Detroit Free Press article hits at why we like old iron

drpreposterous

drpreposterous

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Old-time Detroit repair shop pegs its decline on boom in Chinese goods

McNichols Electric is well known to any native Metro Detroiter. This article made me realize why I love old iron. It's not just the aesthetics--when cars actually were something approaching art. And it's not just nostalgia. It's the fundamental integrity and honest craftsmanship. In some industries, that vanished after 1925 or so (housing, furniture). But we did have a golden age of automotive and appliance manufacturing. And I do appreciate having seen it, and (where possible) hanging on to its remnants. I have a 1940s-built Westinghouse floor fan that the family dubbed, "Mike Wisowski" after the one-eyed green monster in "Monster's Inc." It is five feet of honest-to-goodness metal and works as well (I imagine anyway), as it did in 1947. McNichols did a thorough rebuild on it for us in '95.
 
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I understand that 100%. When I moved into my first rental house in the early '80s, I bought an old GE electric clothes dryer. It was already 15 years old! That dryer lasted until 2003, and it wasn't because it quit, it was because it was destroyed in a tornado! I want to say that dryer was built in 1969, so it had lasted 34 years before dying an untimely death by force. Same with my first refrigerator. Bought at the same time as the dryer, it was a $20 yard sale score. It was a 1950 International Harvester refrigerator/freezer. It was 32 years old when I bought it. I had that until 1985, and the friend I sold it to still has it! Cools beautifully, it is now his garage beer cooler. Nearly 70 years old, and it keeps on going strong.

Contrast that with my current washer; a 2014 Kenmore/Westinghouse top-loading "high-efficiency" model. I'm noticing that new equipment has a drop-dead date of roughly four years before the cost of repair exceeds the cost of a replacement appliance! Just recently replaced the tub bearing; what a PITA that was! Couple that with the ham-handed "tech", and nothing good could come from the outcome. Still having problems, but only in the final spin cycle. Screw this!

So today, my wife and I went and bought a new machine, to be delivered mid-week, plus they will cart the old one off. At least this one has a five-year warranty over the one-year that is prevalent these days. Will probably be getting another washer in five years and one month, I'm certain.
 
I bought a 25 year old washer and dryer set in 1984, both lasted another 20 years. The nice thing about the old Kenmore appliances was that they were built to last and could actually be worked on. Like everything else, the quality of Kenmore's stuff declined in recent years, probably more a testament to the declining fortunes of Sears as much as anything else. Sears has sold the company, so maybe they will make a come back.

My brother let his wife talk him into buying some of the big square front loaders from Samsung. The Dryer lasted about two months out of warranty before the bearings at the rear of the drum failed. He took it to the Samsung dealer and they wanted something in the neighborhood of $750 to fix it. He hauled it to the dump after some verbal abuse of the folks at the dealer. I plan on keeping my ancient Kenmores as long as I can still get parts for them. All mechanical controls with no electronics and a lot less problems. Had the same type of issues with the new Maytag range I bought the wife. Lasted five years and the electronic touch pad for the oven went south. About a $590 part. Another dead household item for the scrap heap. Replaced it with a used range with rheostat controls.

Dave
 
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In a fit of pure contempt and exasperation, I junked my touch pad washer and dryer for rotary/mechanical control simplicity. No problems with them, though I don't expect them to endure like the ones of yore...
 
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I'm completely into good old NOS household appliances, made in Western Germany.
 
Well gents looks like I get to post the same pic in two threads tonight. The stove and fridge are Frigidaire from 1964, the Kitchen Aid DW is from '66 and the Microwave is an Amana from '68. They've been in service at my house for about 5 years, God only knows how long before that because they're all older than me.

(Pardon my dust, I just removed the floor down to the joists in prep for new tile.)

And all the other appliances in my house are also ancient. The newest TV is from 1990.

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There is a point in that article. All my pots are the much older Revere Ware with Process Patent on the bottom. My five toasters range from 1938-1955 cycling through in use. Kitchen Aid blender is from 1952. Two Osterizers from 1969 and 1973. Two waffle makers from the late 60's. Old style juicer from earlier 60's. Cast iron frying pans from 1973. Plates, bowls and cups are Fire King from mostly the 50's and some 60's. Clock radios from 1969-1973. All of those are in daily use. Did use dial and push button Bell phones but the cable companies have pretty much made that impossible now.
 
I love old appliances, this is turning into a great thread!

Here's our 1950 O'Keefe and Merritt stove . I bought this in 2002 and it's been in service since. All it needed was a good cleaning, some new porcelain on the burners, and an oven light switch.

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Not sure if I should post our still clean 1966 loo around here. :D
 
When we bought OUR LAST EVER PONDEROSA 2 yearz ago the appliances were cheap junk.(came with the house when it waz built in '04) SOOOO, start from scratch and do it the right way aye. Old iz good and I appreciate that but the right company's are still making stuff of quality and doing it the right way. I won't name everything we replaced but we sold our home up north with all appliances in tack. I'll only talk about my one fun chase az to not kill this thread. They are called Jenn-Air Electric down draft cooktops with grill on one side and two burner ceramic cook tops on the other. Two thingz I'll add: Their iz no natural gas within 10 miles of where we live and we've had 3 of those Jenn-Air electric down drafts in our last 3 previous homes. Problem iz, that Jenn-Air stopped making the down draft with the grill on one side and cook top on the other 3 YEARZ AGO? Seems that every one in the country 'cept me wants to stand out in January with ice cycles hangin' off their everything and the same drill thru' the warm months when it'z 95* with matching humidity, HUH? Now I don't mind sittin' on the patio when it decent out there and burn something on the Weber( I've sawed the legz off every Weber I've owned for the last 50 yearz and I do cook out side when it's in the 70's or low 80's and I am sitting. Sorry for the side trip. Anyway, it took over 8 months perusing Craigslist on a national level but I finally found a woman in Augusta, Ga. That waz up dating her kitchen and had just what I waz looking for for the princely sum of $150.lol Those were $1200cooktopz 15 yearz ago when we re-did our kitchen in Michigan. I sang the whole 200 miles to Augusta and Laughed like a fool all the way home and My bride and I have resumed our ritual of burning NY strips every Saturday evening and washing them down with our favorite Cabernet from New Yearz thro' Christmas with consistent heat, No Charcoal and no Mosquitoes or sweet dripin' off me, Jer
 
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BIGBARNEYCARS said:
When we bought OUR LAST EVER PONDEROSA 2 yearz ago the appliances were cheap junk.(came with the house when it waz built in '04) SOOOO, start from scratch and do it the right way aye. Old iz good and I appreciate that but the right company's are still making stuff of quality and doing it the right way. I won't name everything we replaced but we sold our home up north with all appliances in tack. I'll only talk about my one fun chase az to not kill this thread. They are called Jenn-Air Electric down draft cooktops with grill on one side and two burner ceramic cook tops on the other. Two thingz I'll add: Their iz no natural gas within 10 miles of where we live and we've had 3 of those Jenn-Air electric down drafts in our last 3 previous homes. Problem iz, that Jenn-Air stopped making the down draft with the grill on one side and cook top on the other 3 YEARZ AGO? Seems that every one in the country 'cept me wants to stand out in January with ice cycles hangin' off their everything and the same drill thru' the warm months when it'z 95* with matching humidity, HUH? Now I don't mind sittin' on the patio when it decent out there and burn something on the Weber( I saw the legz off every Weber I've owned for the last 50 yearz and I do cook out side when it's in the 70's or low 80's and I am sitting. Sorry for the side trip. Anyway, it took over 8 months perusing Craigslist on a national level but I finally found a woman in Augusta, Ga. That waz up dating her kitchen and had just what I waz looking for for the princely sum of $150.lol Those were $1200cooktopz 15 yearz ago when we re-did our kitchen in Michigan. I sang the whole 200 miles to Augusta and Laughed like a fool all the way home and My bride and I have resumed our ritual of burning NY strips every Saturday evening and washing them down with our favorite Cabernet from New Yearz thro' Christmas with consistent heat, No Charcoal and no Mosquitoes or sweet dripin' off me, Jer
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My hunting buddy has one in his house, thought it was the coolest thing when I saw it. Works pretty good for it's age, could use a little attention. Just looked on eBay, you can get a used one for $900 with shipping added in!
 
LocuMob said:
My hunting buddy has one in his house, thought it was the coolest thing when I saw it. Works pretty good for it's age, could use a little attention. Just looked on eBay, you can get a used one for $900 with shipping added in!
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Now you know why I sang and laughed for that 8 hour trip to Augusta to rescue the one I now have. Most of the pieces for those cooktops can be found on line but the whole units even used are getting pricey. What attention does your buddyz need?
 
I think a bank was out, we used the griddle insert for some venison. He mentioned how much parts cost. And his is repurposed from a remodel, his whole house is reclaimed from somewhere else.
 
There are many "mid-century" groups in the USA. One is in OKC and I believe they have a website. Many others are around too, plus many resale businesses which specialize in those things. Even 1970s stereos and such!

Bad thing is that getting out of high school in 1970, we grew up with much of that stuff and didn't think anything about it. Many of these things can now be found in antique malls.

Plus, in the later '60s, that was a good economic time and many people upgraded to the fancier appliances (for the first time) and those were some great products. The coppertone refrigerators just looked better than the Harvest Gold or Light Green versions, to me.

Some items, as pole lamps, were used to upgrade the interior lighting of many houses, back then.

Those were the days! NOT just for cars!
CBODY67
 
We did a tour of Graceland during the big trip in the fall of 2016 withthe Polara. The decor was like we walked into a time capsule.
Well... it actually is:lol:, they have left it from the day he passed away.
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