Please help me identify this portable fridge

[Roman]

Hello everyone,
this is my first post here and I'm hoping someone will help me identify this fridge. I purchased it at an estate sale. The brand is "Kold-paK" of Lansing, Michigan. I could not find any information online about these. It is portable. It was stored outside for years so it's pretty ugly and rusty but I turned it on and it is operational. The coldest setting is 26 degrees F. Its approximate outside dimensions are 22" W x 14" D (excluding the radiator) x 19" H.
I've included some photos.
I would appreciate any information on this. I think it's a cool piece and I'm think it's from the 60s. Is it worth restoring?
Thanks in advance!

[ss540]

I'm guessing that it's an uncommon cooler and looks to be a candidate for restoration.  Would be a neat addition to a collection.

[Jim]

That's pretty damn cool ! ! !  No Pun intended
How big is that compressor?  How big is the whole cooler?

[MoonDawg]

 Is it worth restoring?

       Absolutely!   Not much to restore though, maybe a paint job and a new power cord?
Looks like the typical 1/8 hp pancake compressor installed in a box not much larger than a Progress picnic cooler.
       I like it!

[johnieG]

Wow, I’ve read about these but never found one “ in the flesh”. Do NOT try to disassemble the liner from the outside shell the secret about this cooler is it used the refrigeration to chill a core of “ blue ice” gel ( yes just like the “blue ice“ freezer ice pacs you buy for your modern picnic coolers! )

You’d plug it in the night before your outing & it would freeze the gel & Keep the cooler cold all day after unplugging it & taking it on your trip, no “ ice” required...

Interestingly this method of on-the-road freezer tech is still used in many ice cream trucks today.  In order to keep them popsicles frozen without running a generator onboard, they just plug in the truck overnight & pre cool the whole freezer for the next days run

It’s a really nice find indeed!

[Roman]

Thanks everyone for your replies.


 

How big is that compressor?  How big is the whole cooler?

The compressor has a diameter of approximately 9 3/4". The cooler's approximate outside dimensions are 22" W x 14" D (excluding the radiator) x 19" H. The radiator is around 13" x 13.5". The cooler's inside dimensions (the deeper section) are 11 3/4"  x 10" x 14"H. The "shelf" is 6" x 10" x 2 3/4"H.

It doesn't have any labels anywhere besides the Kold Pak one in the front. The thermostat is a Ranco Type RJ. The compressor says "Made in U.S. of America" and is stamped with numbers. I've attached photos where they are visible. There aren't any other markings/badges/etc. anywhere. Based off of the compressor, approximately what year do you think it is?

Do NOT try to disassemble the liner from the outside shell the secret about this cooler is it used the refrigeration to chill a core of “ blue ice” gel ( yes just like the “blue ice“ freezer ice pacs you buy for your modern picnic coolers! )

Thank you for the response, this was interesting to read. The lid is in bad shape; I tried to sand the rusty areas a bit and the rust is quite deep and it there is pitting. I have a friend who has a small business using blasting with water; in order to clean the rust off well I'll need to take it apart so now I'm concerned on how to go about this if I can't dissemble the liner from the outside shell.