Westinghouse H-17TU427 w/t rusted cabinet

[Allison Rae]

Hello all, Looking for some thoughts on a 1957 Westinghouse 17" portable with a sheet metal cabinet. Set has a strong 17CFP4 CRT, all knobs and the back. The issue is that the set was stored in a damp area and there is a lower section of the cabinet that is rusted out (about 3" section). I do not have a lot of money in this set and though Westinghouse televisions are well thought of in our area since we were near Westinghouse Electrics original headquarters; is attempting this level of an restoration of a metal cabinet worthwhile on this set? We have the equipment and capabilities to fabricate a metal patch and weld it in place but it will be a fair amount of work for a set that I personally do not feel is worth the investment of money and time. Please share any thoughts, we are open to reasonable suggestions on this.