This has popped up on CL near me.  Hinges are where I need them.  I'm tempted, but even if it cools and freezes properly, the interior has some rough spots and it appears there are parts missing:  at least one crisper, perhaps a meat drawer, and a full width shelf.  I suppose these would be nearly impossible to find, but I could live without them.  With door storage, it would still provide more shelf/storage space than my '52 Kelvinator, which is also missing some shelving.

I'd appreciate any information on this from those in the know.  I presume it's a Seeger system and isn't frost-free, but that's about as much as I know about these.  It appears to be a spare fridge that has lived in a basement for quite a while.  I don't see a drain in the freezer floor, but won't say that's a deal breaker just yet.

Any thoughts on whether this is worth going after?  I've already contacted the seller to ask if I can plug it in and check operation.  More pix in the link.  I have no interest in the freezer.

Damn shame it's missing parts and some of the shelving looks rather beat up on the lower section of the refer. I bet it still works beautifully though 

Thanks Hans.  I'm not a bit surprised that these run silently.  Even later non-Seeger compressors from Whirlpool are very quiet.  Can you tell me anything about the manual defrosting process?  I assume the fresh food section defrosts like a GE Combination, but defrosting the bottom mount freezer is another matter.

Dan, only a closer look in person will reveal just how bad some of the areas of concern are.  I'm hoping the warped plastic shelf just needs to be properly fitted into position, and the same is possible on the wonky supposed meat drawer framework.  My experience has been that it can work both ways and things may either look better in person or worse.  At least the exterior should shine up well, and I only need the front to look good.

I don't really need the crisper space, but I'll certainly use the remaining drawer for any fresh produce that would dry out fast in my frost-free daily driver's crisper.

One thing I forgot to ask in my OP is whether the freezer should maintain a temperature of zero or lower.  The '52 Kelvinator's freezer is pretty much useless, and if it goes too long between cycles, contents get fused to the bottom surface.

Meanwhile, I'm attaching the picture this time so there's an option to view it full size.

Thanks John. 

If the seller responds, I'm going to ask to plug it in and leave it running for 24 hours.   If it passes that test, I'll pick up a couple of braceros from HD and have them do all of the heavy lifting.  I think the seller just needs it gone and they might let it go for maybe 1/3 of what they're asking.

Defrosting likely isn't any worse than it is with my current '52 Kelvinator, which has a cracked tray below the full width freezer and even though I repaired it as best I could, the defrost water won't run toward the drain hole and into the collection bin, so with a BF, at least I won't have to empty the whole refrigerator.

I've been pulling up images (one was off an old post from Kenny) and I can see what's missing.  I also found an old Sears ad for a more deluxe model that indicates it has a true zero freezer.  Now it's about seeing the fridge in person.

I'll keep you guys posted.  Meanwhile, here's a link to the one Kenny posted (the listing is still up, believe it or not, even though it says the fridge has been sold, and there are good pix there).

I received a nicely written reply from the seller ('s agent?) and will be going to have a look either tomorrow or Thursday.  I asked if it's at all possible to plug the fridge in ahead of time so its cooling ability can be assessed.  I'm going to bring an aim & shoot thermometer gun as well as an instant read type, a powerful flashlight, and a heavy duty extension cord just in case.  Oh, and my phone if any more pictures are in order.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Nice 'fridge. The drawer would be difficult at the least to find, but I'm betting a shelf could be made to fit.

Kenny, my main concern is the wasted space without the other full width shelf.  I wonder what the logic was behind the divided bin design for the top shelf.

I don't mind the missing meat drawer or the oddball suspended partial shelf up top (for super cold drinks, maybe?).  Without those there's more room for bulky items that wouldn't easily to fit in my counter depth SxS daily driver.

I looked around on the Monitor Top forum and there isn't a single post about any Coldspot Supermart.  I thought maybe I'd find a parts resource there for at least one more door shelf.  That confirms how rare these are, and I can only guess that manual defrosting was the leading reason for replacing them.

With all of the comments about the longevity of the sealed systems on these, I'm feeling good about the odds that this fridge may run properly.  It remains to be seen what the freezer cavity looks like, but the lack of any rust along the bottom front is a good sign.  I have confirmed for Thursday afternoon to go check it out.

Thanks David,

I may need help in identifying the capacitor, so if I do end up with this fridge, I'll take some pictures.  I think I saw a picture of this same model and it had a passive condenser mounted on the back.  If this fridge has forced draft, I have Zoom turbine oil for the fan.

I think the seller is an individual who does estate liquidations, so there may not be any information available on how long this fridge has been sitting idle.  I was told that there were no interior parts laying around, so WYSIWYG.  An up close and personal encounter tomorrow should effect a go/no-go decision.

The good news:

The missing full-width shelf was sitting on top of the fridge.

The lowest shelf just looks warped in the picture.  It's the metal piece along the front that's bent; no big deal to make it right.

The fridge fired right up.

The freezer coils got down to minus 20 per my aim and shoot thermometer gun.

Concerns:

The serpentine coil in the fresh food section remained at a temperature of 56 after about 45 minutes.

There's a weird rubber piece with a tiny thread of wire inside it that broke when I tried to tie it against the coil with a piece of wire I found (picture 5).  Could this be fatal?

The condenser on the back is loose and due to low light I couldn't see where it detached from.  Should be easy to correct.

Other Info:

I asked to leave the fridge plugged in for at least 24 hours, and got the OK for that.  There's no access tomorrow so I won't be going back until Saturday to take readings and make a final decision.  If the fridge section isn't cold, that will be that.  I know a guy like David could diagnose and fix this problem fairly quickly, but I don't have that level of expertise.

The door gaskets seem pretty smashed.  I didn't look closely to see how they're attached.

Opening the doors involves a weird two-step process, but that could just be what's required at the moment.  There's an elliptical Lucite insert in each handle that serves as a push button, but right now you still need to pull on the tip of the chrome surround with your finger to get the doors to open.  I think they're supposed to pop open.  With either door open, you can see the latching mechanism move when the Lucite button is pressed.  The freezer door latches more smoothly upon closing than the fresh food door, but they both make a very satisfying "thunk" sound.

I've attached pictures from today's visit.  Of course, they've all been given a quarter turn to the left by the attachment algorithm that thinks it knows better (have at it Glenn).  And for some reason, even though my phone's camera was set for flash, there was no flash action for the freezer pix.  In the picture of the freezer cavity with the basket assembly removed, the "sheet" of coils/tubing on the rear wall were basement temperature even though the coils on the ceiling of the freezer were well below zero.  Maybe the rear sheet is related to the fridge temperature?

All in all, if the fresh food section just needs time to wake up and cool down so the fridge presents as fully functional, I think it can easily be made presentable inside and out and I would arrange to bring it home for a good detailing.  It's actually a nice size for a second fridge.  Oh, and there's a big chrome piece that looks like a kick panel, but seems too large to fit below the freezer door.  That's definitely a bling treatment I'd like to figure out if the fridge becomes mine.

Wish me/it luck, and enjoy the additional pictures!

Thanks David, and I agree that nothing is fatal, particularly after watching your amazing videos!  But, I don't have the wherewithal to fix anything major, and my experience with the '57 Combination confirmed that nobody local wants to touch something like this.  Besides, as your videos have shown, if people don't know what they're doing, they're effecting more harm than good.

But, I'm glad you confirmed my hopeful suspicions that maybe the system needs to keep running in order for the fresh food cooling to begin.  This gives me hope that the fridge is viable.  The uniqueness factor alone is a big incentive for me, and this rare bird would evoke a whole lot more satisfaction than the infamous Thundering Thermador dishwasher episode from over a dozen years ago!

I've thought about it and have a feeling that the broken rubber thing is on the order of a waterbed heater.  I don't know what its purpose is, but I vaguely remember reading that the cycle defrost GE Combinations had heaters located by the serpentine coil in the fresh food section.  What I'm not sure about is why this component on the Supermart was sticking out into thin air, aimed away from the coil at an upward angle.

Maybe with the help of fellow members channeling positive Supermart engergy, the fresh food section will be within a reasonable temperature range by Saturday afternoon.  I would love for this fridge to become a rescued survivor, sparkling in a new, loving "forever" home.

Oh, and P.S. -- It doesn't stink inside at all, and that kind of looks like a drain cap in the freezer floor.  I didn't even notice it due to the poor lighting.

Thanks John & David,

I didn't see anything that looked like a thermostat sending tube, so that was why I was concerned about the broken insulated piece.  My experience with sending tubes is that they're actual metal tubes, so this brittle rubber thing seems like an anomaly.  A heat shrink sleeve was my first thought about salvaging what's there, so I'm glad that was suggested.

I'll do a visual check of the serpentine coil for defrosting activity.  I remember my GE Combo usually had frozen drops of condensate at the base of its coil.  I'll feel inside the drain trough for good measure.

Thanks also for the information on the condenser/compressor assembly.  That's one of the first things I would secure if the fridge comes home with me.

It appears that any minor chance of rain over the weekend has evaporated, so since I would be working on this fridge outdoors, there's an extended window of opportunity for the next several days.  I need another project like a hole in the head, but I'm totally motivated if this becomes one, and it will be a top priority.

First chance for another report will be Saturday PM. 

I went back today and found that the fridge had been unplugged.  I was willing to bet that this would happen. 

I felt inside the fresh food section and there was moisture on the coil and the drain trough, and took a temperature reading of +46.  That was ten degrees cooler than it was two days ago.

I plugged the fridge back in and waited about 15 minutes.  Once again, the freezer coil cooled quickly down to -26 and there was a layer of frost on the integrated flat surface atop of the basket assembly that covers the coil.

I hung around for over half an hour and the fridge coil remained at +46.    Then I took a better look behind the fridge and measured overall depth.  It requires way more rear clearance than the average fridge with a passive rear-mount condenser.  It would be way too deep for my space.  I decided that this fridge was not for me. 

I guess this means that maybe one of these days I'll end up with a counter depth, forced draft GE Combo that has swing-out shelves after all.  There sure are/were a lot more of those kicking around than Coldspot Supermarts.

I wish I had better news.  The Supermarts were very well built, and like Hans said, they're virtually silent when running.

You'll find one.

Hey David, are those $25 ones from the '60s-'80s stash posted on the MT forum?  If not, can you provide a link?

Thanks David.  I don't do FB so didn't see it.  I noticed the CL ad was deleted within hours after I went there on Saturday. 

I'm betting the chest freezer still worked, but just getting either that or the fridge out of the house was going to be a problem due to door clearances from the basement.  When I saw the protrusion on the back of the fridge, I knew even if it worked properly, extracting it wouldn't be possible. 

I don't think the liquidators were going to get any takers even if both items were free, and they would have also had to get permission to mess with the doorways.  The house is up for sale and given the expensive area it's in will likely be gutted if it's not a total scrape job, but even so, they couldn't take any liberties that would leave the place unsecured.