Hey there gang!

I wanted to take a moment tonight to write-up a pretty amazing find that I picked up today. The story starts the day after I got back from vacation a few weeks ago, and I received a text from a buddy who is a local antique dealer.  He and other antique dealers get first dibs on the estate sales in the area, and he noticed an old dryer in the basement of one of the estates he was going through that day.  His message was pretty simple, "this looks like something you'd be interested in, right?"

YEP.

He then sent a second picture showing the whole dryer.  I think he thought I was nuts when I said I'd be interested in the washer, too. 

So, after a week of him getting in touch with the firm that runs the estate, and the firm trying to figure out why I was involved, I had finally made arrangements to go pick up the 1-18 washer and the '63 dryer today.  From the sounds of it, the current owner's mom was using the dryer up until a few years ago.

I started chatting with the son of the owners and I mention that I collect this stuff, and he got a big smile on his face and said, "come with me."

We then start hauling out the goodies on a very muggy Iowa summer day.  Lots of sweat and muscle was used to get this shot.

Wait, that isn't a 1-18 washer!?!

Sure enough, his dad kept the original 1963 Frigidaire in a room just off the wash room in the basement.  Stored in what was a wood shop, I think the guy also smoked Camels down there for 40 years.   I couldn't get a shot of the washer in the room that we hauled it from, but let's just say it was NASTY.

She cleaned up pretty nicely, after wiping down the nicotine layer off everything.

Similar to what Jon Charles experienced with his charcoal '57 set, the nicotine preserved everything.  Even though it was in a wet, damp basement, there is actually very little rust on the machine.  The underside was in amazing condition.  The Multimatic mechanism broke loose from the belts and worked great!

The 1-18 has seen some pretty serious use since it was installed in August of 1979.  This washer was made towards the end of the GM Frigidaire production.  The rollers will need some cleaning, but other than that it sounded fine.

The dryer is in about the same condition as the washer.  A continuous pilot certainly hasn't been good for it, but how could I pass it up.

So, why does the washer model number not indicate the year, similar to the dryer?

That's because this was a merchandizing model!  Aimed towards those who were on a budget, you could get a new Frigidaire washer, but not pay for some of the glitz and glam of their standard models. 

I have some of the doctrine for the washer, but not this exact model.  What I know is that they started with this model series in 1963, and continued it in 1964.  The 1964 "-2" models look like '63 models, but are indeed 1964.  I've scanned what I have. 

Note that the 1963 "-1" mechanizing models have an 8 pound tub!!!  All 1963 standard models had the new 12 pound tub.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the 12 pound capacity tub in a 1963 Custom Imperial washer, and an 8 pound tub in the WIAS-1.

Similar to what Maytag did in 1966, Frigidaire didn't chrome a good chunk of the panel on these budget models as well.  Here's another side-by-side comparison. 

So why did the dad shove the washer to the side, and replace it with a 1-18? 

You may recall in the first photo I posted that there is a timer sitting on top of the washer.  The dad had intended to fix the timer, as it is stuck in the ON position.  Unfortunately the outfit that sourced him a new timer got the WRONG ONE.  Sucked for him, but it worked out great for me!

Oh, and I also asked the son if his parents kept any of the owners manuals.  Sure enough...

So do the lights glow brilliantly?  Does the washer work at all?  I did power up the washer, and with the timer being hung-up, I'm thinking that it isn't quite activating the motor correctly, but it spins fine.  I do want to pull the motor and clean the start switches, as the nicotine is probably close to causing a short. 

I'm looking forward to working on the '63 later this fall, along with some other toys that have traveled to the Midwest.

More to come!

Ben

Ah yes, Eugene, I totally forgot to mention that.  You are correct, the very rare 1963 and early 1964 pulsator column has been swapped out on the new '63, as well as on my '63 Custom Imperial.  When I first saw the washer in the other room in the basement, I may have asked the washer gods for one more miracle.   The Jet Action agitator on the new '63 is an earlier conversion (probably late 60's), where the Custom Imperial has the mid to late 70's conversion in place.

I guess the gods want me to keep looking for one....

Ben

Awesome Ben!!!!!!

Oh Ben, these are great finds! I'm a bit jealous!  

Seriously, I'm really happy they got to you!  One day, I'll get a set of clamshells! But for now, I have plenty of projects, the first being to pile stuff up in my garage! 

Amazing to find the dryer and then right next door the original washer kept from the Krusher all these years!

See now you understand the importance of nicotine too !

Good for you Ben, I'm glad you found these and they'll get a good home with you :)

That's a beautiful set!  God, Frigidaire made some sexy appliances back then!

The real clamshell was on the 1961 models. That year, the lighted panel could be folded on the controls. In 1962-63, it was fixed. In 1963, some knobs were also changed so they would extend more, the Custom Imperial washers and dryers kept the 1962-style knobs for a while and then changed to the new style during production. Some economy 1964 models were made with the 1963 looks. 

Ben, are your new machines 1963 models or 1964? The WIA-63 and 1964 WIAS-2 are quite similar but your washer looks more like a 1964 WIAS-2.

EDIT: I had completely missed your post #12! It's a 1964 model indeed and those scans I have attached show the same pages as yours!  Being a 1964 "special" model probably explains the painted side panels on the washer. 

WIAS-1?!

I also miss that document! And I don't think we had anything like that in Canada! 

was a WCD-63. Loved that machine, it had the three ring agitator in the 12 pound tub. Nothing before or since in Frigidaire moved clothes like that combination!! Holla !

Ben, you are living right! Great find!

What a great story.

There was one friend I had in school who lived near me (had such a crush on his older sister and she & I were fairly close, at least as friends ) and I remember a discarded Frigidaire clam-shell washer on the front lawn...

I can't remember what model it was or how much capacity...  It didn't have buttons and the console had no lights--probably just the timer dial and one or two knobs...

-- Dave

So…let me see if I can get this correct.

The WIAS-1 appears to be similarly featured as the WIA-63 with the exception of using the 8lb. tub instead of the 12 lb. tub, cutting some corners on trim finishing, slightly different panel styling for the 6-position switch, and the lack of a separate cold-water control?

Here is the console of the 1963 WIA:

The WIA cycle selections and their effects are below.

If I understand correctly, the WIAS-1 would function exactly the same way but without a cold water option (short of turning the hot water faucet valve off).

This is a 1961 clamshell dryer. The 1961 Custom Imperial washers and dryers had no pushbuttons and they were the only ones that had light panels that folded over the controls.  

Does anyone have photos of an actual WCI-61 clamshell, or better yet, have one?  I can't say that I've seen one pop up besides the dryer that Phil showed above. 

A dream machine, for certain.

Ben

I wonder if the 1963 Frigidaire washer and/or dryer brochure(s) in the Manuals & Brochures Page would feature these Clam-shell models?

If so, it might be worth purchasing...

-- Dave

It does not. I already own this brochure and the merchandising models are not in that brochure.

Also, as much of my Frigidaire literature came from Ben, I don't have any service manuals either.

Does anyone out there have the 1963 Washer Tech-Talk and it's supplements?

Wow Ben what an awesome find!   Very cool indeed, CONGRATS!!!

** Jealous in So. Cal **  

I have the 1963 Tech Talk and I think Ben has it too.

Wow, Ben, what a find!!  It just goes to show there are still plenty of hidden treasures out there and that it pays to ask about these things at estate sales. 

Is rust inside the dryer a concern if the pilot light had been burning for years?  I don't know, well, anything, about gas dryers (Hubby barely trusts me with electric ones...).

Have fun with them!!  Can't wait to see how the washer progresses.