classiccaprice
Well-known member
Hey Fellas,
Some of you may recognize this, but I picked this baby up from another member on the way back from a wedding a little over a week ago. I was hoping to clean it up before posting, but with the end of the year teaching and all I don't have time.
It's a 1953 Zenith Sutherland as seen in the attached 1952 broshure. Here's the story, best I can figure. The Zenith was bought new in Atlantic City, NJ in late 1953 (the origional bill of sale and broshure are on their way from my friend), it then somehow worked it's way down to south Florida and was sold in a thrift shop in 1980 for $50. The lady loved it and took good care of it, but she died a few years later and the house was abandoned. There it sat for 20+ years until someone got hold of the house to fix it up. It was rescued and put aside since 2005. I picked it up and plan on restoring it. I have several projects myself, but the price was right (free) and I love the unit. This is my first vintage television.
So my question is, where do I start? I know the cabinet will need refinishing and I will have to make new feet for the unit (they have some rot from sitting on wet carpet from a leaking roof for so many years). However, I can do that part easily. Is there a site or book for learning how to fix a 55 year old console? I don't dare plug anything in, someone reportedly did when the unit was taken out of the house and the radio smoked.
Thanks fellas.
Some of you may recognize this, but I picked this baby up from another member on the way back from a wedding a little over a week ago. I was hoping to clean it up before posting, but with the end of the year teaching and all I don't have time.
It's a 1953 Zenith Sutherland as seen in the attached 1952 broshure. Here's the story, best I can figure. The Zenith was bought new in Atlantic City, NJ in late 1953 (the origional bill of sale and broshure are on their way from my friend), it then somehow worked it's way down to south Florida and was sold in a thrift shop in 1980 for $50. The lady loved it and took good care of it, but she died a few years later and the house was abandoned. There it sat for 20+ years until someone got hold of the house to fix it up. It was rescued and put aside since 2005. I picked it up and plan on restoring it. I have several projects myself, but the price was right (free) and I love the unit. This is my first vintage television.
So my question is, where do I start? I know the cabinet will need refinishing and I will have to make new feet for the unit (they have some rot from sitting on wet carpet from a leaking roof for so many years). However, I can do that part easily. Is there a site or book for learning how to fix a 55 year old console? I don't dare plug anything in, someone reportedly did when the unit was taken out of the house and the radio smoked.
Thanks fellas.
