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Pekin Red Continental

Started by Dennis Markham, January 22, 2012, 12:59:49 AM

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Dennis Markham

Earlier in the week I saw a painted D1/F1 on eBay.  The color on my monitor looked like it MIGHT have been a dark red (Cherry Red) Continental.  The seller billed the phone as "Apricot".  I asked about the color and the seller said it was more of an orangish-red.  I figured it was probably Pekin Red but I thought I'd take a chance.

Here's the eBay listing:

http://tinyurl.com/6mp4l7v


Of course the listing will vanish in a short while so a photo from the listing is attached.

(See Finlover's Cherry Red Continental Here):

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2100.30

I've been wanting to add one of these Cherry Red Continentals to my collection to match the soft plastic 500's of the 50's and also my Cherry Red soft plastic 302.

The phone arrived today (actually yesterday now that it's after midnight here in the Eastern time zone) and indeed it is a Pekin Red.  I guess I'll have to keep looking for the darker red Continental.  However I was very pleased with the phone despite the fact that it was Pekin Red.  I'm just happy that it's not a "backyard" paint job.  The cords are original, dated from 1955.  It seems that most of the Continentals are from 1955.  But the black dial is not right for this phone.  The Continentals were equipped with a white dial housing---usually a 5J.

Back in 2008 I bought a pair of 5J dials.  They've been sitting in my parts bin all this time and finally I had a use for one----I knew I would eventually.

The dial card on the phone as it came to me had an area code of 901.  The dial card was an adhesive card affixed to the outside of the acetate disc designed to protect the card.  I hoped that there would be a "bonus" card below.  Sue enough, when I removed the dial card retainer I found an old exchange card below.  The exchange is MUtual3.  Doing some searching of the Area code, I learned that 901 was or is the Memphis, TN area.  The Tenproject site shows a MUtual exchange in Memphis.  So both cards were probably original to the phone but the dial had been changed.  I doubt the phone company would have released the Continental with the black dial.

I had forgotten just how dirty the dials were and spent about 5 hours today refurbishing a 5J from 1949 to put in the Continental.  The phone isn't perfect as there are some nicks allowing the black Bakelite to show through, but overall it's a nice phone for the price.  The leather bottom has one small tear but not bad.  One of the bottom screws was replaced with rounded head screw.  I will eventually find the appropriate replacement screw.

I thought some of you might enjoy seeing this Pekin Red Continental and also the work I did on the dial.  The dial is working smoothly now that it has been cleaned.  It is ready for another 50+ years of service.  Finally, the last photo is the phone along side my other Pekin Continental.  I bought that one also in 2008.  The cords were shot and that's how it's remained.  The mounting cord, which is in rough shape is also dated from 1955.  I guess I will have to get some reproduction cords unless someone out there has a nice set of Pekin Red cords they'd like to sell.  That phone also has a 5J dial, dated 5-55.

Thanks for taking the time to read my "book" and looking at the newest member of my collection.

~Dennis


Vern P

Dennis,
GREAT find !!  As for color, I don't think they made a dark Red in these. But I don't know every thing or claim to.   

I have and seen both the Pekin Red and the Orange/Red ones.

Vern P

Doug Rose

Dennis....outstanding!! What a beautiful phone. You did a wonderful job on this. The pictorial on the dial cleanup is superb. This is one beautiful phone!!

Vern....WE did make a 500 set color Blood Red, if you will. Below is a picutre of the WE Blood red colors from '55

Doug
Kidphone

Dennis Markham

Thank you Vern and Doug for the comments.  I'm going to hook it to a subset today and give it a test drive.  It was a fun project.

One of these days I'll find a "blood red" model.

AE_Collector

$63 !! Unbelievable. One of the curses of collecting AE phones I guess. I have virtually no colored AE phones prior to the plastic ones because they are never available at prices much less than 20 times what you paid for this one!

Nice restoration Dennis!

Terry

Dennis Markham

#5
Thanks Terry.  There was a time when these phones were selling for twice that amount.

I put together a Picasa album showing some more of the dial refurbishing.  It can be seen here:

http://tinyurl.com/6qbqhxu

JorgeAmely

#6
Great job Dennis sir. That is what I call "another out-of-the-park-dial-job", courtesy of Dennis Markham. The man has the patience of a saint to do such detailed work.
Jorge

TelePlay

Quote from: Dennis Markham on January 22, 2012, 12:07:47 PM
Thanks Terry.  There was a time when these phones were selling for twice that amount.

I put together a Picasa album showing some more of the dial refurbishing.  It can be seen here:

http://tinyurl.com/87e7zjb

That link can't find the page. "Sorry, that page was not found."


Dennis Markham

Thank you, Jorge.

I've repaired the link.  Sorry.  I changed it on my original post but here it is again.  I hadn't made the album "public".

http://tinyurl.com/6qbqhxu

LarryInMichigan

Wow.  It looks so clean, you could eat off of it :)  No wonder you were up so late working on it.  I don't have anywhere near that amount of patience.

Larry

cihensley@aol.com

Very nice restoration Dennis.

Chuck

Dennis Markham

Thanks Chuck.  Larry, patience?  I don't have patience.  The dial repair is therapy for that condition. :)  Thanks for the "attaboys".

Dan

Beautiful , I wish I knew more about the oldies.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

bwanna

Another fine example of the Markham Magic.  :D Love the photo essay, too!
donna

Dennis Markham

Quote from: bwanna on January 26, 2012, 08:38:13 PM
Another fine example of the Markham Magic.  :D Love the photo essay, too!

Thank you Donna.  Good to see you back on the Forum.