Should i bother restoring a zenith?

[Tubejunke]

I posted quite a while back about my acquisition of a 1964 Zenith "roundie" that I suspected was a dog just due to the metal cabinet. Then I found out that metal cabinet sets are rarer than wood as wood was saved for whatever reason people used to save their broken TV and the metal ones got sent to the dump.

So with a grave need for space in my rather modest abode, I posted an ad in the V-K classifieds hoping to find homes for some rather nice radios and TVs that I have or had. I was disappointed at the fact that I was bombarded by inquiries on the Zenith, but almost nothing else. As a matter of fact I ended up junking or donating some really nice 50s consoles.

Anyway, I decided that since I don't have any other vintage color sets and remembering the absolutely beautiful picture that this set produced for a few hours before the color went out, that maybe it was a keeper. The thing that puzzles me is that all anyone talks about here are RCA this and RCA that with an occasional mention of other things, of which there are many AND more interesting in my opinion.

So, I am left wondering if it is worth the time and money to yank the chassis and throw in some caps, a color crystal, and replace the horizontal "efficiency" coil that seems to be dangling by its winding or other wiring. I just noticed that it is all wobbly when I put a finger on it. In previous posts some well informed members assured me that replacement would be the way to go.

I'm hoping that there are at least some Zenith fans/members that perhaps I can discuss issues with that may arise. As well there are some small cosmetic items that I would like to replace like the control door and the channel knob, which are there, but a bit tattered.

I have heard that these sets are great performers over the long haul. Supposedly RCA had a better picture (which I can't imagine from what I saw on mine), but Zenith had the quality build and many folks find them and are lucky enough to just plug them in and enjoy. I am not that lucky, but it might be an easy set to get going.

[consoleguy67]

Keep and restore your Zenith. It will not disappoint you. They are great sets.

[Kamakiri]

We can start a "metal cabinet Zenith club"!

I just got done with a recap on mine, and now I'm on the hunt for a yoke. Here's a link to my thread.....

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=259958

The picture doesn't show it well, but the cabinet on mine is almost a maroon color.

[snelson903]

i have the same zenith metal 1964 ,with a perfect crt . i will be restoring this winter.

[zeno]

Fix it up. I was never a fan of tin-cans but you can always
do a transplant later on. Most sets back them were plane
Janes anyways with boxy cabinets.
As far as pix goes its a matter of taste. Zenith was always
my #1 set but the best roundie pix I ever saw was on
an Admiral of all things........

73 Zeno

[6GH8cowboy]

RCA's get a lot of attention because so many mfr's used the RCA design and key parts. Zenith will give a great picture... if the CRT is fairly good. Good luck and have fun!

[sampson159]

seems like there are many more rca survivors than zenith.scant few here in columbus ohio.we rarely saw a zenoth roundie in for service.many rca sets but few zeniths.the best roundie picture was hands down the zenith sets.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by sampson159

seems like there are many more rca survivors than zenith.scant few here in columbus ohio.we rarely saw a zenoth roundie in for service.many rca sets but few zeniths.the best roundie picture was hands down the zenith sets.

A low hours, CTC16X with the original Hi-Lite CRT, was pretty hard to beat.
They seemed to have a better picture than their rectangular counterparts.
I had the last of the Zenith roundies, where I installed an RCA Hi-Lite CRT, in it. Talk about the best of both worlds.

[bluenorm]

metal cabinet TV's are well suited for nyc apartments

[Kevin Kuehn]

Nice thing with the Zenith is that you don't ever have to worry about charred circuit boards. I like those metal cabinets if they're in nice condition, IMO easier to keep up that a wood cabinet. At least here in WI, wood fiber is constantly on the move, so the finish literally wears itself out from expansion and contraction cycles.

[Sandy G]

Mine's a "Double-First Cousin" to Tim's...I THINK mine's a '65, though..

[kx250rider]

DEFINITELY a set worth restoring and keeping!!!

I kick myself in the a$$ every time I think about how many of those metal cabinet Zeniths I junked because nobody would buy them in the 80s. Unlike so many of the other "tin cheapie TVs", some of those Zenith metal sets were VERY high-end; Space Command 600 remote, and the 'hi fi" sound with bass & treble controls. I think those were built as easy replacements for people who had big B&W sets built into walls, and expensive custom cabinets.

I also wish I still had any of the little Zenith metal color sets (14"-16").

Charles

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by kx250rider

DEFINITELY a set worth restoring and keeping!!!

I kick myself in the a$$ every time I think about how many of those metal cabinet Zeniths I junked because nobody would buy them in the 80s. Unlike so many of the other "tin cheapie TVs", some of those Zenith metal sets were VERY high-end; Space Command 600 remote, and the 'hi fi" sound with bass & treble controls. I think those were built as easy replacements for people who had big B&W sets built into walls, and expensive custom cabinets.

I also wish I still had any of the little Zenith metal color sets (14"-16").

Charles

Thanks to everyone for encouraging me to do something with my set, and I am glad to know that there are others here for me to communicate with if I run into issues and possibly to scrounge the cosmetic goodies that I mentioned.

One person mentioned never seeing Zeniths in for service. Well, I would say that the statement speaks volumes on which is the superior build. I have always heard that Zenith made pretty bullet proof sets as compared to the other brands and were often more service friendly if service were an issue. My set has seen enough action to have had a rebuilt C.R.T. installed at some point. Seems like it is a Magnavox and I seem to recall some folks talking down on Magnavox rebuilds. MY tube however is in good shape and as I said made one of the most beautiful color pictures I have seen after about 3 decades of dormancy to the best of my knowledge. So, that should work out fine.

Like Charles, I want to kick myself for all of these sets be they metal, wood or whatnot that I scrapped back in the 80s. I was in high school electronics back then and these and some pretty neat 50s black and white sets were EVERYWHERE. Heck we had a Predicta (junk) sitting in our donation area in the classroom that nobody cared about! They (older sets) were either free or pretty cheap and to me had much more charm than what was current at the time. That is what got me into the hobby really. Just growing up in the years when these sets were say in the 70s still in regular service, and then the 80s when people were moving on to other things. TV shops were glad to find a kid like me to take some junk out of their way. I have seen truckloads of 40s-50s black and white sets loaded for the dump. It would sicken me that I couldn't save them, but my father already hated the "junk" I was filling his house with!

Anyway, again thanks to all and when the time comes I will update this thread. I have to order the horizontal efficiency coil first and make a capacitor order. I already have the color crystal that someone here sent me to hopefully get my color back. I think I will replace the paper, bumblebee, or old reddish brown drops that may be lurking. I think the electrolytics will still be usable, for a while anyway.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by sampson159

there are many more rca survivors than zenith.

Certainly true around here. I watch for vintage TVs pretty carefully, and the only color roundies I have ever found are RCA. Maybe things are different on the Right Coast where old TVs (and old things in general) are more plentiful.

Phil Nelson

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

We can start a "metal cabinet Zenith club"!

I just got done with a recap on mine, and now I'm on the hunt for a yoke. Here's a link to my thread.....

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=259958

Hey, will you check you horizontal "efficiency" coil and see if it is rigid or sort of flopping around as if the stem is cracked or something. I have pretty much been reassured that I need to change this as I posted about being able to reach in there and noticed it being sort of wobbly. However, I have not had opportunity to discuss this with someone with the same exact set,

If you have already buttoned up the access plate on the bottom, then don't worry about it, but if not it can be reached pretty easily.

Thanks