Chip, glad to hear that this old radio brought back some memories. My preference is to have projects that I can license and ride afterward, but this is a huge challenge. My electronics experience is 40 years too new for this unit, so I've been doing lots of research to understand the operation of the tubes ('valves' for Sam Green and my UK friends), and even identifying standard parts can be a challenge at times (I had never encountered 'dogbone' resistors or paper capacitors before).
Ryan, I had to take it apart - most of the capacitors, and some of the resistors and tubes, were shot. Funny, just like old motorcycles, I'm learning that amateur radio guys often modified their radios, so I've encountered some customization. Since this radio was modified, it's no longer in original condition, so that frees me to fill the holes, re-paint the case, and apply reproduction lettering to restore the case to a near-original appearance.
I have hours of soldering work ahead of me, but I’m in no rush. I’m still waiting for the replacement tubes to arrive. To maintain the proper vintage appearance inside, I've ordered new cloth-insulated wiring to replace some broken or cut wires.
The chassis after an initial cleaning:
Filled a hole with JB Weld:
Replacement resistors:
Replacement capacitors:
Replacement socket and retainer to restore rear of chassis to original condition:
Cloth-covered power cord and support grommet:
