Classic Hifi Care

OK, this is an eclectic post. First, we're getting closer to selling my Mom's house. The likely buyers are two guys who are certainly the gut-the-kitchen types. So it would be nice to find somebody who would like the old Frigidaire electric range. I don't have a model no. at hand but snapped a photo today. It's a big one, two ovens, good condition except 50+ years of grease splatters have taken their toll on the control-panel paint. Let's try the photo. And then two other items--car things. Both freebies if they go to the right hands. I've got a Gremlin gas cap, a little relief of the Gremlin on it. And a tail light lens from an early Plymouth Valiant, I think. I can check the part no. on the device--ran out of time today.

So for those of you with connections in the old-appliance world and am.g car guys, spread the word. The range is in Bay City, MI.

Chris Campbell

That's a really nice early '70s FD (GM era) 40" range, the buyers are nuts if they don't keep it, far better than the new junk.
Busy right now but I"ll get to my files later today and provide detailed info on this model.

it's a 1969-70 RCDG-71P, Custom Deluxe double oven, non self-cleaning with a glass door.

The following model in 1971 (RCDE-71S) was a self-cleaner with no glass door and the control panel had wood grain rather than black paint on those. The 1969-70 was the last 40" double oven from Frigidaire which had no self-clean feature.

Don't know what you have now but these are great cookers, consider keeping it if you have room, 2 ovens are nice!
I'm restoring a ''57 GE 40"double oven we used to use, but for everyday now we use it's 30" 1976 (FD was still GM until '79) cousin, a bit fancier with lighted glass panel analog rolling number clock and ElectriClean, in Harvest Gold:

Firedome wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2023 2:19 pm That's a really nice early '70s FD (GM era) 40" range, the buyers are nuts if they don't keep it

I agree entirely, of course, but the new buyers are 99% likely to with the whole quartz-counters, "chef-style" range, cutesy-cabinet gut remodel. i don't want the range to end up at the scrapyard. The kitchen still has one 1922 original counter with a vast tilt-out flour bin that we'll try to convince the next owners to keep, but for some reasons Americans are running after trends in kitchens now, not authenticity.

I lived happily for 20 years with a 1946 Montgomery-Ward electric range, one I had removed from my little cottage when friends donated a ca. 1965 Frigidaire replacement, still in service. When I sold the house, I donated the M-W range to the national park where it went into a farmhouse where electricity had arrived in 1946. Later they got the 1946 GE fridge too. At my Mom's cottage we are still cooking on the 1948 (?) push-button Hotpoint 2-oven range.

Chris Campbell

Firedome wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2023 2:19 pm That's a really nice early '70s FD (GM era) 40" range, the buyers are nuts if they don't keep it, far better than the new junk.
Busy right now but I"ll get to my files later today and provide detailed info on this model.

My posts with quotes keep deleting my content. Trying again. I agree completely. The new owners are 99% certain to go the gut-remodel, quartz-counters, chef-style range route. I want to keep the big range out of the scrapyard. We will try to convince the new owners to keep the remaining 1922 original counter with a huge tilt-out flour bin. We Americans seem obsessed with running after trends. Everybody seems to think that if they spend enough on equipment, they will be gourmet cooks (just like every young banker thinks a BMW makes him a skilled driver).

I lived happily for 20 years with a 1946 Mont. Wards electric range. It was a take-out from my cottage after a friend had donated a ca. 1965 Frigidaire update. When I sold the house I donated the range to the national park, where it is in a farmhouse that electricity had reached in 1946. Late they got the 1946 GE fridge too. The '65 is still in service at my cottage, as is the 1948 Hotpoint 2-oven pushbutton model at my Mom's cottage.

Chris Campbell

My ca. 1965 model looks like yours in the photo, below the control & clock level. I need to lube the clock motor, which is starting to get noisy.

Chris Campbell

I grew up with a 30" Frigidaire electric range in my parents kitchen. It replaced the original 40" range. I do not remember the brand but I'm guessing it was of the sometime in the 40's era because they moved it from their first house to the next which was the year I was born 1951. The 30" Frigidaire was early 60 as I remember that arriving. Mom wanted more room in the kitchen and the 30" actually had more oven space than the single oven 40".

Bill

If you want a good chance that someone who will appreciate the stove will get it, you might contact your local Re-Store for Habitat for Humanity. I have had them pick up a few furniture items i needed to get rid of. I took the liberty of doing a location search...

https://www.habitat.org/local/restore?zip=49684

Frigidaire made a very high quality range, typical are those stainless strips on each side of the cooktop to protect it from chips in the porcelain that are common to find in that location. Not just the cooktop is real porcelain but also all the doors in front, drawer fronts, and sides, pieces that are typically painted now and far more expensive than the cheap low-grade Chinese stainless steel commonly used in SS appliances in vogue now. The end caps on the control panel are heavy metal castings that are chrome plated. The top over the glass panel and all trim and handles are polished stainless. This was during the GM era, it came to an end in 1980 when sold to WCI.

As an example I sent off the 40" cooktop from my '57 GE to get re-porcelaining in GE Canary Yellow (lighter than Harvest Gold) by an outfit in MO and it cost over $300 just for that one panel, not including shipping! They couldn't afford to put this kind of quality in new appliances now, even the over-priced "professional" junk.

The 1951 Frigidaire automatic washer that I donated to The Henry Ford [Museum, although they have shortened the name] was all porcelain--the box, the top. Durable as "deleted". That's the machine with the pressure lube system.

Chris Campbell

OK, I've offered the range, the tail light lens, and the gas cap. Here's another car item. Spread the word if you know somebody who would be interested.

We have some black luggage that my Dad remember as being parts of a fitted luggage set for a 1920s Studebaker. Fitted luggage was designed to use the space in the old vertical trunks efficiently--it was designed for a specific car's dimensions.

All these car parts are freebies for somebody who needs them, or can pass them to somebody who does. The range is likely a freebie too unless somebody tells me it's got vast value.

Chris Campbell

Yes, even later on they did that. I have a Harvest Gold 1975 Frigidaire 1:18 (18 lb capacity!) with the awesome up-down "Jet Cone" agitator, and the entire cabinet is porcelain, I think FD was the last to do that.
It took GM to engineer that mechanically complex agitator, but it has the best "turnover" of any washer ever.

Chris I'd adv't the luggage on a Studebaker or AACA website, someone would love that!

That FD washer sure is a nice unit Roger. I have a 10 YO Speed Queen that will probably not need replacing.

I'd have a hard time selling wife on the color. She refers to my white M-W (Norge?) dryer as a crusty dinosaur and yes, it needs a good paint job to match its drying ability. Is there a good, non-enamel baking procedure to refinish these.

New member PhilR's orange range is the same era as my Mom's big white one. I had made a mental note to self: find out where to offer it. Can anybody suggest sites where I could post an offer of the range?

I'm inclined to make it a freebie, given its size and location (mid-Michigan), but if it's a rare and highly-sought-after model, give me a heads-up on price, too.

Chris Campbell

Roger and or Phil, can you help Chris with his range dilemma? Please refer to the beginning of this thread.

Bill

It's not super rare, but desirable for sure.
Of course THE place to offer it is: www.automaticwasher.org. which is THE vintage appliance go-to place.
Maybe on your local CL and FBM as well.
We are "firedome" and "PhilR" on AW.o as well.
In fact it's where Phil & I met 10+ years ago.
Any appliance question can likely be answered.
Many real experts hang out there.

That is a great site for vintage appliances. My handle over there is kenwashesmonday.

I like your handle, Ken. Do you really do your laundry on Monday's?

Bill

William wrote: ↑Thu Jun 22, 2023 3:22 pm I like your handle, Ken. Do you really do your laundry on Monday's?

Bill

I used to when I worked Tuesday to Saturday.

Very nice. can I bring my laundry over to your house? My clothes have not been clean since I stopped going to my grandmothers house with my laundry in the eighties. She had a matching set of sears washer/dryer. Hydro