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Old 15th May 2010, 8:14 am   #1
stubbyeddy
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Default Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Hi everyone

I hope its ok to post this here, this is kind of a success story but also a request for further information, anyhow the story goes... my plan is to fit out my kitchen in a 50s/60s retro style mainly because I can't afford a brand new one and partly because I love the way the 50s/60s kitchens looked at that time. Luckily enough I stumbled across a nice vintage fridge (a lot cheaper then a plastic fake!) a chap was selling locally, it was currently being used in his barn as a spare overflow fridge and as he was selling up needed to clear the barn. He informed me it was in the house when they move in and it still being in working condition, albeit a little battered. They moved it into the barn where it had carried on working for the last 20 years. Needless to say I snapped up the fridge for just £30 and funny enough the next day my Hotpoint 1990 Icediamond larder fridge kicked it!!

The biggest problem with the fridge despite working perfectly and running quieter then my other newer hotpoint, was the condition of the door. The case of the fridge was a little scratched and had paint rubbing off but amazingly no major rusting, however the door had a lot of rusting at the bottom and had rotted right out, this was because the milk bottle moldings in the door had cracked and as water had dripped through it had collected inside the bottom of the door and eventually after many years had rusted it. With great ease I managed to take the door off and using a car body repair kit, I removed all the rusted area, filled the holes and undercoated. I was pretty impressed with how it all looked at the finish and you can't ever tell there had been a problem.

The next problem I had was repairing the cracks in the door plastic moulding, all the plastic thankfully was still there. I just needed to glue it all back together, I did this using a glue gun and some thin wood sticks. I glued back all the plastic parts and reinforced any cracks glueing small thin strips of wood across any supporting areas ie bottle holders to give it more strength. I had intended to replace the door seal, but after soaking it in very hot water and with a bit of bleach, when I came back to it in the morning the whole thing had cleaned and suppled up as good as new, I then used car interor plastic cleaner to shine the whole seal up and it was good as new.

I gave the chrome handle and hinges a polish and re-sprayed the whole case in white appliance paint, refitted the door and cleaned out the interior, checked the mains wiring and powered up. Everything worked as it should and its been in my kitchen making ice and keeping everything chilled ever since. I even managed to find an original instruction manual but would love to find perhaps some vintage adverts about it. I think the most "love it or hate it" fact about the fridge is its baby pink interior, it always makes me smile when ever I reach in for the milk!

Anyhow just wanted to share.
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Old 15th May 2010, 9:04 am   #2
Brian R Pateman
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

LEC are still in existence, as part of Glen Dimplex.

You never know, it might be worth dropping them a line, especially if you include some photos of your excellent restoration.

LEC contact details
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Old 15th May 2010, 9:08 am   #3
stubbyeddy
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Hi Brian

Thanks for the info, I should have mentioned I have already contacted them and sadly the response I got was, "we just own the name, we have no records etc etc" very disappointing. I was told my information would be forwarded but that was 6 months ago now.
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Old 15th May 2010, 9:15 am   #4
Brian R Pateman
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

LEC used to be based in Bognor Regis in West Sussex (I thought that they were still there to be honest). This is the problem when brands are taken over and the archive is lost. It might be worth getting in touch with the County Records Office in Chichester to see if they have any information available.
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Old 15th May 2010, 1:35 pm   #5
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Yes I think I remember reading about LEC going bust, it was reported (prob. early 90's?) in ERT magazine and the assets were bought by a foreign investor.

A mate of mine did the same thing with a bulbous 1950's Hotpoint, very similar to your Lec and he resprayed it with car body paint, its very quiet and well insulated.
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Old 15th May 2010, 5:43 pm   #6
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

If it's very quiet, is it an absorption type, rather than compressor type fridge?

With no moving parts, though less efficient, it does make for longevity unless the cooling circuit succumbs to corrosion.
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Old 15th May 2010, 6:06 pm   #7
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

No, it has a motor, but it's a seperate, large motor with belt drive compressor. These run quite slowly, unlike the buzzing things we get today.
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Old 15th May 2010, 6:34 pm   #8
stubbyeddy
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

This one has a as they call it "LECOMITE" compressor looks like a standard fridge one to me, but must be better built and isolated against vibration and noise etc or just runs a lot slower. all I know is I have to strain to hear it going and my hearing's not that bad!
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Old 15th May 2010, 7:20 pm   #9
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

nice resto
These must be getting rare now, a pal of mine has a prewar fridge with the compressor on top, it weighs a ton, still working perfect after 70 years!
thet dont make em like that anymore

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Old 16th May 2010, 1:41 am   #10
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Hi Mark

yes your right they dont build them like this anymore and to think in the manual only the compressor is guaranteed for 2 years the whole thing is made of surprisingly thick sheet metal, just the door alone weighs a ton compared with a modern fridge. Its never going to be as energy efficient as a modern one but i am hoping that as long as I look after it and have it repaired if anything go wrong in the future (im sure there will be someone out there who could fix it) then I wont need another one! I imagine in an average lifetime one would get through many fridges and that has to be more harmful to the environment then just keeping the same one ? !

Its most defiantly part of the family now, my little niece loves it! although she cant seam to grasp its as old as her granny !!
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Old 16th May 2010, 9:05 am   #11
Peter.N.
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Nice job! LEC used to manufacture their own compressors, in fact I'm not sure that they didn't supply them to other manufacturers as well, I know they were very popular in the '50's and 60's.

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Old 16th May 2010, 10:14 am   #12
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Separate motor compressor eh? I reckon a few of those have been cannibalised for DIY garage use over the years
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Old 16th May 2010, 10:25 am   #13
mickjjo
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Excellent job! Reminds me of the similar style fridge my parents had from 1960-1980, I can't remember the make but it was left behind when they moved. I remember it needed regassing every few years (Freon?), and regular drivebelt replacement, The Austin/Morris 1800 fanbelt fitted perfectly!

Regards, Mick.
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Old 17th May 2010, 9:12 pm   #14
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

Nice bit of kit there! They definitely were built to last back then.

For all they're quite simple things I've always liked fridges from a technical standpoint, the whole way that they work just intrigues me. Remember as a youngster quite often getting funny looks from my mother when sitting listening to the gurgling and bubbling noises which used to come from the condenser coils.

Know a co-worker of mine has an absolutely ancient GEC fridge tucked away in the back of his garage. Whether it works or not however I've no idea, is a long, long time since I've been in there. Pretty certain though it's got the compressor and condenser coils mounted up top (like the example shown in the fridge episode of the Secret Life of Machines). Curious now, I'll need to see whether I can get any more information now!

LEC fridges still seemed to be pretty well put together up to the early 80s, parents one from then lasted from about 82 up until it was killed by a house moving mishap in 1999 (getting dropped out of the back of the van didn't do the frame any favours!). Wish I'd kept the motor now!
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Old 17th May 2010, 10:49 pm   #15
Peter.N.
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

When our six year old fridge dumped its load of gas in our kitchen one morning due to a corroded pipe, I temporaly replaced it with a 40 year old fridge from someone's basement - worked perfectly. Why do they make such rubbish now?
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Old 18th May 2010, 4:25 am   #16
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

So my LEC fridge is a bit older than I thought!



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Old 18th May 2010, 7:45 am   #17
Alan Stepney
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

As has been said, Lec were in Bognor Regis, in Shripney road to be precise.
(A few hundred yards from where one of my sons lives.)

They started producing fridges in the 40's, but given the emphasis on exports post-war, I doubt much of their production went to the home market, until the early or mid-50's.
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Old 18th May 2010, 6:53 pm   #18
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

I remember dumping two identical fridges with my Dad back in the early 80s dunno if were the same make but had mint insides not pink. I saved the pigmy bulb from one which had a rubber fitting , unfortunately i think ive just dumped that
My only fridge is late 40s coldrator . was my grandmothers
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Old 18th May 2010, 7:04 pm   #19
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

It should be noted that the absorption type fridges mentioned in this thread, though desirable for their quiet running they tend to contain undesirable gasses such as ammonia. We had a gas powered fridge of this sort, later converted to electricity when we moved to a house with no gas. Eventually the refrigerant gas leaked out and ruined all the food.
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Old 19th May 2010, 1:48 am   #20
stubbyeddy
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Default Re: Restored Lec Colonial Fridge 1950s

presumably the modan so called "3 way" fridges used in caravans and motor homes are absorption types?
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