Thread Number: 55284
50s westinghouse washers are a hard item to find |
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Post# 776859 , Reply# 1   8/12/2014 at 07:22 (3,516 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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I know what you mean - I never thought I'd ever find one, either! Relative age and popularity of the machines has an influence. For example, the last of the 'slant front' style Laundromats were produced in the early 1960s and that's getting on for 50 years now. The machines were relatively popular, too, so I suspect that most owners used 'em till they were truly finished then scrapped them. It was not unusual to seem them still in service in the late 60s and early 70s and I will bet that as soon as WCI gobbled up Westinghouse, repair parts were discontinued so the remaining ones could no longer be maintained.
I know from a Canadian perspective that even into the early 60s, folks here tended toward the lower-priced and thriftier wringer washers. My parents arrived in Canada in 1954, got their first wringer machine in 1955 but did not have an automatic until 1964! Of course my father was pretty steamed that my mother went ahead and bought a brand-new washer and dryer without consulting him, but that's a whole other story...
But don't despair, they do turn up. Be prepared to do some searching outside of your home area, though. You may find a dream machine on the other side of the continent so you may have no option but to have it shipped (and this can get expensive). But you never know what you'll find once you start searching...
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Post# 776870 , Reply# 2   8/12/2014 at 08:19 (3,516 days old) by classiccaprice (Hampton, Virginia)   |   | |
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I found mine here in the aw archives... Oddly enough, no one ever got it after someone posted it on here to sell, but it was in an out of the way area. It also took me 6 hours to figure out how to get it out of the basement it was stuck in. I have to do some repair work to it replacing hoses, etc., but it seems to work. They do turn up from time to time, just keep your eyes open. They seem to be among the more common 50s machines to show up. Now if someone will just start reproducing those door boots I can get my restoration started.
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Post# 777709 , Reply# 3   8/17/2014 at 07:29 (3,511 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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A set has come up for sale in the Memphis area. They are not exactly cheap, but an asking price is just a starting point... It's pretty rare to find the two machines together, too! The link below is to the information shown in the Shoppers Square forum here:
www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/T...
Good luck!! |
Post# 777718 , Reply# 4   8/17/2014 at 09:06 (3,511 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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I don't know if it's closer to anyone else. But, if I can help by storing them let me know. I don't have a truck or a way to get them to my house but I can offer a space in my garage and assistance with shipping if that helps anyone out. This really is a nice matching set and they don't come up like this very often. |
Post# 777723 , Reply# 5   8/17/2014 at 09:40 (3,511 days old) by moparwash (Pittsburgh,PA )   |   | |
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A lot of them met an early demise due to the nature of premature rust-out...here in Pittsburgh where you think it would be relatively simple to find one, given this was their HQ city, damp basements sent a lot of them to the scrap heap. My 1961 dryer must of been in a dry basement or first floor, as it has very few rust specks. Good luck in your search..im sure they will turn up soon!
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Post# 777810 , Reply# 6   8/17/2014 at 15:47 (3,510 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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You just have to keep your eyes peeled and be ready to pounce even if it requires shipping or driving a good distance to collect.
Do not limit your searches to fleaPay but prowl various online and local classified adverts. Also hit estate sales as well. Often those running such things merely note "washer and dryer" without going into detail which can work to your advantage. I mean at least you could have a leg up on the competition. Put feelers out with real estate agents, local contractors and so forth. Often when a home is sold the new owners rip out and or throw away "old" appliances. Sometimes these are taken/offered to contractors, other times put up for sale/auction (by homeowner or said contractor), or *gasp* worse chucked to the curb for scrap. Right now scrappers are the biggest enemy IMHO we collectors of vintage appliances can have. Often someone with "old" appliances just wants them gone and scrappers are out there daily scouring adverts and or renovation sites looking for pickings. As a NYS resident oneself can say it is good to keep an open mind about range. You might try considering from MA to NC as "local" or even beyond. |
Post# 780828 , Reply# 8   9/2/2014 at 06:27 (3,495 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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OUCH!! Yes, the Laundromat top panel is a weak point on these washers... Keep looking - you may turn up a machine that is not salvageable but that still has an intact top cover. There are substitutes for the door boot - check the forum archives for Westinghouse laundromat restorations for hints. If someone has a 3-d printer and batch of that butyl rubber.... LOL If you need a pump, I am pretty sure that Larry at Modern Parts still has some 'aftermarket' ones - still brand new!
I've been lusting after a Westy roll-out dishwasher for some time now. Please do keep us posted about that also!! |
Post# 780831 , Reply# 9   9/2/2014 at 06:40 (3,495 days old) by classiccaprice (Hampton, Virginia)   |   | |
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:(
Painful lesson learned. Thankfully I had the van when I got mine, but I remember someone doing the same thing on here loosing a trim piece on a 50s Westinghouse stove and someone I know personally accidentally loosing a pristine 1920s gas range due to a poor securing and a sharp turn. So if it helps, you are not alone. I think if I ever move anything like that in an open truck I am going to throw a tarp over it and tie it with at least 20 or 30 ropes. I know that doesn't help much, but if there is one thing I have learned, you can't change the past. So move forward and learn from the mistake. You will surely pay for it, but what about this dryer recently posted in San Francisco? You may be able to talk the seller down? CLICK HERE TO GO TO classiccaprice's LINK |
Post# 780923 , Reply# 10   9/2/2014 at 17:04 (3,494 days old) by christfr (st louis mo)   |   | |
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oh they are out there just have to hunt them down but wont be showroom. ha ha that's for you to master.. or if your like me just give it your best shot
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Post# 780961 , Reply# 12   9/2/2014 at 19:38 (3,494 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)   |   | |
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Post# 780993 , Reply# 13   9/2/2014 at 21:10 (3,494 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 780999 , Reply# 14   9/2/2014 at 21:50 (3,494 days old) by alr2903 (TN)   |   | |
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Thank You All ! I was absolutely stunned when we stopped for gas and I realized what had happened. |
Post# 781000 , Reply# 15   9/2/2014 at 21:51 (3,494 days old) by alr2903 (TN)   |   | |
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Post# 781001 , Reply# 16   9/2/2014 at 21:52 (3,494 days old) by alr2903 (TN)   |   | |
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Post# 781002 , Reply# 17   9/2/2014 at 21:54 (3,494 days old) by alr2903 (TN)   |   | |
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Post# 781068 , Reply# 19   9/3/2014 at 06:08 (3,494 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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