When was the last year of production for the Rollermatics? 1969 or 1970?

What year would these have been?

I used to own a used Rollermatic that looked almost exactly like this one except that the selector knobs were chrome instead of plastic. What model is this (belongs to another member) and what year was it produced?

1969 was the end of production and the 1-18's started in '70.  I suspect a few were still around to be sold in 70 but 69 was the last year.

From what I've been able to determine within the Frigidaire Model Index and Identifier document (available on AE.org) is that 1-18 or "S" Line production was slated for the 1971 model year.  I suspect that they started building 1-18 washers in the fall of 1970, but I have yet to find an S-Line 1-18 washer that indicates it was built before 1971.

The index document lists N line models being produced from 1968-1970.

I should also point out that GM stopped indicating the year within each model number starting in 1966, and instead would indicate the model Line letter. 

• 1965 - J ('65 models do indicate the year, but J is considered to be the identifier for the model run)
• 1966 - K
• 1967 - L
• 1968-1970 - N

Some 1969 models were listed as P line washers (the High-Fashion WXP comes to mind...)

So, the model number of the washer in Ken's picture above would have probably been WCDN, and the dryer DCDN.  They got pretty crazy with the model identifiers during this time frame.

Ben

According to the Frigidaire production index.  The "N" line of Rollermatics was produced from 1968-1970.

The "S" line of 1-18 machines are listed as 1971 production.

The Tech-Talk for the "S" line 1-18 washers is dated September of 1970.  This seems to be consistent with Frigidiare's long-standing practice of introducing a new line in fall of the year.

I have no idea IF the machines you drew ever existed.  Someone who has more experience with the Frigidaire line from that time period might know more.

The picture of the actual machine you have posted there looks to me like it COULD be a 1967 WCDAL.  I would certainly not bet the farm on that, though!

Ken, the one with the white control panel you posted is a "L" model (WCDAL) and the Gold Crown pair in your drawing would be a "N" model.

No dryers had a pushbutton door opener like that after 1965.

I have the exact same green Gold Crown washer and the model number is WN7. It has about the same features as the WCDATN from the "regular" Frigidaire line but the 4 knobs are unique to this Gold Crown model (some regular Custom Deluxe models had 4 knobs too but they had different features). The WN5 Gold Crown is the closest model to the WCDATN. 

Here's a WN5 (I think it was Trainguy's machine). This is a Rapidry 1000 model with a single knob for the wash and rinse temperatures. 

This is another machine that Trainguy has/had.

This one is a WCDARN.  A 1968-70 non-rapidry 1000 Custom Deluxe model with the Suds-Return option. 

This is Joe's WCDATN, a 1968-70 Rapidry 1000 model with the same controls as the coppertone WN5 two posts above. 

On the left is my 1968-70 WN7 Gold Crown Rapidry 1000 washer and on the right,  a 1968-70 DECSN Canadian dryer. I have the matching WN5 Gold Crown dryer for the washer but I haven't finished repairing it... 

This is Eddy1210's Canadian non-Rapidry 1000 1968-70 model. It would be the matching washer for my dryer above. 

Phil, where do you reference all of the information about those late 60s Rollermatics?  I have the 1968 N line tech talk and the Frigidaire "Identifier" but all of those "crown series" machines and their slight variations make my head spin!  (Although not at rapid-dry speed!)

Mark, I wish I had reference books with pictures of every Gold Crown models but I don't... The Frigidaire lineup was quite complicated by the late 1960s!

This one (a picture that Ben took) is a WCDN. A non-Rapidry 1968-70 model with an infinite water level selector and a "lint away" light. 

This washer is a WCDL, a 1967 non-Rapidry 1000 Custom Deluxe model with the infinite water level control. It's very similar to the 1968-70 model but lacks the "lint away" lamp and had the all white control panel rather than the black/silver control panel of the 1968-70 model. 

The dryer beside is a DCDL. 

This is a scan from Ben's documentation (Ken, I have the same manual if you need a larger scan) of the WCDXN (on the left).   This is the model with infinitely variable agitation and speed spin, also a Custom Deluxe...

Of course, during the same time, there were a lot of other DeLuxe, Imperial and Custom Imperial models. Other Gold Crown models that I have never seen too.

Phil, that white WCDL in post 746775 is exactly the model I owned when I had a small studio apartment in the late '80s. There was an old well-established Frigidaire dealer that had been in Westbrook Connecticut since the early '60's called George's Appliance that sold it to me. By the mid-eighties, George's had been sold a couple of times and had split in two, with one business being a Frigidaire "Jet-Action" Laundromat, and the other side was a used appliance dealer. The appliance side had a mini-Frigidaire graveyard and I picked this model out of a collection of rusting Rollermatics. I wanted a "Rapid-Dry" model but there wasn't one in good condition at the time. This machine was far and away in the best condition and the dealer verified that for me with a 60-day warranty.

It was a great performer and because of the stinginess of the solid tub design I was able to fill the machine from my kitchen sink and drain it the same way. It was also quiet enough that it didn't disturb my downstairs neighbors as I was worried it might. I didn't run it late at night, but I was expecting somebody at some point to complain and it wasn't an issue. I found a "flying-saucer" fabric softener dispenser for it (that I may still have somewhere buried in the boxes of the basement). I wish I had been able to hang on to that machine. Up until 1995 there were lots of old Rollermatics around this area. Then, they just disappeared.

Thank you for the postings and yes, I would enjoy looking at any literature on the 67, 68 and 69 models that you have.

Ken, here are closer views at the 1967 WCDL controls, note the infinite water level control instead of the "full load" and "small load" selections of the time-filled models. 

Another shot.

And the DCDL dryer. 

Ken, here's another one you posted (yours?). 

Here's a similar "Deluxe" model from 1967 that Trainguy posted some time ago. Note that it lacks the automatic cycle. 

yeah, that yellow dryer is mine and I haven't seen it for a few years because it's buried behind several other appliances in the basement.

I also forgot that my machine, the WCDL had an infinite water level selection. Kind of a joke given the size of the tub and the water level range, but I didn't know that it had a pressure fill control. Go figure. Those lovely separate water temperature switches were also academic because I kept both of them on "COLD" and controlled the temperature from the kitchen faucet. I did, however, enjoy the speed selector; being a GE boy the idea of being able to change the speed during the cycle whenever one wanted without damaging the machine was a new experience.

So what's the deal with the 5 selector knobs on that WCDXN model? Separate Wash and Spin Speeds as well? I'd so kill for one of those "P" High-Fashion Models. They would include the liquid detergent and fabric softener dispensers right?

Yes the WXP does have timed detergent and fabric softener dispensers, hidden behind one of the storage doors.

The two knobs on the left of the WCDXN are for wash and spin speeds, the next two are for the wash and rinse temps and the one on the right is for the water level (also infinite pressure filled).

I have to agree with you about the infinite water level, it's not really useful on a 12 pounds machine. The only benefit I see is for those with very low water pressure. The pressure-filled machines require a single direction water pump that pumps just when the machine spins so they don't overflow in the first increment of the rinse cycle (to avoid filling the outer tub while the machine is agitating).

In Canada, we never had the infinite water level on Rollermatics. The 1966-70 Canadian TOL models had a mix of the features of the 1966 US WCIK and WCIAK. They had 12 pushbuttons like the WCIK but they lacked it's dispensers and the translucent plastic control panel (like the WCIAK). The TOL Canadian models also lacked the chrome cabinet strips and the dryer lacked the foot-pedal opener. I've just seen two sets of these, both 1968-70 "N" models. They have black/silver panels like the regular US "N" models but they kept the 1965-66 style round dials.