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

We had a '51 Westinghouse with the wing-shaped trim on the handle, just like this one:

Ran perfectly into the 1980s and the only reason we got rid of it was that the latch broke, and in those pre-internet days we couldn't find the part. Otherwise it'd still be in our basement.

 

I like those old refrigerators. I've got 2 and one is for sale (see pics), The other is being painted for the garage.

Murph

 

Yes it does, I am also looking for one of these for my garage. The style outweighs the economics!

 

We have one in Mo. we might sell a 47 Frigidaire Made Only by General Motors

 

The old ones had superb insulation which is why the old Monitor Tops and some other early fridges were very efficient. Self defrost is when efficiency stopped. The best ever built were by the Jacobs Wind Charger co. They had one that worked on 32 VDC or on 110 AC or DC and would keep a gallon of ice cream rock hard frozen for a week after power failed.

I have a Servel in our guest house which is gas fired. It still works great and has no moving parts. Some punk company has a $100 bounty on them because if you let the burner go uncleaned for decades they put out a little carbon monoxide and if you have a house with NO airflow it could get high enough to be dangerous. But I would NEVER have one in the garage. Nor a gas fired hot water heater. That's suicide.

 

If it's a standard pot (hermetic sealed) compressor yes. If it's a belt drive, the compressor can and should be rebuilt. Get a copy of the old Doolin's Trouble Shooters Bible which is like old appliance porn.

 

The new one are more efficient true but they are also frost free, so they run a lot more, and have a timer for defrost with a heating element to melt the ice. The old ones just ran and you had to defrost them. Iceman

 

Gotta love vintage appliances, they were build to last and will most likely outlast any appliance built today ten fold.

 

Hey guys, just picked this bad boy up on tues. Philco v handle. Runs great, gotta love that huge V and it opens either way. Paid more than I wanted to for an old fridge, but thinking it was worth it. $500...

 

Looks great dont see many like that any more ,We have a 1947 Frigidaire Made Only By General Motors .Put new cord on & works great needs restored has a brown brush paint job would sell for $200