard to pay attention to the fridge with honeys like that. ~Sololobo~

 

I know you're kidding, but they say that a full frig is more efficient than a less full frig because the cold stuff holds cold, if you will.

As for the Energy Star issue, a repair guy told me that they tend to be less reliable because they're asked to do more with less kind of thing. They aren't overbuilt is the easier way to phrase it.

 

This thread is making me regret giving mine away when I moved to AZ from MN. I may have to get one again. Just for the fact I would have fun painting it.

 

Uh Dude,, its just a frigerator,,, not a 29 Benz.

 

I was at a friend's birthday party being given the tour of their old house. On the third floor was a near mint GE refrigerator in the old "servant's quarters". All unplugged and cleaned. I was told if I could get it out I could have it. It was a delicate operation as they had all this immaculate wood work I didn't want to bang up, but a buddy and I managed to get it out. It runs like a champ, is quiet as a mouse and keeps things might cold and looks cool as hell in the garage.
I'd like to hook up one of those kill-a-watt things myself. My new side-by-side in the house runs constantly and sounds like a wheezing old man.

However, the gasket on my old one is showing signs of wear. Any idea where to find stuff like that?

 

..... if it was a '29 Benz, THEN I would break out the candy apple paint!


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I have Cold Spot in the shop, assembled 12/31/52...New Years Eve!!!!!!! Works great & looks just as good!!!

 

We have a late 50s fridge in our office at school and the damn thing would freeze stuff so I turned it all the way down. Things stay ice cold and it hardly runs. Would love to "borrow" it and use it in my garage

 

People always used to say that to me. I have had 2 pretty cool ones..

I had an early 50's pink fridge in my old studio apt, and. I was in college so I didnt have that much food and I wasnt really home a lot, but the fridge would stay on, and my elec bill was only like $10-$15 per month.

I now have a mint green 50's one in my apartment now and same thing. I think as long as the seal is in good shape they are fine.

I dont believe all the hype they give to sell people new fridges, but the defrosting is a pain in the ass!

 

Two weeks ago my old Frigidaire died. My mother in law gave it to me when I moved away from home in 1968. I told her about the loss of my old friend that had seen many a build and enough beer to fill a brewery. She said "Geezes I bought it used in 1960". A friend of mind, old time fuel racer Herb Ries took a look at it and told me to by pass the thermostat. Wow it didn't die it had a minor stroke. I'm so glad the old girl is still ticking. Who knows it might just out last me.

 

On this same topic I recently bought a 1958 G.E. for my mid century ranch. It has a pedal to open the door and swingout shelves which rule. It is turquoise and looks like new condition. When I bought it it was running and cold. I brought it home about 20 miles in a trailer behind my pathfinder. I get it in the house load it up and take off to a party. come home later to a severly cold freezer and a fridge that wont dip below 60 degrees. WTF I have checked all the basics and I am thinking that I knocked something loose in one of the refridge lines and it has a clog. I can feel part of the coils in the fridge get cold but then half way through it is warm. I cant though find anyone who will service this thing.

If anyone out threre can help. Please. THis thing looks so cool in our kitchen. we need this fridge.

Thanks

 

I have an old ('52) GE that was given to me in 1972 after I answered an ad in the newspaper. It was located about 40 miles away so I asked the owner if he'd
hold it for me til I could come and pick it up on the weekend. He agreed, and when I went to get it he told me that he'd gotten a lot of flak from immigrants in the city who wanted it but were told he was saving it for me to use for a beer keg/tap set-up.

It's been in my shop and running every day since then with the exception of a 13- month period when I was building a new house and garage. Purrs like a kitten!

 

Here is a pic

 

here's my old one, thats the only pic i could find.. i miss that fridge, it worked great. It was cool to find a pink one too!

 

Here's a forum you can try. Good luck!
Click here: ApplianceBlog.com - Appliance Repair Forums

 

THanks I will check it out.

 

Yes there are people who do.

http://www.antiquevintageappliances.com/index.html

Stuff on this site that will blow your mind

 

I had an old cold spot i loved it and it worked so good till it broke one day. then i tried to fix it. Couldnt so i turned it into a cabinet and the insert into a chicken brooder.

 

I have one out of an old '50's motorhome. It's gonna get overhauled this winter....when I really don't need it!

 

Slamit...does it have a seperate door for the freezer?...ie...2 door fridge or one door fridge. If so it could be an obstruction..cause most fridge freeze the freezer and then cold airflow goes to the fridge part. I have an 'old' side by side and when I lost power one time it 'unthawed' ...even though its a frost free..there are still some frozen areas...then when it refroze it blocked the air flow. You might try unplugging it for 24 hours let it dry out real good and then plugging it back in.

By the way I bought this 'old' side by side almost 20 years ago used and it was probably 20 years old at that time and it just keeps on working.

 

Yeah I tried that too. It has a door seperate for the freezer. see the pic. It is not blocked and it also has a Coil inside the top of the fridge. that is the one that gets half way cold. It also had a mullion heater that was stuck on so I disconnected that and It still wont get all the way cold.

I think just an evacuate and rechage might do the trick and help to knock out any obstructions in the lines. the fan works great and the condensor is clean

 

I used to have an old freezer to match my fridge. It was a Norge and all the sides were round. I got it for free it had some surface rust but I wire wheeled it and hit it with flat black it looked great. But I am going through a divorce and since it is at my in laws I think that its gone. It was so big I could lay down in side I am 6'4". Now that I think about it IF I go missing check the freezer.

 

Have two of em, A mid -50's Fridgidaire and a 61 GE. Both work great and I am happy to add to the Prius driving, global warming, tree hugger's angst...

 

Not sure if you all watch the Discovery channel, there is a new show called American Restorations from this guy out in Vegas that restores all sorts of stuff. He restored a Kelvinator and painted it 57 chevy green. charged the customer $1500 for the restore. Here's a link to his website:

http://classicrestorations.ricksrestorations.com/classic-restorations-gallery.php