Re: [SilverStreak] Refrigerator replacement

["Eddie" <Eddie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ralph,
Tom Patterson's site has rather complete narrative info on the SS Sterling, 
history, and anodized trim change. 
http://tompatterson.com/Silverstreak/History.html . I am pretty sure the 
polishable period is much like the Streamline.

Streamlines thru 1966 are not anodized and are polishable. I have never seen 
a polishable 68 as all 68 and newer seem to be anodized. I have yet to see a 
67 anywhere or one being sold. Neither has Tom or so he said when I 
repeatedly pester him. So we don't know about that one year. I have a 66 and 
a 68 Countess. I have a 65 and a 68 Count. Tom's Duchess is a 65. Tom also 
has a 72 Streamline anodized unit. Carol Smith's Prince is a 66. Tom has 
pictures of Tom Vannozzi's Countess but again it is anodized and is either a 
67 or 68. The change periods are certainly interesting. The interior 
aluminum skin of the later models is polished and a unit being scrapped is 
loaded with interior skin panels that can be great for use on early model 
exterior skin repairs or fabrication of things like water heater and missing 
access doors. I have not had any interior skin off a SS so I don't know if 
polished or anodized is used.

I think SS followed this similar date range for anodized skins as it was the 
"New rage" to try to resolve the issue of hard work and maintenance of the 
beautifully polished trailers. Advertised as a gleaming finish that would 
not fail or require maintenance other than washing, the expensive process 
was basically a success in marketing. I have to admit that the exterior 
finish does not fail and is extremely corrosion resistant. It just cannot 
ever be polished. People who have tried to grind off the anodized layer and 
polish the skin are generally disappointed.

The Streamline polished trailers used a clearcoat to keep it nice and 
polished. It worked great. Spartan did not. I don't know about SS. There is 
so little information about SS and maybe some of you who interacted with Bob 
Ashby would recall if he ever spoke about years polishable and if clear 
coated. Tom Patterson said Bob did not do the internet or computer thing and 
was so busy it was difficult to even have a phone conversation. One thing is 
certain in that Bob Ashby would have known as much or more than anybody 
about SS. He was geographically so close to me, and Carolyn he was 
practically your neighbor. I am sorry I never knew him or met him. Now it is 
too late.

You are correct that the serial numbers do not indicate total numbers made 
or other specific data. I still think an evolved registry would be useful 
for additional albeit limited information. Would beat what we have now.

One of the goodies that came with non-polishable anodized skins was the gold 
anodized accent trim. Except for Streamline, you probably would not like the 
SS polished era as I don't know of any that had the gold trim accents. Tom's 
57 Streamline does not have the gold. The 64 thru 66 polished Streamlines 
did have the gold. I don't know about 62 and prior. It share your interest 
to know about SS, when anodizing started and which year began the gold 
anodized trim. One thing is certain in that if you see a Streamline that is 
anodized it cannot be a 66 or older and must be at least a 68 or newer. That 
one year of 67 remains for now a mystery if any 67 actually was made. I will 
keep watching.

Generally Juergen's works pre-date much of the so-called later models of the 
60's and 70's, but I wonder if this is something Juergen would know and have 
archived.
-Eddie-
Houston, TX