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Thread Number: 36135
1959 Frigidaire Custom Imperial Range - in Charcoal |
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Post# 538556 8/21/2011 at 16:11 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz  (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Hey Gang -
A local friend needed some help picking up a Singer sewing machine and cabinet (it was a large cabinet) up in Austin, MN. Earlier this week he had arranged to have us go pick up the cabinet and machine on Saturday. On Friday I joked with him, "better watch out - I might find something along the way!" While getting ready Saturday morning I cruised the Rochester CL to find this: 
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Post# 538559 , Reply# 1 8/21/2011 at 16:14 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Now, it's no Control Tower Unimatic in charcoal, but I couldn't believe it. For a future home I have thought about finding a 58 or 59 range, but I had no intention of looking for one now as the basement is already full enough.
However, I couldn't pass this color up! I contacted the seller, and after striking a deal, I had made arrangements to pick it up in Rochester after I helped my friend in Austin. In the flesh... 
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Post# 538561 , Reply# 2 8/21/2011 at 16:17 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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The seller mentioned that the original owner of the home had also owned the local appliance store in Rochester. Sometime in '58 or '59 he had the kitchen remodeled, and the store owner installed the nicest TOL appliances from his store in his house.
The second owner of the house didn't cook much, per the seller, thus may be the reason why the range survived all these years. The seller's wife loved this range, and raved at how much she loved using it. I could tell she was happy it was going to a loving home, but was sad to see it go. At one point a friend of hers found a spare deep well at a garage sale. 
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Post# 538567 , Reply# 3 8/21/2011 at 16:19 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Back in Waterloo... | ||
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Post# 538569 , Reply# 4 8/21/2011 at 16:21 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Custom Imperial
The story was told that everything works on the stove, including the Speed Heat burner. Currently I don't have a way to test this fable so I'll take his word for it.
She took very good care of the range, unfortunately there is a strange haze around the burners and above the main oven. I'm not sure if it is cleaners or a burn through in the porcelain. Also, there are two chips in the finish along the edge. 
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Post# 538571 , Reply# 5 8/21/2011 at 16:23 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 538572 , Reply# 6 8/21/2011 at 16:23 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 538573 , Reply# 7 8/21/2011 at 16:24 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 538574 , Reply# 8 8/21/2011 at 16:25 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 538575 , Reply# 9 8/21/2011 at 16:25 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 538576 , Reply# 10 8/21/2011 at 16:27 (4,655 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 538585 , Reply# 11 8/21/2011 at 16:43 (4,655 days old) by kevin313 (Detroit, Michigan) |
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| Post# 538586 , Reply# 12 8/21/2011 at 16:44 (4,655 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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Haze on porcelian... This is very similar to a heat tint you get on stainless steel if it is overheated, I dont know of a cure, but you might could compound it out with automotive rubbibg compound, I know this will take out scratches. | ||
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Post# 538594 , Reply# 13 8/21/2011 at 17:07 (4,655 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 538822 , Reply# 15 8/22/2011 at 15:45 (4,654 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Thanks for the kind words fellas. I have found myself starring at it for no reason over the last day.
Yes Matt, I'd love a scanned copy of the manual. It is missing the rotisserie and temp probe - for now I can live without. :) I do have a question - does your main oven have a 'liner' at the bottom of the oven? I noticed the second oven had a liner in which the element rested on using a special wire stand - the main oven has the wire but doesn't have the liner. I don't remember either way from using Greg's '59. Ben | ||
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Post# 538826 , Reply# 16 8/22/2011 at 16:11 (4,654 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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Post# 538855 , Reply# 17 8/22/2011 at 19:53 (4,654 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI) |
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The liner was for the smaller oven since it did not pull out to clean. I'll try and scan the books, but it may be a while, remind me in a week or two if you don't hear from me... | ||
| Post# 539072 , Reply# 19 8/23/2011 at 17:40 (4,653 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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| Post# 539073 , Reply# 20 8/23/2011 at 17:41 (4,653 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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| Post# 539075 , Reply# 21 8/23/2011 at 17:47 (4,653 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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A 30" 1959 Custom Imperial in a French Canadian movie (my '65 Buick Wildcat also appears in this movie).
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PhilR's LINK 
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| Post# 539076 , Reply# 22 8/23/2011 at 17:52 (4,653 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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| Post# 539077 , Reply# 23 8/23/2011 at 17:56 (4,653 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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Post# 539101 , Reply# 24 8/23/2011 at 19:26 (4,653 days old) by JETCONE (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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Wow | ||
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Post# 539130 , Reply# 26 8/23/2011 at 23:37 (4,653 days old) by jetaction (Minneapolis) |
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4 ovens in the Swestka home--Perfect! | ||
| Post# 539207 , Reply# 27 8/24/2011 at 13:25 (4,652 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas) | ||
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| Post# 539248 , Reply# 28 8/24/2011 at 15:30 (4,652 days old) by franksdad (Greenville, South Carolina) | ||
Beautiful! | ||
| Post# 539250 , Reply# 29 8/24/2011 at 15:45 (4,652 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii) | ||
Charcoal Gray was my second favorite pastel color that Frigidaire pioneered back in the 50's and early 60's. my neighbors,the Kaceys,had the Custom Imperial washer and dryer and the bottom freezer Imperial refrigerator.They had the frost free upright Frigidaire freezer in the laundry area,a Kitchen Aid Superba dishwasher and Suburban gas wall oven and 300" wide gas cook top.Both of them in brushed chrome.The kitchen floor tiles were all black with silver sparkles on them and the wall covering was Z-Brick.The house was custom built in 1959.In their previous house in Towson,MD., they had the wall mounted Frigidaire cook tops,the french door wall oven,dishwasher,refrigerator washer/dryer and disposer.That house was too big and they moved up the street from us into a 3 bedroom 1 bath with a two car garage and an enclosed/heated back patio.
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Post# 539326 , Reply# 30 8/24/2011 at 20:00 (4,652 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Thanks for the kind words guys!
Kelly - it isn't nearly as nice as Greg's, but you're always welcome to stop by anytime. Unfortunately, if you did visit, you'd have to enjoy a lowly 1963 GE Americana double oven instead. :) Don - 4 ovens is right! I'd be baking for the whole neighborhood if I only had enough power in this house for two electric ranges. ;) Phil - the photos are fab, I can't believe how nice the ebay unit was. Do you recall if it sold? I also cannot believe how close in production they were. Must have been made within the day or two as I cannot imagine that charcoal was a high production color. Too sweet! Ben | ||
| Post# 717547 , Reply# 32 11/24/2013 at 23:48 (3,829 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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Ben,
I just read the first post of this thread and something similar happened to me today! A friend of mine asked me if I could pick up a Juki sewing machine for him and there was a range that I already saw with Paul a few weeks ago just 2 miles away from it (about an hour away from my home). There were issues with the range which made me decide not to buy it but I found some parts for it since (some that I already had!) so I changed my mind, I decided to buy it (at a lesser price). I also had a helper to load it in my pickup so the timing was great. Unfortunately, the range isn't charcoal or any nice color, it's just plain white but the porcelain in in decent shape...
I haven't got the chance to look at it closer as I need to find a helper to unload it from my pickup!
I'll need to do a few repairs on this range, the clock/timer is bad, the speed heat switch was removed and replaced with a regular Robertshaw (but I think I have the correct model for it). I don't know if the Speed Heat burner is still a 118V or if it has been replaced by a 240V burner but I have one 118V if I need it. (In Canada, the Speed Heat feature was very short lived and even some 1959 Custom Imperials lack it). It was still advertised in Canadian ads and my range certainly had it originally since it says so on the burner support and on the control panel. The Heat Minder switch was also replaced and the wires were also cut from the sensor. I don't know what I'll do with this one. The clock/timer are no good and there are a few other issues like the bake element connector but I haven't plugged it yet so I hope I won't find a lot of other things wrong!
The outside is white but the oven liners are charcoal (or almost!).
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Comes to the Rescue!
You got some vittles to stir up and what perfect timing with cooler weather on its way!!