Mancave 1950s Beer Fridge Restoration Complete! 2 of 2
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- In this episode (Part 2 of 2)
-We remove all the dents, nicks, scratches and rust and apply an automotive metallic paint to the fridge
-We completely rewire all of the components
-reassemble the fridge
-plug it in, test and meter the power consumption
![How to Restore a Antique / Vintage Fridge 1940 General Electric [Phoenix Fabrications]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QcjeY2Z3bYg/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Restore a Antique / Vintage Fridge 1940 General Electric [Phoenix Fabrications]](/img/tr.png)
Great job, give us an update in 65 years.
Nice work. I love seeing that old stuff not only saved from the landfill but used for something better than storing welding rods!
This was so helpful. I don’t know how you don’t have more subscribers. You have a great presence.
This video made my day. I'm looking for ideas for restoring a 70's kegerator, but now I want to find a 50's fridge. You're an artist!
Your Grandma would be proud of you!
I have one like this one from my grandparents, I wish I was as handy as you to renew it ♥️♥️♥️ great job
VERY, very, verrrrry cool.....hats off to you big time, Dude! I always have, am and will be very envious of people who restore old things to new, thus saving them from a landfill and you knocked it outta' the park. And that paint choice is seriously executive......if your grandmother's still alive, I hope you showed it to you and filmed her reaction. Congrats.
Thank you!! She is still with us, but unfortunately no longer well enough to come see it, or to really comprehend what it is if i showed her pictures. But she always complimented everything that i built, I'm certain she would have loved the fridge...
Barnabus Samuel Yes! I'm very lucky, not only that my grandparents were around to watch me grow up but they were also amazing people that always supported everything i did. and In a way, that was certainly one of the reasons i felt very empowered to fix up this old fridge that everyone else was ready to throw out when we emptied the house. And I agree - as i said in the video, you can notice the human touch in every part of the fabrication that went into the fridge... everywhere I've read says don't replace the compressor, that old one will outlive a brand new one!!! thanks for the compliment on the color!
Nicely done. I have the same model from my grandfathers dairy barn: he kept the fresh milk in it. It still runs cold and I have been planning a resto: thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Wow! That is such a sweet find. Vintage fridge with original manual AND your grandmother's writing inside. You restored it with such care and expertise. I'm so impressed. You are my HERO!
My grandparents have now both passed away and I was able to bring home an old fridge that was buried in my grandpa's shop for 40+ years. I had the same idea; make it valuable again and use for man-cave. I search 'old fridge restoration' and here you are with, no joke, THE EXACT SAME FRIDGE. You are far more talented than I, but your video is very thorough and is going to be my guideline. Thanks!
VERY VERY nice!!! I own an auto body shop and I will restore a couple vintage fridges each year for fun! Stellar work man!
this was one of the finest quality of work I ever seen you should be very proud thanks for keeping the original compressor in I use a c 1954 general motors fridgedaire work perfectly
I'm looking at restoring a small fridge for use as a fermenting fridge for my beer brewing here in South Africa and came across your video.
I would never have thought you could get that energy efficient with an old fridge like that.
You've done an amazing job, the colour is fantastic. Great job, well done.
Great job bro! I would`ve covered my guitar during painting, but other than that, awesome! I like your cabinets too. Keep it up sir.
Amazing job on it ! I think the only thing I would have done differently is get the racks redone
Thanks, I don't disagree... I may still do that.
I like that he didn’t, greater vintage man cave appeal.
Wow that was an excellent restoration to an old family treasure! Great job👍
Very well done. Cool that its your grandparents old fridge too.
Best youtube video i have ever watched. Well done!
Great job! Thank you for teaching. I’m just getting into my restoration project.
I'm about to restore an old 47 or 48 philco fridge. I wish the refrigeration components would come out like yours did that was nice. I have to go through and suck all the old refrigerant and put newer in it. You did a good job. I like that color. It matches my truck.
Subscribing from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. 🍁
Beautifully done man! Currently not working due to the whole covid19 has caused me to really expand how I kill my time online, which sent me down a rabbit hole of trying to figure out how old my grandparent's fridge is (learned it's a 54/55 year model), and then into learning about the false claim that they are energy hogs, and now into looking up how to restore them. I easily see one in my future. Someone about that massive ca-clunk as it seals shut, just takes me back.
That metal flake looks great!
Looks good... now to replate the chrome shelves and baskets... ;)
I've got 2 of these old refrigerators laying around my garage. I've been wanting to do exactly this with them for a long time. Nice job.
Nice work, great to see with how much passion you did this job! Now I am ready to start my project with a 1948 fridge
Wow, very gorgeous. The fridge is not bad either. Amazing work on it!
Wow! That looks awesome. Love the colour.
The color RUINED IT. IMO
Wow man was looking into doing this and you out did everything I would have expected!
What nice project. You must be very satisfied with the outcome.
+James Evins Thanks - yes I love how the color turned out. I'm certainly never getting rid of this fridge lol..
I just did a search on restoring these and yours is identical to mine. Nice job.
Thank you!
How is that beautiful piece of American manufacturing doing these days? Planned obsolescence is evil. Loved your video!
It's still working just as good as it was when I made this video! thanks for asking! I would probably bet that this one was actually made in Canada though, I think in those days the ones sold in Canada were built here rather than shipped from the US, but I'm not 100% on that!
Thanks so much mate, just purchased an old retro fridge and want to restore it. Your video helped a lot 😃 awesome job 🤗
Incredible work! congratulations from Argentina! Im planning to do the same with one old fridge from here!
nice job. i got one to restore to. Good choice of beer my favorite too.
Wow, this is amazing. Please do this to my old 50's Westinghouse fridge, haha.
Love the grey. Great job.
Pretty sweet, I’m currently looking for one to hold all my High Life!
🤗 GORGEOUS!!!!
Outstanding job. thanks for sharing it. I would like to try that myself. Very impressive!
Thank you!
Wow, it looks great!
Excellent job. Hope to get a old 50's kelvinator today.
Great Job Man, Can`t wait for the next video.
+Nirujan R Thanks Niru!
Great video!
we Had a 1956 Hotpoint Fridge it ran till one month after My Mom passed in Nov 2oo1. It looks awesome!
Well done sir!
+Tom's Turbo Garage Thanks Tom
All Pro! Love projects like this
Part 3: Take all of the racks out and chrome plate them.
Looks amazing.
EXCELLENT video!! I was just given a 1955 Frigdaire, and you have inspired me to restore it. Would you please go into more detail about the products/brands you used? Self etching primer, rubberized coating, and how you cleaned the compressor,....etc? Thank you very much.
Nice job 👍🏽
I just redone a 1951 Westinghouse fridge, pretty much the same as this one and used spray foam inside as well. I painted it the outside of the fridge Duplicolor ready to spray Burnt Orange automotive paint and sandblasted and painted all the chrome and with VHT Burnt Copper Engine paint. the reason I used the engine paint on the chrome is because it's oil and grease resistant so the oils and grease from food won't degrade it.
Simply beautiful
Watching this video made me play mafia 2 :D Great job!
haha - Thank you!
Looks awesome, nice work!
Beautiful
Beautiful!
Great work and great content, I'm subscribing to your channel :)
Wow it turned out Super nice
Nice job, I’m currently looking into restoring my Westinghouse, if you still have info on parts would you share links on the door seal and electric cable
Great job. Now you need to put some home brew in it.
What type of door seal did you use? I have a 1949 westinghouse m-10 that needs a new door seal
I know I’m a few days late but which door gasket did you use???? I’m restoring almost the same fridge. Mine is a Westinghouse M-10.
If anyone knows, can you please point me in the right direction??
Where to buy from and how long.
Thanks
Came out great and I think that was Kieths Beer too. My favorite but can't get it here in Ma. Looks good in the coarse metallic paint for sure.
Thank you! it's been plugged in and has had beer in it since I published this vid! :)
Fantastic Job! Love the color!
I like the 60s and 70s fridges. Coppertone is my favorite.
The guitarre 'music' is pure torcher
Almost done, finish cleaning the interior racks !!
Looks great! I am currently replacing my gasket for my vintage philco. How did you do the rounded seal done at the top of the doors?
Amazing 👌🏽👌🏽
Nothing compare with the new trash technologies 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾thanks for sharing
Do you mean pieces of sh?t made in china? Amazing, these appliances still working and energy efficient after 60 to 70 years! I love it! Thats why i buy whatever i can find second hand or ebay, made so much better. JUST bought a rc 7469 Panasonic flip clock radio ebay made in Japan. Love it!🎱👻❤
Excellent.
I might prefer a more silvery finish (so it looks like something from an old sci-fi serial, or an Airstream!), but Metallic Black looks great too
Sweet fridge
+cam welch Thanks!
nice color choice
I wish you had more video of when you updated the wiring. I have the same fridge and wondering if you just replaced the red wire with the ground wire? For the compressor I know you said you just put the ground on the Chassis, but can’t really see it in the video. Any help would be greatly appreciated! You did a awesome job! Thanks
We’re giving away a 1937 Kelvinator refrigerator. Rusty but operates beautifully. They built it to last. No planned obsolescence.
If you can be bothered one day to polish the wire racks inside it will look that much better. Very nice restoration.
Nice work. I have a GE from the era. I need to replace the compressor though as mine has died. Looking for guidance on how to do that with modern parts. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I'm really curious if it's more energy efficient now
Great job! I wish you went into more detail on the rewiring though. I have a 1939 GE that I'm trying to rewire.
nice work man stick it to the man
Nice
That was AWSOME! I love the gunmetal grey...super nice!. What did your folks think?
dude outstanding work...any reason you didn't take some steel wool and tremclad rust pain to update the interior shelves to match that awesome exterior?
Mis Respetos 👍🏼
Amazing job. Looks Great!! What was your grandparent's reactions? If they were still around at the time
Hello, I am wondering what color of automotive paint you used for this fridge? Looks great, thanks.
How is the fridge holding up
Hi could you please give me some advice on the wiring for this fridge with the transformer
I'd be nice if I could learn more tricks from you. I'm tryin to rebuild/reuse old 1940-1950's products, appliances,house, car ect. And make it better just like what you did to your refrigerator
Nice work should have powder coated the wire racks
Good job so cool after I watched this video I purchased 1955 fridge worse than yours it took me 2 months to restore everuthing inside outside dents rust motor cables etc man it is really very hard job . I cant find door rubber seal I appreciate if you can tell me where to get it.
I’ve got a similar fridge I’d like to restore, I’m hesitant to dismantle the door hinges and handle parts for re chroming,, any advice for dismantling with out damaging the cast iron ?
What cast iron?
Adam Noman , ?? Maybe not cast iron, but cast metal , whatever was used in the 30s or 40s , I’d hate to crack the hinge covers when prising them off to get the hinges ect re chromed
@@rotorspinny5516 : The fridges are made of stamped sheet steel, like a car. You won't crack the metal, but you could dent it -- or certainly scratch the finish. Painters tape and thin cardboard may be helpful for protection, and just be careful.
Adam Noman , the hinge itself is what I’m concerned about, it’s cast in 2 parts and also has a cast cap covering either end of the hinge pin , I’d really like to remove all parts along with the handle parts and get them re chromed,
@@rotorspinny5516 Ah-ha. Well, the hinges would still be steel, cast or not, and you won't 'crack' them. However, if the pins have integral 'caps' on both ends, as many regular home door hinges do, then hinge halves were not intended to be separated.
You may find the restoration experts at Antique Appliances of Georgia can provide more information about your problem -- and they do offer product, such as door seals/gaskets -- that you may need in your project.
Good luck.
Looks great. I was looking at buying an old kelvinator fridge and restroring it, but I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to open it up like you did. I was thinking of just restoring the paint. Do you think I could get the outside restored without taking the fridge apart?
That turned out awesome, great job! I love the contrast of the dark metallic paint on the 50s-era logo.
Is your next series going to be on removing overspray from everything in the garage? :) (I still have a reddish tint on the front of my black Miata thanks to a windy day and overspray)
+Chris Trotter Thank you! I thought the contrast on the logo turned out pretty cool too... I picked that paint hoping it would look cool, but you're never truly sure until it all gets put together...
Well, lol - I put the Miata outside far enough while I was spraying... But ya, the shop got pretty coated... I sent a good hour using mild thiner on a rag cleaning everything that matters LOL... NEED a paint boot!!!!
Where did you find the door seal the rubber gasket.
Great video. I have the same fridge and doing some work to mine. Do you have any pictures, video or schematics for the wiring?
I've got a nice old kelvinator that was my grandparents first fridge. It's still running but in about similar shape as yours was. Will be restoring it this week as I'm off work. I'm an HVAC mechanic so I may get a bit more in depth with some of that but only for reliability purposes, not looking to add any features. Also, had you considered using a vintage bulb inside? Not sure if it would look wired or cool. Was considering doing a pastel type gray color that I've seen on some old appliances, looked awesome. Great job anyway
Hey, awesome job! I am restoring a very similar fridge into a kegorator, I was wondering if you know if the freezer compartment can be removed? Thanks!
So I watched this so I could revive an old fridge I was gifted in exchange for some work I did, it’s from way back as well, but clearly I don’t know how to weld or auto paint so now I’m really sad that I won’t be able to make it happen. I was planning on using it as our house fridge and jut get a deep freezer separate for freezer things. Way above my skill set