This was sitting in a thrift store since the 2nd with a ridiculous price of $300 dollars! The guy pricing things was trying to tell me that the price was totally reasonable and that he "knew about these old things"

I went back day after day watching people put things on it and was fearing it would turn into the common scuffed up things we sometimes see that look like they've been dragged across the floor. The set actually gave a raster and the amplifier worked. I saw the price come down to $225 yesterday.

Today I finally decided to just go over electro-boy's head and go right to the manager. I politely asked him the reasoning for the price and he had no clue that it had been priced that high. In the end I got it for 80 dollars. I think it will be a nice restoration project since it really doesn't need cosmetic work. The only major problem is the TV set is always on. Probably a shorted cap across the power switch or something... we'll see. Haven't tested much anything else at the moment. I'm just enjoying the looks!

Nice set! Glad the manager was more reasonable than electro-boy.

Very nice! I'm not a combo person either but one of those would be welcome anytime.

Hey thats another zenith console ! that make 3 here on VK.

I has an impressive steel chassis hand wired SS stereo/amp as well.

The only major problem is the TV set is always on. Probably a shorted cap across the power switch or something... we'll see. Haven't tested much anything else at the moment. I'm just enjoying the looks!

NICE set! I've always liked the Zenith combos because they're fairly rare as compared to RCA & others.

On the problem, I'd check to see if the TV chassis power cord is supposed to be plugged into a special outlet on the radio, or into another outlet someplace on the back of the cabinet. Those often were that way, and there wasn't any power switch on the TV controls. The Radio-Phono-TV-Aux switch controlled it. Thus, the only cord to plug into the wall is the one from the radio chassis.

Charles

That's a very nice set and I would have dropped $80 on it and moved something else out the door to make room for it.

And, you really were lucky to be able to deal with the manager on the price. Around here, it's the managers who price everything and they are real quick to tell you, "that's the price, take it or leave it". There was one manager at the SA that I could deal with; but, they let him go after a short time. Probably because he was being too reasonable.

electro boy,haha!love the name.mike is our "electro boy" here in columbus.recently priced a ge spacesaver under the counter set for 125.00.rare,highly valuable.collectors item,etc.of course,not to mention the capehart 19 inch sets that are rare also.the rca ctc 167 19 inch sets and the magnavox from the late 90s that just needs a fuse.the sanyo with the coax broken off(they have a repair kit that just screws right on,no tools necessary)and the zenith with a bad crt.zenith is the best you know.all hand built.yeah,yeah,yeah,mike.your are electro boy jr.

I love it!

Oooooh, Jordan, that baby's PURTY !! Good score !

I like that style of Zenith console TV myself. Glad you grabbed it before someone scratched up the cabinet or worse.

From what I've read here about these TVs (never owned one myself), the combo Zeniths were excellent sets with great pictures, excellent stereo sound, and the cabinets were fine furniture pieces in their own right. As I always say about Zenith TVs, radios, and stereo consoles before the GoldStar era, they don't make them like that anymore.

I don't think your set has instant-on (looks just a bit too old for that, late 1960s or so), but I'd take a look at the power switch anyway as the switch could have welded closed, from a nearby lightning strike or even a power surge.

I have almost that one too. That is one bad ass set if you analyze the cabinet the craftsmanship is amazing. I drove to Denver from LA to get mine so you got a great deal. We also had to get it up a fight of stairs to get it out of the house and as you know its heavy. What chassis is yours? This is actually a combo of this cabinet and the one Dave and I have.
http://boxcarcabin.com/zenith-25mc36-combo.jpg

That's a really pretty cabinet!! Hope it proves easy to fix the insides.

On a ship I worked on years ago, the chief engineer used to call my stateroom "the electron room" because I'd always have a few pieces of tube gear in there with wires draped across the overhead.

[QUOTE=ctc17;2965844]I have almost that one too. That is one bad ass set if you analyze the cabinet the craftsmanship is amazing. I drove to Denver from LA to get mine so you got a great deal. We also had to get it up a fight of stairs to get it out of the house and as you know its heavy. What chassis is yours? This is actually a combo of this cabinet and the one Dave and I have.

There is a Danish modern version too. I "sorta" have one. It's at a friend's house for safe keeping. I was never as crazy about it because it lacks doors over the TV, which should be law on a combo.

I'm not much of a combo person either but that is one nice set! I used to sell those when I was in high school. We at "Music Land" had the Zenith line and those were $999 in 1967.

As for electro boy, about 4 out of 5 thrift type stores have one. We have one here that thinks he is so smart that I don't think makes minimum wage, says he was a telephone system installer and that he is a technician. The only sets he "fixes" are the ones that come in working, and many still look bad when they hit the floor after he "fixed" them! The other one that works there is mentally ill and gets mad if you mispronounce his name.

They need to go apply for a job at Radio Shack and stay out of the thrift stores.

The other one that works there is mentally ill and gets mad if you mispronounce his name.

I don't know why I'm laughing so hard at this...maybe because every thrift store has one.

The chassis on this one is a 25mc36z. The power switch is in fact stuck in the 'ON' position due to a broken piece of linkage. I'll eventually get everything on this one fixed. it looks as though other 'techs' have been in here with some sloppy workmanship. Its about set #4 in line right now :(

I just bought a set like this today. It has the same problem with staying on when it is turned off.

I forgot how heavy these old sets are. This is going to be a keeper.

I forgot how heavy these old sets are. This is going to be a keeper.

Keeping it because you like it, or because it's way too heavy to attempt moving again??? :D

It's really nice looking. Good luck tunin her up! :thmbsp:

Would the on off switch be broken? They were in a die cast frame and we did have some trouble with them.

Zenith used to use Mallory controls on their sets. The BW sets seemed to have more problems than the color sets. The Zenith combos I saw were separately powered and used an AC outlet on the back, that was combined with the TV interlock cord.

nice set, I have one just like it. If the swich is stuck on, its not too hard to repair it. I have removed the backs from good ones and replaced bad ones before (in case the resistance of the pot is not right).

Its not that the switch gets stuck so much that one of the mechanical tangs that the push rod connects to to turn the set off usually breaks and when you push the shaft in, the rod simply doesn't connect with the switch anymore.

Everyone needs a nice combo in their living room.

That is a beautiful set there Jordan! Im of course a combo guy myself.

The chassis on this one is a 25mc36z. The power switch is in fact stuck in the 'ON' position due to a broken piece of linkage. I'll eventually get everything on this one fixed. it looks as though other 'techs' have been in here with some sloppy workmanship. Its about set #4 in line right now :(

Is this the same design as is used in my 24MC32 - where the volume pot/push-pull power switch are mounted on a bracket atop the UHF tuner?

Mine is also loose. I can feel that there is threading on the close end of the pot that fits through the bracket, but there is no longer any nut to fasten the pot to that bracket. What puzzles me is that there is no loose nut on the shaft between the pot and the other end of the shaft on the front panel - supposing no one disassembled the shaft, it would be impossible for the nut to fall off of the shaft (unless it broke? plastic?).

I've got some tuners and power/volume controls from Zeniths of that era. If you need any parts I may be able to help.

Tom C.

That is one fine Zenith. The knobs look the 1965-66 era of the first rectangular tube sets. 25NC38 was the chassis I think and a damn good one. Jordan, the cabinet and legs appear to be the "french Provincial" style and CT17's set is VERY interesting too. Ofetn, that was called "contemporary". Love those knob-window channel indicators, that was the last year for them.
Dave63

Beautiful Cabinet :banana: