The "Jim Rockford" telephone - Rockford Files opening credits WE 2500

[TelePlay]

I normally do not collect TT phones but I got this one on eBay for $36.64 including shipping on March 26th and it arrived damage free on March 31st. Might seem high to some for a 2500D but the eBay pictures were not that good and I could tell this was a special phone I had been looking for since last August, a few days after James Garner died and jsowers posted a picture of his "Rockford Files" phone:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12358.msg130370#msg130370

I was the only bidder in a last second snipe.

Other than the dial pad, this was it! A 12-71 2500D (network, ringer and base) with the ribbed dial plate. Only thing missing was a black line cord but the long line cord that came with it was a D4B so I left it on the phone, for now. All I needed to do was take the busted 4 prong connector off the wall end and add the wall biscuit. Got a '68 dial with the "OPERATOR" around the "0" out of a bad shape ivory 2500 modular I already had. Cleaned the dial up and document that work in another topic.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14088.0

The dial swap was perfect, wires matched and the '68 dial pad worked well in the '71 phone. One thing special about this phone is that it must have been a special order back in '71 with the person taking delivery of the phone wanting the space aged diamond hard crystal clear crackalure glaze on the soft black ABS plastic housing to keep the coating from damaging the plastic with daily use. For me, that coating polished up easily into a very nice shine with only Novus 2 (reminded me of cleaning a Teflon coated pan). That surface texture is a real plus, something few others have, and it must have cost the user a fortune to have it applied back in '71  . A discussion of the housing was posted on the forum at this link:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14099.0

So, for $37, a dial swap out and a few hours of cleaning and polishing, I now have an original (duplicate) working "Rockford Files" phone. How about that?

[WEBellSystemChristian]

See, John? I told you you would eventually find one!

[JimH]

One thing special about this phone is that it must have been a special order back in '71 with the person taking delivery of the phone wanting the space aged diamond hard crystal clear crackalure glaze on the soft black ABS plastic housing to keep the coating from damaging the plastic with daily use. For me, that coating polished up easily into a very nice shine with only Novus 2 (reminded me of cleaning a Teflon coated pan). That surface texture is a real plus, something few others have, and it must have cost the user a fortune to have it applied back in '71 

Very nice!  I'd been looking for a hard-wired black 2500 for a very long time.  My father had one put in his den when I was about 9 years old.  All I could find was modular.  Finally, I found one, and, interestingly, it has the same coating on it as yours does.  I'd assumed it was "polane refurbished", which I hadn't noticed in the auction.  I was a bit upset when I got it.  So I set it aside until I found one that wasn't "coated".  You did a very nice job getting it shined up.  I'm just wondering now if that was something they did on the black 2500s at the time, or just part of their regular "refurbish" program?

Jim

[poplar1]

One thing special about this phone is that it must have been a special order back in '71 with the person taking delivery of the phone wanting the space aged diamond hard crystal clear crackalure glaze on the soft black ABS plastic housing to keep the coating from damaging the plastic with daily use. 

Notice the "2 73" date stamped in red on the baseplate. My guess is that the housing was painted around that time, as part of the remanufacturing process, and not as a customer-initiated special order.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I have a hardwired 2500 housing painted beige over beige from 1973. The paint was very poorly done, and it's cracking all over. It was on a 1967 1500, but I found a hardwired ITT housing in almost the same color that I replaced it with.