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Thread Number: 67522
/ Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
A 1947 Thor Washer - Never Used! |
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Post# 902492 10/10/2016 at 13:26 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140  (Minneapolis) |
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A big thank you goes out to my friend Shane who found this never used 1947 Thor on Craigslist and quickly forwarded the link to me. The ad had only been up for 2 days. It was located about an hour south in the town of New Praige, MN. We drove down last week and got the machine. Apparently it was sitting in a basement of an old appliance service and parts store. The machine had been in its crate for all these years until they had a flood in basement which ruined the bottom of the crate so they pulled it out and put it on CL. Here are the pictures from the Craigslist Ad…
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Post# 902493 , Reply# 1 10/10/2016 at 13:27 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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And here it is in its new home, I love how primitive it looks. The washer even though it was clearly never used had many problems. The transmission and motor pulleys we both completely seized up and would not budge. The rubber drive belt was cracking and the wires all needed to be replaced as the insulation was falling off. After I got the pulleys turning it would agitate fine but it wouldn’t spin properly. I had a Thor briefly about a decade ago and it too wouldn’t spin properly. So I didn’t keep that machine figuring the clutch was bad. Now I knew with this never used Thor showing the same symptoms that the clutch was most likely fine and I suspected it was the oil. So I drained the oil out of the transmission, it has turned into this watery mud. The old oil clearly had broken down over the years. I cleaned the transmission and refilled it with 96 ounces of air compressor oil and now the machine works absolutely beautifully!! The machine is date stamped March-1947 and its serial number is in the 70,000s which means it was in the first 70,000 Thor washers to ever be made.
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Post# 902494 , Reply# 2 10/10/2016 at 13:28 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 902495 , Reply# 3 10/10/2016 at 13:29 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 902496 , Reply# 4 10/10/2016 at 13:29 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 902497 , Reply# 5 10/10/2016 at 13:30 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 902498 , Reply# 6 10/10/2016 at 13:31 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 902499 , Reply# 7 10/10/2016 at 13:32 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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The beautifully clean outer tub. What is interesting is in the early models they did not use any sort of boot to seal the outer tub. The outer tub is deep enough to hold one spin-tub of water below that metal ring in the center. However if any article of clothing got out of the spinning basket and blocked the pump drain, I have no doubt it would flood. With the next model they installed a boot I suspect for that very reason.
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Post# 902500 , Reply# 8 10/10/2016 at 13:33 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Since I didn’t want to have to install manual water faucets to fill the Thor I decided to rig up a control box that I mounted to the wall. I installed a washing machine water valve in the Thor. The timer controls both the machine and the water valves. I can set the timer for 3 minutes and turn on the fill. When it stops I can set the timer again for the amount of minutes I want it to wash and it will stop automatically now. I can control the entire cycle this way.
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Post# 902501 , Reply# 9 10/10/2016 at 13:34 (2,748 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 902502 , Reply# 10 10/10/2016 at 13:34 (2,748 days old) by moparwash (Pittsburgh,PA ) |
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Amazing! | ||
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Post# 902504 , Reply# 11 10/10/2016 at 13:42 (2,748 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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That is one lucky machine! | ||
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Post# 902505 , Reply# 12 10/10/2016 at 13:58 (2,748 days old) by Revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 902506 , Reply# 13 10/10/2016 at 13:58 (2,748 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Post# 902513 , Reply# 14 10/10/2016 at 14:38 (2,748 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Congratulations! | ||
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Post# 902514 , Reply# 15 10/10/2016 at 14:38 (2,748 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK) |
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Thor Automagic
Wow, great find there Robert, and MIB what better ha ha....great machines to use and the workings are so simple but effective when you see how it works, we found one over here a few years ago and had a mini restore at a meet we had - spin rinse the automagic way...
CLICK HERE TO GO TO chestermikeuk's LINK | ||
| Post# 902518 , Reply# 16 10/10/2016 at 15:06 (2,748 days old) by stricklybojack (South Hams Devon UK) | ||
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I beg to differ...not primitive looking to my eye at all. Some really sweet industrial design is all i see. Great find, living amidst all those skin-flint Minne-so-tuns has it benefits. Hey, i don't want to here it...is your son named Chaska? Do you know why i ask? Those with 'ears to hear' do...ar ar. Enough about me, just glad to see Unimatic on the boards, his posts are always fantasteesh, emiright? | ||
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Post# 902521 , Reply# 17 10/10/2016 at 15:10 (2,748 days old) by mayfan69 (Brisbane Queensland Australia) |
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So shiny! | ||
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Post# 902530 , Reply# 18 10/10/2016 at 16:33 (2,748 days old) by maytagmike (Burlington, Vt) |
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WOW nice catch | ||
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Post# 902531 , Reply# 19 10/10/2016 at 16:45 (2,748 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Post# 902532 , Reply# 20 10/10/2016 at 16:55 (2,748 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 902550 , Reply# 21 10/10/2016 at 18:58 (2,748 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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How Does He Do It! | ||
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Post# 902558 , Reply# 22 10/10/2016 at 19:26 (2,748 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ) |
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Yeah, that is amazing! The dishwasher tub and racks were sold separately? I'd've thought they'd come as a package as that was the main selling point, right? And I do like the design:-) Jim | ||
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Post# 902567 , Reply# 23 10/10/2016 at 20:32 (2,748 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Congratulations Robert! | ||
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Post# 902569 , Reply# 24 10/10/2016 at 20:48 (2,748 days old) by Kenmore58 (Rhode Island) |
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Post# 902570 , Reply# 25 10/10/2016 at 21:05 (2,748 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio) |
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WOW | ||
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Post# 902571 , Reply# 26 10/10/2016 at 21:15 (2,748 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i) |
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Post# 902582 , Reply# 27 10/10/2016 at 22:09 (2,748 days old) by peteski50 (New York) |
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Thor! | ||
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Post# 902609 , Reply# 29 10/11/2016 at 02:54 (2,747 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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I feel that Thor washer looks RIGHT AT HOME in that beautiful kitchen!!!Excellent specimen of this machine-love how its new and never been "issued"!You have to be the first person that has tried it-glad you were able to fix this up to operating condition! | ||
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Post# 902623 , Reply# 31 10/11/2016 at 06:32 (2,747 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Wow Another NIB Appliance | ||
| Post# 902624 , Reply# 32 10/11/2016 at 06:32 (2,747 days old) by Maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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Congratulations, Robert! What a find! So happy for you. Lawrence/Maytagbear | ||
| Post# 902640 , Reply# 34 10/11/2016 at 09:22 (2,747 days old) by lesto (Atlanta) | ||
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Another lucky find for you, Robert! Congrats! | ||
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Post# 902648 , Reply# 35 10/11/2016 at 10:23 (2,747 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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Post# 902654 , Reply# 36 10/11/2016 at 12:14 (2,747 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Wow, wow, I mean just wow! | ||
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Post# 902722 , Reply# 37 10/11/2016 at 23:00 (2,747 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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| Post# 902724 , Reply# 38 10/11/2016 at 23:19 (2,747 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
Holy Smokes! | ||
| Post# 902747 , Reply# 39 10/12/2016 at 07:35 (2,746 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida) | ||
Super Find | ||
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Post# 902749 , Reply# 40 10/12/2016 at 08:30 (2,746 days old) by kevin313 (Detroit, Michigan) |
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Post# 902764 , Reply# 41 10/12/2016 at 11:10 (2,746 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Thanks everyone for your kind comments!!!
So, are you going to be on the hunt for the dishwasher tub now?? Of course lol The dishwasher tub and racks were sold separately? I'd've thought they'd come as a package as that was the main selling point, right? No the Dishwasher assembly was sold separately as an accessory according to Consumer Reports for $96 The spot that you chose to be the Thor's new home...wasn't that the spot where you had a pair of slant front Westy's before? Yes the Westinghouse Laundromat set was in that spot for many years I am also curious if that agitator is easily adaptable to anything else? I wonder if it would fit a Norge or Speed Queen Block? I don't know about that, the drive block is very different than other machines. | ||
| Post# 902771 , Reply# 42 10/12/2016 at 12:19 (2,746 days old) by hoovermatic (UK) | ||
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What a FABULOUS looking kitchen! That machine looks right at home. | ||
| Post# 902883 , Reply# 44 10/13/2016 at 09:44 (2,745 days old) by alr2903 (TN) | ||
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Great thread/find, Robert. I wanted to inquire about the weight (approx.), of the balancer ring? The controls you designed for the time and water temp are clever. Thanks A | ||
| Post# 902903 , Reply# 45 10/13/2016 at 12:18 (2,745 days old) by gorenje (Slovenia) | ||
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Post# 903065 , Reply# 46 10/14/2016 at 15:30 (2,744 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area) |
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Super find, Robert I like your control panel, too. | ||
| Post# 903107 , Reply# 47 10/14/2016 at 22:48 (2,744 days old) by rocky2 (Northwest Indiana) | ||
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The Washer Gods have smiled upon you once again! Congratulations Robert. A fantastic find! | ||
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