I'm 90% sure you have a 1965 Model but I have not seen that control panel style before. Most of the 1965 color sets used a 25MC33 chassis and had the channel numbers light up within the VHF selector knob's "round gray center window".

5331U would be the official model number, based on your earlier post. the knob behind the tuner on the back cover suggests a space command set but I see no remote chassis in the other pictures.

My 1965 Zenith roundie uses the 25MC33 chassis. I have had one for ten years now and it is a very good performer.

The text on the HV sticker looks vaguely like 25MC33. It may be a set with motorized tuning but no Space Command...I saw a thusly equipped monochrome set once.

From the rear view photos, it looks like there's no auto-degauss. What year did Zenith go to auto-degauss? (RCA started in 1964 and presumably Zenith did likewise. But can't say for sure).

My 25MC33 1965 model has auto degauss but I never hear the brief hum that one often hears on solid state sets. I don't know it the tube sets do that.

I believe I'm 89 miles from Binghamton , I'm at exit 102 my 17 aka I86.

That's very good to know Timmy, there's no doubt we're way over our head with this one!

Na , it's not that bad it will pay off when you sit down and watch an old show on that set. :yes:

That's most certain, but we're no doubt going to need to turn to someone who knows what they are doing to avoid wrecking it, as they say "first do no harm"!
Furniture refinishing we can do, electronics, not so much!

Did you get the set to it's new home yet ?

Yes we did Timmy, it's so exciting! I added more information and pictures on another thread, where it seems I should have continued on with things here.
Still learning!

I think it's wonderful that there's people who are interested in preserving these important historical artifacts, as that's what they've now become! It seems that there's always a few people with the foresight to understand the real significance of important technological milestones, and television was no doubt one of the most important of the last century, yet so few have preserved what's left of these great examples of 20th century America progress! As I said at the beginning, we never had color tv in the '50s and '60s, and it had a powerful allure. My Mom was widowed when I was 10 and didn't have a color TV until around 1978. So it was always a very special thing to have to me.

Yes whenever I see a set like yours it brings back certain memory's for me since we had a set similar to yours in the 60s but for only about 2 years when the crt went bad and was to expensive to fix and then it was black and white from now on back then. It's really to bad how many of these tvs were sent to the curb or dump, it's like throwing away some of the past but at least we all are out here to preserve what's left. :thmbsp:

Yes, it's a wonderful thing when something like these early color sets are saved from oblivion and brought back to life! We've done that with some old Amana RadarRanges, 1950s appliances, and tube radios and stereos as well... but for us this TV is our ultimate save!

Yet another question, this time coming from my hubs, Roger: are critical functional parts that will be needed to keep this particular 25MC33 chassis working relatively available? What would be a source for them? (We probably should have asked prior to buying it!)

RCA Roundie in Early American Cabinet
 

This is my RCA CTC11 from 1961 in an early American style.

Oh I love that cabinet style, we so hope to find a cabinet like that!