Thread Number: 37683
Norge Combo for sale on ebay
[Down to Last]

automaticwasher.org's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate automaticwasher.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 560552   12/1/2011 at 06:27 (4,501 days old) by kenbarthel (Wayzata MN 55391)        

Just spotted a Norge combo by Borg/Warner for sale on ebay, I think the owners manual is the one on the combo thread #37489. The ebay listing number is 130607740156 ends in 2-days starting bid is $100.00, though someone in the club would like to have. Happy Holidays to All, Kenny




Post# 560554 , Reply# 1   12/1/2011 at 06:45 (4,501 days old) by cadman (Cedar Falls, IA)        
Under the Radar.......

cadman's profile picture
I wondered when someone might spot this!

I plan on bidding since it's not very often a combo turns up that's within a decent drive of me, but if someone has their heart set on this shoot me a message. -Cory


Post# 560556 , Reply# 2   12/1/2011 at 06:52 (4,501 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
here it is

akronman's profile picture
Post# 560559 , Reply# 3   12/1/2011 at 06:55 (4,501 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Cory

jetcone's profile picture

Go for it! I wanna play with this machine, and  you can come play with the Charcoal Frigidiares!!!

 

I desperately want to see what that 3 ball balance system is ALL ABOUT!

 

jet

 

 


Post# 560564 , Reply# 4   12/1/2011 at 07:23 (4,501 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Somewhere I have parts manuals for the Norge combo - - will do some digging later to see if I can locate any info. IIRC, the Norge combo was very similar in design to the Hotpoint...


Post# 560593 , Reply# 5   12/1/2011 at 08:21 (4,501 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

John and I talked about this machine this morning and we have placed a bid since no one else has. Thanks for pointing this auction out, Ken.

I scanned the 1960 Consumer Reports article on Combos and there is something interesting about the Norge. Even through it only spun at 225 rpm, it managed to finish a complete wash and dry program in 1 hour and 13 minutes, in both the gas and electric versions. That is as fast as the LK running on 50 amps and drying with about 8500 watts of heat or the gas version with its huge burner that eventually burned through the side wall of the porcelain tank below the cylinder and often charred floors beneath the burner cone. The Norge combo used a huge fan behind the cylinder, much like their dryers.


Post# 560598 , Reply# 6   12/1/2011 at 09:10 (4,501 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
It appears to be from around 1958, looks like its not in bad shape either. As far as I know this is the first one ever to show up within our group.

Post# 560601 , Reply# 7   12/1/2011 at 09:22 (4,501 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

I spent many an afternoon with this model at the Rich's Department Store branch near our house while my mom shopped at Kroger's. I would watch Superman and inspect all of the appliances. Interesting that the only dishwashers on the sales floor were portables. I loved the deep door glass on this machine. Decades ago, someone, maybe it was Jeff, found the glass being sold as an ice bucket in a thrift store or similar setting. I found a door glass for the original Duomatic being sold as a bowl for a dollar or so at a flea market in Silver Spring in the early 80s.

Post# 560613 , Reply# 8   12/1/2011 at 11:11 (4,501 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)        
Holy Combos Batman!

revvinkevin's profile picture

I had no idea any of these existed! I would LOVE to see this in person! If it wasn't for the cost of shipping AND that others here want it, I might consider bidding myself (but not gonna happen).

I hope whoever gets it posts some really GOOD photos of it for us and the archive!

Kevin


Post# 560616 , Reply# 9   12/1/2011 at 11:18 (4,501 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Norge Combo!

peteski50's profile picture
I posted in the other thread - but I will post again!

Post# 560617 , Reply# 10   12/1/2011 at 11:19 (4,501 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Norge Combo!!

peteski50's profile picture
Looks nice!

Post# 560618 , Reply# 11   12/1/2011 at 11:19 (4,501 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Norge Combo!!!

peteski50's profile picture
I hope someone grabs it!

Post# 560627 , Reply# 12   12/1/2011 at 12:22 (4,501 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)        
breathlessly quoting loosely.

mickeyd's profile picture

FIVE cubic feet, 26 inches high, specially engineered lifters, big white lights, little colored lights, giant fans humming,

 

tumble rinsing, spray rinsing, spin rinsing, deep rinsing....... ahhhhhhh..... I can't stand it........

 

Pete, I did not want to have washer sex this early in the day, LOL, but THANKS, you elfin rascal!

 

What a Christmas present this will make. Good Luck, Guys. One way or another, it's going to stay in our family, and I'll bet a charcoal 58, good friends will work it out.


Post# 560629 , Reply# 13   12/1/2011 at 12:37 (4,501 days old) by westyslantfront ()        

I will look forward to a club member adding this machine to their collection, getting it up and running, and some videos of the machine in action.



Ross


Post# 560724 , Reply# 14   12/1/2011 at 20:45 (4,501 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)        
Late to the Combo Club,

mickeyd's profile picture

I think I understand why you guys appreciate them so much--Complexity and engineering challenge, and who solves the various problems best. So on a lark, passing by Sears, I peeled in. The arrestingly corpulent attendant was busy counting his money and ignored me. He was mouthing the numbers. I'm grinning and thinking of Scrooge.

 

Before finding him, I had been studying all the washers, looking for a combo, just to see. I found a lot of cavernous stainless steel tubs in the HE TL's . One was scalloped and honey combed, and more, very intricate. I was amazed at what I saw; it's been a while since I've been in Sears. The 700 dollar portable KM would look nice in any of our kitchens. Not really. Alas, no combos.

 

Back to Scrooge. I thought I saw some drool in the corners of his mouth. "Excuse me, do you have any washer-dryer combinations?"

 

"You mean a stacked washer and dryer?" he corrected me, not too happy to having his counting interrupted. I did respectfully wait till he finished his 20's and on to the tens.

 

"Ummm no," I said, "a washer-dryer combination, all in one, I sung, have you ever heard of them?

 

Yes we have one

 

Where? I can't find it.

 

It's not here, it's in the catalog, an LG, fifteen hundred dollars and it takes 4 hours to do a load.

 

My mouth went ppffttt

 

Cory and Company: Can't wait to see the Norge in action when you get it. This is very exciting. I hope you have it in time for Christmas.


Post# 560773 , Reply# 15   12/2/2011 at 05:54 (4,500 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

From the first time I saw the shape of the large door on the SQ FL, I was reminded of the door of the Norge Combo.

Post# 560775 , Reply# 16   12/2/2011 at 06:15 (4,500 days old) by cycla-fabric (New Jersey (Northern))        
Huge Drum

cycla-fabric's profile picture
What a great combo, and it has a huge tub 4.8 cu ft I am sure you can do a 18 towels in one load in this machine.

Doug


Post# 560779 , Reply# 17   12/2/2011 at 06:44 (4,500 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Speed Queen Combo?

mrb627's profile picture
Is this machine in any way related to the Speed Queen Combo?

Malcolm


Post# 560784 , Reply# 18   12/2/2011 at 07:09 (4,500 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )        

polkanut's profile picture

Where is Hans "Norgeway" in this discussion?  Yoo-hoo, Hans!


Post# 560785 , Reply# 19   12/2/2011 at 07:30 (4,500 days old) by Easyspindry (Winston-Salem, NC)        
One of the most . . .

. . . fascinating discussions in a long while. I guess because no one's ever seen one or had one.

PLEASE get it and give us a report. I had no idea Norge even made a combo.

Videos would be awesome.

Jerry Gay


Post# 560885 , Reply# 20   12/2/2011 at 21:52 (4,500 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
We've Been Robbed!

launderess's profile picture
Just took a peek at the auction to see where the bidding was and to my surprise it is shut down.

Message from eBay states "seller ended auction... because item is no longer available"


Ok, who cut the side deal? *LOL*


Post# 560894 , Reply# 21   12/3/2011 at 00:08 (4,500 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
I IIRNC on the Norge-Speed Queen combo relation. The Norge was a completely unique design, it was the Speed Queen that shared much DNA with the Hotpoint combo - another machine that is rare as hen's teeth. Don't think anybody has seen one in person.



Post# 560912 , Reply# 22   12/3/2011 at 06:05 (4,499 days old) by cadman (Cedar Falls, IA)        

cadman's profile picture
I assume it went to a club member...now how long before it comes out of hiding???

Post# 560945 , Reply# 23   12/3/2011 at 12:00 (4,499 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
"how long before it comes out of hiding??? "

launderess's profile picture
Usual MO is for the thing to lie low until the heat and potential furore dies down.

Post# 560954 , Reply# 24   12/3/2011 at 12:24 (4,499 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Probably due to a lack of confidence in a buyer's ability to compete in the marketplace so they don't play by the rules. Some people never overcome inadequacies they began to feel in childhood. It's sorta like men with big possessions to compensate for shortcomings elsewhere.

Post# 560964 , Reply# 25   12/3/2011 at 12:51 (4,499 days old) by kenmore58 (Rhode Island)        

kenmore58's profile picture
Unless I'm reading this incorrectly, the auction was ended by the seller after receiving two very high bids.

Ron


Post# 560967 , Reply# 26   12/3/2011 at 12:59 (4,499 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Where are you reading that? I have not seen anything about two very high bids and if there were two very high bids, they were not made via ebay; a crooked seller and a crooked buyer colluded to go outside the system.

Post# 560968 , Reply# 27   12/3/2011 at 13:02 (4,499 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)        
Big bids

vacbear58's profile picture
I wondered about this too, you can see it if you click on the bid history - I know it says no bids placed, just scroll on down the screen.

Al


Post# 560969 , Reply# 28   12/3/2011 at 13:07 (4,499 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Pipe:

launderess's profile picture
Bid retraction and cancellation history

Bidder Action / Explanation Date of Bid and Retraction


Bidder i***6 Cancelled: US $1,000.00
Explanation: The seller ended the listing early and cancelled all bids. Bid: Dec-02-11 17:51:58 PST
Cancelled: Dec-02-11 18:12:09 PST
Bidder r***a Cancelled: US $2,359.99
Explanation: The seller ended the listing early and cancelled all bids. Bid: Dec-02-11 07:26:57 PST
Cancelled: Dec-02-11 18:12:09 P



Post# 560970 , Reply# 29   12/3/2011 at 13:15 (4,499 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
This Is Not Our First Time At The Rodeo

launderess's profile picture
For that reason one really no longer bothers listing active fleaPay auctions or classified adverts for rare and or unique items.

It's the same old story most every time now:

Seller lists something they pretty much consider one step up from scrap value. At once the vultures descend making contact with grad offers and the rest goes usually goes the way of the above auction. Listing vanishes and item turns up later in someone's collection usually when they either make the annoucement and or require assistance with parts/repair.

Cancelling an auction to cut side deals IIRC is acutally against eBay's policy, but then again they have few tools against it and even state in their terms they cannot force a seller to make the deal.

Am all for club camaraderie as far as that goes; but there are too many "silent" members who we only hear from when they have a problem wanting solved, or to glean information that benefits themselves.


Post# 560971 , Reply# 30   12/3/2011 at 13:16 (4,499 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

There were two bids placed and officially accepted by ebay--our original one and our top bid and there was nothing in the email I received from ebay last night after I went to bed except that the seller had withdrawn the item from auction. The seller has other items for sale, along with his or her integrity. If I cared, I would report him or her to ebay, but they don't have a lot of integrity either.



This post was last edited 12/03/2011 at 14:06
Post# 560972 , Reply# 31   12/3/2011 at 13:27 (4,499 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

According to ebay rules and procedures, the seller does not know the maximum bid any buyer places. The deal was made offline.

On the other hand, maybe the seller realized that the reason that the machine is still in the basement is that remodeling made it impossible to remove. Let's hope.


Post# 560983 , Reply# 32   12/3/2011 at 13:44 (4,499 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs)        

twintubdexter's profile picture
"frankly my dear"...

I think anyone who would pay $1000+ for that machine must have money to burn...although I've spent more on collectibles that my friends think aren't worth a dollar. I do like the seller's description of that old combo where he states that it's classified as "antique" which means it's a 1911 model or earlier.


Post# 560991 , Reply# 33   12/3/2011 at 14:14 (4,499 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        
another one scared off?

goatfarmer's profile picture

It's also "possible" that someone Emailed the seller, and stated how rare and unusual the piece was, and they know of a lot of interest in it, and that they personally don't want it, and how they hope it goes to a good home type thing. Seller hears of this, and withdraws the item, only to post later at BIN of $5000.00 or so....

 

It's happened before......


Post# 560995 , Reply# 34   12/3/2011 at 14:27 (4,499 days old) by kenmore58 (Rhode Island)        

kenmore58's profile picture
Not to rant and rave, but this reminds me somewhat of what happened a while back with a near perfect Kenmore round bolt-down automatic that appeared from Rhode Island.

I started corresponding with the seller, as she only lived approximately 3 minutes away from me. As we started to correspond, my suspicion is that other club members also e-mailed her with the usual "Oh, my God, that's fabulous." "It's extremely rare." "It's worth a fortune." Etc. Etc.

Yes, it was rare and yes, it was in mint condition, but those people are in another part of the country. Are they going to pay the high price to ship it? No. Before I knew it, the woman wanted an astronomical figure for the machine and basically told me to stop emailing her and that I was harassing her, even though I was simply trying to explain what the machine was worth to me and the fact that I could be at her front door in 3 minutes with cash and a neighbor who was willing to help me haul it out of the basement.

Sometimes people have to learn "The art of the deal."

Thanks for letting me rant.

Ron


Post# 560997 , Reply# 35   12/3/2011 at 14:30 (4,499 days old) by Travis ()        

As with anything that's rare, it's not surprising that this happened.  Ebay has never been fair and never will be.  This, like many other collector groups have members that are willing to throw cash at something and others that sit and moan that everything is only worth $50.  It always boils down to supply and demand or luck with a rare item.


Post# 561003 , Reply# 36   12/3/2011 at 15:10 (4,499 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
@Travis

launderess's profile picture
Would agree with you to an extent, but this was an *auction* where the market supposedly would determine what a thing is worth.

Too many clueless sellers on fleaPay and elsewhere fail to do their homework and then want to rejigger things because their price was off the mark.


Post# 561007 , Reply# 37   12/3/2011 at 15:41 (4,499 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )        
HER I AM!!!

I never knew such a thing existed!! I want to come see it whoever gets it!!!!

Post# 561011 , Reply# 38   12/3/2011 at 16:18 (4,499 days old) by Travis ()        

Laundress,

 

I don't think most people know how to price a piece of crap that's been sitting around their homes.  The correct thing would be a Buy it Now or best offer.  They'd likely put some high buy it now price that would set off a few people as being crazy, etc.  I agree that an auction should set the price, but ebay has never worked like a real auction.  I have long since given up on bidding during an auction.  Sniping is easier and less stressful.

 

If I was that seller and someone waved a pile of cash at me for an appliance that I inherited with my house, I think I would have sold it out from under ebay also.  For better or worse, ebay offers better exposure than any site I can think of.


Post# 561014 , Reply# 39   12/3/2011 at 16:40 (4,499 days old) by coolairguy ()        

I know the workings of those machines and could take it apart and put it together with my eyes closed because my father was in the Norge Laundry and cleaning Village business for many years and the Coin Op drycleaning machine was based on that combo. My question is I know they made a gas version of it> Does anyone know where the gas burner was located?

Post# 561075 , Reply# 40   12/4/2011 at 01:11 (4,499 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Norge Dry Cleaning Village!

peteski50's profile picture
We had one near us in Westchester County opened in 1962. It didnt catch on real big so in 1964 new owners took over and they they made it a regular dry cleaners and it was no longer self service.
The new owners also installed 6 frigidaire washers with the 18 minute wash cycle.
I used to like hanging out their. And my family became friendly with the owners.
So it played a big part in my life.
I remember the norge cleaning machines had a cleaning cycle that lasted 15 to 20 minutes and would go into a spin like a regular FL machine. Than it would do the dry phase for about 50 minutes. I could see the simularity to this combo!
Peter


Post# 561523 , Reply# 41   12/6/2011 at 14:32 (4,496 days old) by Jsneaker ()        
OMG

I would never expect the Norge Combo to wash & dry 18 BATH towels, especially not today's HUGE ones! My machine is 4.5 CuFt and cannot handle that! I don't wash more than 6 pair of jeans at once either!

All old Norge front-load machines did a spray-tumble wash/dryclean from a whistle-shaped tube on the inside of the door opening. The gas burner on the machine was at the top-our friend had a '56 Norge gas dryer.

"Launderess(Laundress), the word is "furor"! LOL

Speed Queen Combos were like Easy's, NOT Hotpoint, which was a re-badged GE. I never saw any of those, but had seen someone's literature.

The old Norge dryers did have a great big drum for "drop" efficiency, and dried very quickly because of the high-output fan. The later 50's ones also had "Stop-n-Dry" to use the rack you could fit into the drum without tumble! They also had hair-dryer attachments that covered the door-opening!

There was a "Norge self-service" drycleaner in Deer Park years ago, next-town-over from mine. There was a self-serve Whirlpool Poly Clean Drycleaner in Brightwaters. I also used one at a center in Long Beach MANY years ago!


Post# 561584 , Reply# 42   12/6/2011 at 20:41 (4,496 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
SPEED QUEEN COMBS

combo52's profile picture

Were not at all related to Easys, I have one of both. The SQC was a redesigned version of the very short lived HP combo. Later HP combos were exactly the same as GEs combos.


Post# 561595 , Reply# 43   12/6/2011 at 21:34 (4,496 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
John is correct, the Hotpoint designed combo was nothing like the GE combo. While reading the manuals a couple of years ago when John and Smitty were here for New Years, we marveled at how almost identical engineering was used from the early Hotpoint in the Speed Queen combo. All the literature I have for the Hotpoint machine puts it around 1957 but we've yet to see one or anyone who has. The service literature proves it must have been built - pictures - but still...

I have all this service and some sales lit, including Easy that was a breed all it's own... I need to do some scanning!


Post# 561598 , Reply# 44   12/6/2011 at 21:42 (4,496 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Scanning!

peteski50's profile picture
Please Greg scan when you can.
Thanks,
Peter


Post# 561659 , Reply# 45   12/7/2011 at 06:49 (4,495 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Years ago, a member posted that his father was affiliated with Hotpoint and all of the combos sold in the first year of production were recalled because of a "fire hazard" by HP. He reported that owners hated to give up their machines. We figure that there was a patent infringement lawsuit from Bendix and it was cheaper for HP to destroy the machines than pay out. In looking at the cycle chart of the machine, it did not spin until the end of the cycle, as I remember and the SQ combo only gave one brief spin after the first rinse and then the final spin, IIRC. Like so many other combos, the HP was rich in buttons and dials on the control panel, but they were the proverbial sock in the shorts when it came to the machinery underneath. They just did not have what Bendix had because they could not.

Post# 561669 , Reply# 46   12/7/2011 at 07:39 (4,495 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        
I need to do some scanning!

swestoyz's profile picture
Sounds like a fun New Years tradition!



Post# 561697 , Reply# 47   12/7/2011 at 11:21 (4,495 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)        
"Easy that was a breed all its own."

mickeyd's profile picture
No surprize--that !-- with their unique "precision engineering."

How great it would be to read about the Easy Combo.


Post# 561730 , Reply# 48   12/7/2011 at 15:46 (4,495 days old) by Jsneaker ()        
Thanks Guys!

I appreciate any illuminating feedback on my questions, you guys are the best! Yes, Mr. Gansky, please do scan some sales literature for those combos! They are so elusive, because I never saw many of them. Thanks Tom for the clarification about the Easy and SQ's! I have SO MANY sales brochures for US and foreign appliances, I am going to start having some new reading material again! I have commercial machines' sales brochures, and spec-books from some brands, I know they are collectors dreams! Sadly, I cannot scan any of them-no scanner(or other stuff most people have).

Jason



Post# 562187 , Reply# 49   12/9/2011 at 17:07 (4,493 days old) by coolairguy ()        

On the Norge combo,I cant visualize the gas burner up on the top like it was on the dryer because the combo had 2 concrete blocks on the top of the tank for balance.I even bought a 1951 to 1961 Norge parts and service manual but it didn't have the combo in the book. Also the electric was a condensing dryer so it must have been a completely different design.

Post# 562191 , Reply# 50   12/9/2011 at 17:17 (4,493 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

More than probably so.


Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

The Discuss-o-Mat has stopped, buzzer is sounding!!!
If you would like to reply to this thread please log-in...

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy