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

My Kelvinator

 

A32Flathead! That GE is exactly like mine!

 

local appliance store had one like this that still worked like a champ till it got caught in a flood, im not sure if it works anymore, i dont think they have plugged it back in since.
good find!

 

that's sweet. I love the stars on the bases in front of the stools too.

 

I wanted to play along too so I went out and snapped a pic. My wife is now officially afraid to go into the garage now that the Trifecta of Old and Obsolete Appliances and Machines is in full effect.
From left to right: The 1939 Ingersoll Rand air compressor, the early 50's General Electric fridge and the 1933 ABC Kerosene "Wickless" Heater... all in good working condition.

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-10-28

That story about the vintage kitchen getting scrapped is awful. One of these days I'd love to have all metal vintage kitchen cabinets.

 

Anyone ever sen the wall-mount GE 'cabinet' units ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8492055@N08/2844163346/

I have a '58 GE Combination, fridge over freezer, entire freezer door is ribbed chrome, full width foot pedal, white top, pink inside, AL rotating shelves. Was my grandmother's. I am ready to let it go to a new home.

 

Simple. The icebox is merely rebelling at being towed behind a datsun...

 

Ha. Staggering enough to quote, instead of a rediculous comparison to what a welder uses? Gimme a break.

 

I have a 1940' GE. I havent painted it yet, its cream but in great shape. sat in my buddys basement since 1980. I told him i was looking for one. he took me in the basement, dusted it off , plugged it in, and POW it started cooling right away. Everyonone that comes over comments on it in the garage. More so then my cars.

 

i have a couple of these, and they use less electricity than my new one at home. theres an appliance place next dor to my shop and he confirmed that they run just as cheap. i think it has something to do with the amonia. the compressor hardly ever clicks on,, and man does it keep my diet budwieser coooold!! sorry my ugly mug is in the way but its my only pic

 

I have the same 58 Combination. Mine is turquoise check the small pic earlier in the post. I love all the cool features like the pedal.

I would like to see pics of yours

 

Oh whoops mine is freezer over fridge though. seems like the same thing just reversed. I have seen another like yours

 

Freebie in Fullerton, CA:

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/zip/2031859380.html

 

Bet thats gonna go quick!

Specially with this thread now!

 

Chrysler was busy making 'cool' cars. Didn't need to spend company resources making cooling appliances I guess.

I've got a '70s Bauknecht fridge at home which will freeze the bottles inside if set one click above it's second lowest setting.
Getting somewhat offtopic, my other fridge comes close to being a Mopar-fridge I guess, look at the top shelve and inside. Unfortunatly it's not vintage...

 

I had the exact same fridge! It wasn't working so I gutted it and made it into a luggage trailer for my old t-bucket.

 

Run out of beer, unplug it and defrost it while you go get more beer, no biggie. Except being out of beer that is.

Mom has the round top GE that she bought when I was still a little fart and it still works great and has outlasted several newer ones that have come and gone. I've got my grandmother's old chest type International freezer that is right at 60 years old and still working away.

 

Didn't think much of it, until I read this thread, but it makes sense to add a cool fridge to the garage. So then I spotted one on my uncle's farm a couple weekends ago, and am headed back up there to take a closer look. From memory and 'net pics, it looks like a 1950 Crosley. At least it's rounded, lol. And I figure I'll put a light bulb inside it to keep my beer from freezing in my garage during the Winter. How's that for counter intuitive? lol

 

A family friend has a Philco V Handle in a farmhouse that has been in his family for generations. The door is hinged on both sides and will open on which ever side of the V handle you pull down on. I never thought to take a picture of it, so I'll have to the next time i'm out there.
Here is a picture if one like it that I found on google.

​

 

I did the '57 GE about 20 years ago, used to keep 1/4 keg in it at all times with frosty mugs in the freezer. Shop productivity went way down, electric bill went way up, turned the elec. meter into a meat slicer...

 

Mine doesn't work but it looks cool holding my stuff.

 

This may be true but that like saying your old car doesn't get the same milage as a new one...for some people its not about the efficiency but the look and styling my big cube flathead is probably only gonna get 6 mpg on a good day but who cares its the cool factor that matters....its like everything else now days everything is cookie cutter cars all look the same appliances all look the same there is no style any more

 

Threw a pic on awhile back, but wasn't that good.

Just took better pics of the fridge itself.

Was free for the taking and still works great. Haven't touched it yet, but plans are for a two tone to match the soda shop......

Dig those lazy Susan racks!

 

I have an old Crosley shelvador that still runs like a champ.All 7 NEW refrigerators I have had over the years quit on me before the one year warranty was up and two quit on me in less than six months.I have bought six hundred dollar units to twelve hundred dollar ones and the more expensive ones quit before six months.The only ones saying the new ones are more cost effective are the people selling them.Oh I guess they could cost less to run than the old ones since they quit on you and they arent costing you any electricity when they arent running!

 

I love the original color, and I think it would look awesome if you just painted that bottom panel cream and left it.

I am so stoked about this thread! I have two. Late 40's early 50's. One's a Westinghouse Martha Washington model that I've lusted after since it was taller than I was. It was in my Grandma's car port. It has run out of refrigerant, so I'm going to clean it, paint it, and use it as a pantry.
The other is a Hotpoint I found in my Grandpa's shop, which works perfectly and is in my kitchen. I painted it red with rattle can, since my Poppa splashed wood stain on it at some point. I dragged both of them from Hermiston, Oregon, to Boise, ID. I had another Hotpoint I got at a yard sale for 20 bucks and drug it home on a dolly. Sold it to an ex-roommate. Still kicking myself for that one, it had a crisper drawer.

Ok, now I'm going to go clean the kitchen so I can post pictures!

 

Shit that's cool!

 

I was painting some red parts for a car and mixed up too much paint. I pulled the door and bottom panel off of the old fridge, scuffed them up and shot them. I think I got a bad run or some dirt in the center panel, so I covered it with some engine turned vinyl and bordered it with black One Shot.

I eventually pulled it out and painted the rest, but I haven't taken a picture of it since then.

I really don't think it uses that much power. It hardly ever runs because there is so much ice built up around the ice tray. This refrigerator was taken out of a beach cabin when my grandparents bought it in 1961. Other than being unplugged a couple of times for transport, it has never missed a beat.

Dave

 

i love those old fridges...here are a few . first one with candy tangerine flames,the other is "the california fridge"

 

Just got this one for ten bucks.

 

well its a little off topic but look in the back ground you can see my 29 coupe.....
did some body work and put it in primer