another ruined console

[DaveWM]

Not really worring about it, just commenting that IMHO it would have been better if it had been left original, and fixed, rather than sticking a a modern set in it. If I was closer to TN I would be all over a nice one as you described, in fact I just picked on up yesterday her in FL.

Do you have a link to the nice one in TN that you mention? always like to see.

[RCAkid]

julianburke What's wrong with you folks? There is a nice big combo Zenith here in Knoxville, Tn. that is far prettier than this one for the taking and not one person has stepped up to get it! I don't get it and you are worrying over that one as shown above???

I can't speak for the other folks, but I can speak for myself.

I sincerely hope someone can save that Zenith. Now I wasn't aware of it until you mentioned it here and with luck, with your mention of it, someone may catch it and save it.

The first part of this issue is that folks like myself, who are lamenting the bastardization of the combo console or any real vintage television set for that matter, feel saddened that another piece of our past has gone down in flames. While yes, the cabinet lives on, it does so mocking those who built it and the rich history of the company that produced it. It is forced to laugh in the face of those who took pride in the products they produced (something that is virtually absent today) by being corrupted from a quality piece of furniture to the realm of being nothing more than the likes of those particle board nightmares that we buy at wally world, broken down, in a box that aren't worth the 40 bucks we paid for it.

Fools like those who had the craiglist ad about the G-2000 guts being sold from the cabinet, even though they know the rarity and significance of the G-2000, just love the cabient and have no care for the tv inside or the company who produced it and the significance of both. Whether folks like it or not, whether good or bad, if it wasn't for companies like RCA and Zenith and the people who simply refused to give up, we might have ended up like a European country with gettng into things late, poor infrastructure and some, not even having color until the late 70's. How many quality, vintage French made tv's have YOU seen? I sure haven't even heard about such a beast.

And what about this Zenith. Would it be more appropriate, that if someone gutted it, that we just say oh well, too bad, big deal. It was an ugly cabinet anyway? I sincerely hope that does not happen to that set and it gets a home and restored.

The other part of it is that today, a tv or stereo is just another piece of junk to be tossed. The names of RCA, Zenith, Magnavox, Motorola and so many more are little more than just a stamp on a piece of plastic garbage that is designed to end up in the landfill in a few short years. Most people don't even recall the times when a tv, stereo or even a washer or refrigerator were designed to be kept and repaired which in turn created jobs and many sub industries. You know, it may well be that in some respects, we were a "greener" country and mindset in the era of the 20's through the 60's as the intention of most things produced were designed to be repaired and were things of value that were kept. Can you really see these 600 watt plasma bohemoths being around in 10 years much less than 20 or more? On a bad day, most of the vintage televisions didn't pull more than 350 watts. The only modern style of television that I have any respect for is the DLP which at least, when the bulb dies, you can change that and poof, new tv (assuming of course that the power supply isn't garbage or the color wheel motor doesn't fry) but even then, you can still replace the color wheel relatively inexpensively, but you get the idea.

When another set gets trashed, whether a junk tv is put in its place or turned into a bookshelf or fishtank, it is just one more reminder that folks don't care about the past and have decided to look to the future by forgetting the past and create a societal mindsets as the ones we are currently enduring.

I lament this old RCA just as I lament seeing a 60's Chevelle painted flouresent(sp) green and lowered to within an inch of the road and gutted to accept a box full of subs so it can thump down the road.

So yes, I will continue to lament any vintage/antique stereo, tv, etc that has been destroyed from its original design.

[Zenith26kc20]

It makes me sad to see this happen. I got very disappointed the other day when I saw an Alliance antenna rotor that had been thrown down (with the antenna) from a roof/chimney mount to the ground. I picked it up and tried to repair it (have done many). The motor shaft was bent from the fall as were the bearing mounts. Until my girlfriend saw a fully working tube color at my "camp" she always thought I was nuts for working on them.
"How come the color is so real"?
"Can you bring one home"?
Looks like the 25MC38 has a place at home now!
Keep rescuing the oldies!

[wa2ise]

If you think that's bad, there's console TVs being destroyed in rock band videos. "Sucidal Tendencies" is one of these. Some screen shots off youtube:

[Eric H]

I'd love to be able to save more of these sets but the truth is there are more of them than there are of us.

I'm already filled to the rafters with more stuff than I can handle, I wish I could afford a giant aircraft hanger to store more in but I can't so I have to pick and choose what I get.

I've been trying to get rid of a nice 66 Motorola that I bought from the SA just to keep it out of the dumpster, but no takers.

Well that's not entirely true, Electrohome wanted it and I'd like to get it to him it but packing it up to ship to Canada is more than I can handle right now.

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by Eric H

I've been trying to get rid of a nice 66 Motorola that I bought from the SA just to keep it out of the dumpster, but no takers.

Sorry to be OT but Uship is the way to go, cheap and easy. I hope someone can save it, I would have it shipped to my house if I had some extra cash right now. I've been looking for a nice Moto color set.


I like Suicidal Tendencies but that video sucks. That was a nice '66 Zenith with the Hi-Fi chassis.

[bandersen]

LOL - I watched that video a million times back in the 80s. Anyone see the Monster House episode where they fixed up Mike Muir's house ?

[Bill R]

Originally Posted by julianburke

What's wrong with you folks? There is a nice big combo Zenith here in Knoxville, Tn. that is far prettier than this one for the taking and not one person has stepped up to get it! I don't get it and you are worrying over that one as shown above???

I would come get it in a heartbeat, but I work full time and go to school full time. I don't know when I would have time to make a special trip to Knoxville in the truck. It is only about 5 hours one way, but I can't drive it both ways in one day. I wouldn'nt be able to walk when I got home. Old age is a bummer.

[fsjonsey]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

If you think that's bad, there's console TVs being destroyed in rock band videos. "Sucidal Tendencies" is one of these. Some screen shots off youtube:

To be fair, that video looks like it was shot back in the 80's that set would have been considered worthless.

If something like that was made nowadays I'd be angry.

[RCAkid]

Ahhhh my eyes.....my eyes!!!!!

[AUdubon5425]

Recently there was a late 70's CCII combo locally I had to pass up because I simply have nowhere to put it.