My 55 year old Frigidaire

Picked up this fridge yesterday, brought it home, let it sit upright for a few hours and plugged it in. It is purring along and the freezer is very cold. Looks big in the photos, but it is quite small, only 56" X 24". Not sure what to do with it, but the price was right, free on C'list. You can buy yours here "restored" for the bargain price of $3400.00 http://www.classicrefrigerator.com/html/1953frigidaire.html

I am just amazed that something this old appears to work like new...how the hell is that possible?

Here is my actual unit,


This is similiar, but bigger, from classicrefrigerator.com

Classic. Can't wait to see the taps sticking out the door.

is the one you got as nice as the one in the pic? If so I would sell it and undercut the restored price. The more old fridges I see the more I want one ... Black with flames or red with yellow and blue flames ...

springer said:

is the one you got as nice as the one in the pic? If so I would sell it and undercut the restored price. The more old fridges I see the more I want one ... Black with flames or red with yellow and blue flames ...

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Hah...an offer would not offend me, but I must say I'm getting attached to this little beauty.

The one I have needs a little cleaning to look like the one in the photos. But more or less, pretty much the same fridge.

I really like the style. And, it looks like its in great shape for the age too.

I've love to know how much power one of those originals use though I doubt they are energy star qualified!

It sure is purty though.

wilserbrewer said:

Hah...an offer would not offend me, but I must say I'm getting attached to this little beauty.

The one I have needs a little cleaning to look like the one in the photos. But more or less, pretty much the same fridge.

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I will triple what you paid for it and even throw in a bottle of tap water...

You'd be crazy to drill holes and put taps on that fridge. It's far too valuable to ruin.

Yes, please don't cut holes in that. It would be like taking a 56 Nomad and chopping the top off cause you need a truck.

Put me in line with the "don't drill it" crowd!

you know you want to do it....

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZAzg-lc1fg&feature=player_embedded"]greenmonster[/ame]

I say drill it.

wilserbrewer said:

I am just amazed that something this old appears to work like new...how the hell is that possible?

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cause nowadays everything that's made is crap and back then it was made to be repaired and last

It's just fridge, albeit a cool one. What the snot can you do with it anyway? You certainly can't take it for a drive.

Drill away.

I am entertained by the level of enthusiasm created by my old fridge. The nice young lady that gave it to me couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I guess we are a unique bunch.

I bought a 60+ yr old Hotpoint fridge about a month ago, it works great and is just really cool. Its in pretty good shape for its age. I don't think I can bring myself to drill it.

zanemoseley said:

I bought a 60+ yr old Hotpoint fridge about a month ago, it works great and is just really cool. Its in pretty good shape for its age. I don't think I can bring myself to drill it.

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It's joost a fridge, lad. Ya kahnt ehn-er it in a shoo oore win a pruize widit, cahn ya?

Far kriest seks, dreel da 'ooles an' be doon widit!

nickpgoodman said:

I've love to know how much power one of those originals use though I doubt they are energy star qualified!

It sure is purty though.

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I have a 1947 Philco in the patio from my grand parents house, it sits in the morning sun 3 hours a day. It operates for 95 to 108 seconds every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The new Maytag frig runs 70% of the time and told it was normal.
Wattage meter used on the Philco beats the larger new Maytag by 11 times. Non energy star my ass that Maytag will be in the dumps first. I bet you would turn in a clean 56 Ford Pick UP for a brand new Toyota with that clunker law.
Not to offend or attack you just how wrong people are without using a watt meter on old equipment with facts. Done ranting. Oh no taps will be drilled into the Philco.

arturo7 said:

It's joost a fridge, lad. Ya kahnt ehn-er it in a shoo oore win a pruize widit, cahn ya?

Far kriest seks, dreel da 'ooles an' be doon widit!

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I always used to wonder if people with accents typed with them as well. I guess now I know. Again, sweet fridge. Drill it. Sweet fridge-sweet kegerator.

My freezer is so old it was made by International Harvester. I didn't even know they made freezers. But it works like a champ.

Really??!! I know about "wrecking" old cars but fridges??? If you really wanted too, you could fill the holes. Once you found a suitable replacement that is.

Guess it's too late for my '54 Philco

Here is my ol' fridge...

I have come to the conclusion that I will rehab this baby and make it my bottle fridge and run a few taps from my future kegerator thru the wall next to her, which will be outside the movie room...

BrewBeemer said:

I have a 1947 Philco in the patio from my grand parents house, it sits in the morning sun 3 hours a day. It operates for 95 to 108 seconds every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The new Maytag frig runs 70% of the time and told it was normal.
Wattage meter used on the Philco beats the larger new Maytag by 11 times. Non energy star my ass that Maytag will be in the dumps first. I bet you would turn in a clean 56 Ford Pick UP for a brand new Toyota with that clunker law.
Not to offend or attack you just how wrong people are without using a watt meter on old equipment with facts. Done ranting. Oh no taps will be drilled into the Philco.

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I think there's something wrong with your new fridge then.

Only problem with them old fridges is they are so small. No room for anything that my fat ass likes. Well, some, but not all, AND YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO GET TO THE FREEZER!!! ARGH!!! They do look sweet though, like a robot from a '30's cereal. My vote is if you have a fridge already tapped don't drill. If you don't have one tapped drill it unless someone wants to trade you for a brand new fridge that can fit 6 cornies!!! :rockin:

Here's the reason you don't want to drill holes in the fridge.
You will destroy or greatly reduce the value. I'm not advising you out of sentimental or passionate emotion I'm trying to keep you from screwing up. If you need or want a kegerator with taps on the outside sell the thing to someone who will appreciate it and you will make more than enough money to buy a new one and all the equipment you'll need. It's a matter of ecomonics.

abracadabra said:

Here's the reason you don't want to drill holes in the fridge.
You will destroy or greatly reduce the value. It's a matter of ecomonics.

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These fridges are truly not that rare, and do not have a substantial value IMO. Just cause someone is offering a "restored" similiar fridge for $3400.00. Doesn't mean my unit is worth diddly. The last thing I want to be in is the vintage appliance business, which is where you need to be to get any real dough out of these things.

Here is a nice 47' GE that is $75. The guy would probably take less??
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/atq/1440519732.html

These things are being shredded at recycling facilities hourly, and to worry about a couple holes?

Two holes through the front could be placed behind an interior shelf. The exterior holes could easily be filled and finished, behind fresh paint, no one would be the wiser.

An initial investigation has revealed that two sanke 1/4's is a nice fit, which leads to the question, step bit, or hole saw.

Well excuse me! I thought you were looking for advise or opinions

JKoravos said:

I think there's something wrong with your new fridge then.

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Nope had two Sears MayTag repair come out telling me these new smaller compressor refrigerators run a lot longer. Call it star, a star meter spinner
as a contractor friend has the same model. I installed my old electric meter with the same amp hours readings off his unit at the same internal temps.

New sears appliances are absolute crap. Just go check out the reviews of their washers and dryers... on their own site, they all have 2 out of 5 stars ratings with 100+ reviews. Also, just because it's a new fridge doesn't mean it's energy star rated... by definition to get that rating, the fridge has to use 20% less electricity than the baseline.

Unfortunately, foreign brands like samsung and LG are putting out much better products now, at the same price points.


As for the OP- hack away. It's not an heirloom, it's an appliance. Cut some holes, clean it up... and then take it to an auto body shop for a wicked paint job!

The two biggest reasons the old ones use less power are; first, that they were built with better materials, thicker metal, more insulation, and second, they do not have internal fans built to circulate cold air.
People do spend big bucks on professionally restored old appliances like that because they will outlast anything even in that price range that you would buy new today. That being said, an old unrestored unit could not bring that price. I picked up two of them for free within a day of each other. One is an early forties Frigidaire that has never quit. It's more than sixty years old and the only thing it needs is a new seal.
They were built before "planned obsolescence" and were made to be repaired, so even repairing one is usually cheaper than buying something new.

BrewBeemer said:

Nope had two Sears MayTag repair come out telling me these new smaller compressor refrigerators run a lot longer. Call it star, a star meter spinner
as a contractor friend has the same model. I installed my old electric meter with the same amp hours readings off his unit at the same internal temps.

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Wow, that sucks.

JKoravos said:

Wow, that sucks.

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To the tune of $1,173 vs $1,592 as I got a discount thru a Sears employee friend. It's going on 3 years old and still working. The pisser is the condenser is down low in the back that must be blown clean with a the air compressor line and air nozzle as it's down near the floor and can collect lint reducing the heat transfer. I'm on top of it twice a year blasting the coils so it's always spotless.
Sears buys from anyone and made for a price, a Sears price that is. My Sears employee friend always says "Sears Sucks" this in general how they treat their employees. My 25 year old Maytag washer and electric dryer just keep on working and hard with kids in the house. The dryer lost a belt and a heating element once in all these years. Simple to repair myself.

you guys suck, now I need another toy for my brewing hobby :cross:

I say drill it, that will be the coolest kegerator ever. Searching CL just now I found a few so I dont think they are that rare.

If I were an old fridge I think it would be awesome to find second life as a keggerater.

arturo7 said:

If I were an old fridge I think it would be awesome to find second life as a keggerater.

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As opposed to being scrapped, absolutely.

Good life of a fridge:
Fridge while properly working and nice looking.
Kegerator when the outside gets ugly and is beyond simple repair.
Smoker when it becomes more expensive to fix than is worth it.
Scrapped when it's too rusty to fix.

Dude drill that sucker, If you want I will be happy to do it for you. Just bring it over to my house!!!!

that thing is unreal.

I think I paid $20 for this guy. It's a Westinghouse. Someone had painted it, and covered any markings showing the date, but it looks exactly like a picture of one from 1946 that I've seen online.

I use it for a fermentation fridge, and at some point, I'll paint it.

I will just say, that's a cool fridge and *I* would not think twice about cleaning it up, drilling carefully, and making a great retro keggerator. Hell, you might just increase it's value 10 fold. (easy to do since 0 x 10 = 0 )
You never know what the greater idiot will value or pay big bucks for.

I am looking to get a chest freezer, but damn those old fridges are so cool!!!!