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Mutt Phones

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, October 23, 2016, 09:23:34 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I like to call phones--mostly 500 series sets--that are made up of different parts from old colored phones and painted black, mutts. It seems like there was a certain point in time where Bell System used up old stockpiles of colored 500 plastics by assembling them on new and old chassis and painting the plastics black. For whatever reason, the black paint the refurb shops used couldn't hold a candle to the color paint that was used at the time in terms of durability, and is easily removed with Easy Off.

I find these sets very useful for completing colored phone projects, and have even assembled entire phones out of parts from 'mutts". All of my two-tone 500s are made with either orphaned or painted housings, one of them made from a mutt.

I usually find them at very cheap prices, even though others know it's painted. I think others don't want to deal with paint removal, but it seems to pay off for me in most cases. If I end up with an extra part that I'll never use, I can use it to trade for a part I can use.

Does anyone else do this?
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Jim Stettler

Those are the bottom of the barrel "C" stock phones. They were shipped to under-preforming companies.It was a signal to all employees to tighten up for the bottom line.
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I used to always buy cheap WE phones, they are easily worth it in parts.


Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.