[Charlie]

I've seen large entertainment centers get new insides back in the mid-80's. A friend of mine had a beast Curtis Mathes that was bought in the 70's. After 10 years, the set crapped out and CM installed a new chassis and tube. The newer set had electronic controls, so some of the original TV controls near the stereo were no longer used. I doubt that any manufacturer would be doing jobs like this today. And, as above mentioned, having the old chassis repaired would be better.

Many shops would likely tell you it can't be fixed... but that's just their way of saying THEY do not want to fix it. I don't understand why shops would turn any job away. The only thing I can think of is that since the set is so old, they feel that anything in the set can go out at any moment and that the owner could constantly be calling them back to fix it again.

You might have better luck with small time shops that have been owned and operated by the same people over the years. For instance, the shop I go to in Port Arthur has been there since the 50's. The guy still has all of his old Sams and will work on just about anything you bring him... mainly due to the fact that the repair business is fading. If he can make a buck working on a 25 year old set, that puts a little more money in his pocket.