Vintage Freezer worth restoring?

[Indygunworks]

This freezer is tucked away in the side of an old tobacco barn that is on some property my BIL just bought. I have no idea if it runs or not, but I doubt that it does. Assumming it doesn't run, would this be worth restoring to turn into a keezer? If its not in running condition can something like this even be fixed to begin with?

 

[b-boy]

I'm sure it's probably repairable. Those old freezers are pretty well built.

My concern would be rust and the cost to run the thing.

That, and having to carry it out of there. Those old freezers are heavy!

 

[dfess1]

Anything can be fixed. It depends on how much money you want to dump into it.

 

[Dfitz]

I've been storing and restoring a freezer now for years. I think I had a quote for about $800 for an updated refrigeration unit. Memory fails me for sure but I think that unit was very oversized for my project.

 

[agrazela]

American Pickers version:
Tattoo'd Woman in Office: "Hey, you guys get down to that dude's brother-in-law's barn..."
(Commercial Break)
Fat Guy: "I paid $3 for this old freezer."
Thin Guy: "But I can get $25,000 for it at the shop without doing anything to it. Glad we came to this old barn today!"

Pawn Stars version:
Seller: "I found this old freezer in the dumpster behind the "American Pickers" studio."
Appraiser: "This vintage freezer is mostly-original. I'd say it's worth $25,000."
(Commercial Break)
Seller: "So meet me in the middle here, will you give me $12,500?"
One of the many Fat Guys: "Hey, I gotta make a profit here, ya know. I'll give you $3."
Seller: "Uhhhh, OK."

Antiques Roadshow version:
Trailer Park Person: "I got this freezer at a pawn shop for $5. It's kinda old, what's it worth?"
Person at Table with Funny Accent and/or Clothing Affectations: "No one has cleaned or cared for it in any way since the day it was made. It's broken and does not work at all. It's missing a lot of parts. These are good things, as they add to the [desirability/provenance/patina/rarity/etc.].
According to the markings, I'd ascribe it to Frigidaire, but that will take more research.
Ten years ago the market for these was [higher/lower], but one in similar condition sold at Christie's recently for $25,000. I'd put an insurance value on it of at least $150,000..."
(Click OFF)

 

[JonM]

Mythbusters version: "Let's fill it with C4!"

But seriously - what's the inside like?

 

[kh54s10]

It looks to be 60s or 70s vintage. Not old enough or retro enough to be worth anything. If it works it is likely to be an energy hog. It might be able to be fixed. Things built in that era were meant to be fixed not just thrown away.

But IMO, it would not be worth fixing.

Have you looked inside yet to see who is in there?

 

[Stillraining]

Jimmy Hoffa?

 

[Indygunworks]

the inside is a blue teal color and has less rust than the outside. probably enough room for 8-10 kegs.

 

[MaryB]

Insulation in those was fiberglass bat, it got wet with frost and would compact in the walls so it didn't work anymore.

 

[DaveDave]

I'm currently in the process of restoring an old vintage refrigerator and turning it into a kegerator, so I'll try to speak from experience here. The first thing is checking if it runs. It could be just a matter of cracked wires or a bad starter relay. If the problem is electrical then I'd say it's not a deal-breaker because you'd probably replace that stuff anyway during the restoration. However if you can get power to it and the compressor is spinning but no coldness, that'd be a deal-breaker since it probably lost all its refrigerant (Probably Freon) and that would be difficult to deal with to say the least.

If from here you decide to go for it just be aware you're getting yourself into a big project. Also with this comes a decent budget. Originally I was thinking my restoration would be a few hundred $$, but I've gone well past that already between getting new tools, sandblasting, sanding, rust-proofing, paint, replacement parts (door seals, insulation, bolts/screws, thermostat), etc. It seems I'm always running to the hardware store and spending $40-$75 each time.

Not to discourage you, cause the end product is really cool, and you made it yourself! That's the reason we do these things anyway. I just want to help give you a realistic understanding of the job.

Also it's a common misconception that these older fridges/freezers are energy hogs, they actually are comparably efficient to today's appliances. It's when they first came out with the auto-defrost cycle, back in the 70's I believe, what was so inefficient. But if you're turning it into a keezer you'd probably replace the entire thermostat anyway and get rid of that function if it even had it. Add a small dehumidifier in there so you never have to worry about moisture, replace the old insulation with new stuff and it'd work just fine without costing a ton to run it.

Let us know if you decide to go for it!