Finally scored a soft plastic 500!!

[AE40FAN]

In my favorite color Red!  Won it on Ebay for 51.00.  All dates match at 6/55 with the exception of hideous replacement cords from the late 60's.  It is in really good shape and should be easy to clean up.  I am very happy especially after that two tone turned out to be a doozy...Doug I really wish I had purchased one of your straight grey handset cords you had listed on Ebay.  Anyone know when  they first introduced the color red on model 500's? 

[Dennis Markham]

Congratulations on your 1st soft plastic phone.  Red is one of my favorites.  Check out Paul F's site for the answer to your question:

http://www.paul-f.com/we500typ.htm#Colors

[LM Ericsson]

¡AY! So your the one who beat me on the bid and on the last 3 seconds!! Anyway congrats on the nice soft plastic. Straight gray repro cords would look nice on that phone!!

[AE40FAN]

LM Ericson my apologies! I actually stumbled upon this within the last hour of the auction. If It's any consolation there is another one listed from 56' with what looks to be proper period cords...I'm not the greedy type and one is enough for me.  Do they actually make dark grey repro line cords for 500's?

[LM Ericsson]

I think, OPW might have some or you could always use straight cloth cords if you wanted. By the way are there any other number cards under the one in the fingerwheel? I know when I bought my '58 Aqua  Blue (my favorite color) soft plastic 500 it had original number cards

[LarryInMichigan]

Congratulations, AE40FAN,  Just be warned though, that now that you have a red one, you will want them in all the other colors as well

Larry

[AE40FAN]

Haha Larry!  I have most of the colored 500s in Hard Plastic all dating from the 60's (Madmen) with the exception of Pink which seems to always go for high prices.  Also, I don't have Oxford Grey, Mahogany Brown, Med. Blue, or Rose Beige....and who knows if I ever will.  Once I have them all restored I will post a photo of the group.

[Dennis Markham]

You're going to want the colors in SOFT plastic once you have this one in your hands.  Then the matching Model 554's......it never ends.

[AE40FAN]

I think, OPW might have some or you could always use straight cloth cords if you wanted. By the way are there any other number cards under the one in the fingerwheel? I know when I bought my '58 Aqua  Blue (my favorite color) soft plastic 500 it had original number cards

The blue is my second favorite color I have a 60/61 that needs the peroxide treatment. As for the dial card unfortunately there wasn't any others beneath it..

[AE_Collector]

Once I have them all restored I will post a photo of the group.

You can start your "Telephone Collection Display" Topic under the "Collectors Corner" board once your colored 500's are ready to have their picture taken.

Terry

[AE40FAN]

Restoration is pretty much complete on this phone.  It was a much longer process than anticipated as the housing was in rough shape.  After sanding for many hours I was getting nowhere and was almost ready to throw in the towel on reviving this phone.  I reached out to fellow forum member/creator Dennis Markham and he agreed to assist me with the housing.  His years of experience and patience really shows as I am blown away by the results.  Also, thank you to Doug Rose for providing me with a straight grey handset cord.  Phone is now ready for display.  However, I am still in attempts to get this phone fully functioning again as the one of the white leads on the grey handset cord has been cut and I haven't installed a line cord yet (hopefully one day a grey line cord comes along...)

[LarryInMichigan]

Amazing!  But for Dennis Markham, it's to be expected.

Larry

[AE40FAN]

Yes, and it also matches the '55 ad in the last photo...

[jsowers]

Quite an improvement!

You only need three wires (red, black, white) on the handset cord since two of the four are connected together at the network.

To fix the handset cord, just make a short wire jumper out of some station wire and connect one end to the red wire on the transmitter cup and the other end to one of the screws of the receiver capsule, inside the handset. Then use the white wire that works and connect it to the other screw on the receiver capsule. Leave the wire that doesn't work taped off if the spade is still there.

[Dennis Markham]

Frank, the phone looks very nice all put back together.  Frank sent me the housing (only) in hopes that I could improve the condition due to some scratches and other imperfections.  I gave it the once-over with the Micro-Mesh cloth "sand paper" and it came out nice.  Thank you for the for the compliment.  Follow Jonathan's instructions (jsowers) and you'll be in business with the gray cord.  Nice phone.  What color is next??