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1955 Red 500

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, November 24, 2016, 11:51:56 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

Another project to add to the list, but not something I'm complaining about...

I bought what seemed like a 1965 Red 500. It looked like a neutral Gray handset cord had been added, I assumed it was because the original had been damaged. I have several phones that need dark gray cords, so I bid on it, and won it for $20.50!!

www.ebay.com/itm/322327542210

When it arrived yesterday, I quickly opened the box to make sure the cord was, in fact, Gray. Sure enough, it was! When I pulled the handset out, I wondered; "Huh, 1965 handset caps should have center holes..."

As it turns out, everything (minus the base plate, network, and ringer) is dates-matching July 1955! The only mismatched part was the fingerwheel, which was the earlier, thicker type used on color 302s. It even had the original dial card under the stick-on, but the stick-on removed pieces as I tried to save it. :(

Otherwise, the phone is very clean! A little polish and it should look brand new!
Christian Petterson

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

compubit

Another Great find!

This one's the opposite of many of the 500 listings on eBay: 1956 Red Phone for over $100, with a 1956 base, (1980s) modular cords, (1980s) dial with the obligatory "Wait for Dial Tone" number card and 1980s hard plastic...

Congrats!

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Dennis Markham

That was a nice surprise, hey Christian?  I don't remember finding a phone with older parts built on a later base, such as this.  Usually it's the other way around, with later plastics built on an older base, as you know. 

Nice buy.

~Dennis

LarryInMichigan

I probably saw that listing and disregarded it thinking that it was a 1965 set and the handset cord was black (it looks black to me in the listing pictures).  The cord itself is probably worth the price for the phone.

Larry

WEBellSystemChristian

Thanks guys!!

It was definitely a nice surprise! Right after I won it, I thought that it MIGHT be Tenite, but after comparing the thickness of the bottom edge to other housings that I have, I figured it was too thin to be early. I guess I was wrong... :)

The cord was very stretched out and had a loose feeling. I tried wrapping it around a dowel, but it just unwound and wouldn't stay still. I tried reversing the coils like many here have done, and it worked great! After hot/cold thermoshocking, it looks perfect!
Christian Petterson

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

RotarDad

You're the man, Christian!  I saw that, but like Larry, assumed the cord must be black because the base was newer, and blew by it....  Very nice phone for a great price!
Paul

WEBellSystemChristian

#6
After a thorough Denatured Alcohol polishing, followed by Meguiar's compound, here she is! It's amazing how much DA can change the finish of Tenite! By the way, yes, I left the dial bezel matte exactly as it should be, DA didn't touch it!

Right, now it's sitting on a January '56 chassis, but it will be swapped out for an earlier one when I get one. Looks great for now! Definitely worth $20!!
Christian Petterson

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

Jim Stettler

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

jsowers

It looks great, Christian. Especially the dark gray cord. Much improved. Definitely one of the top finds of this month. I see it's already nominated.
Jonathan

AE_Collector

#9
Has anyone got a Notching Tool that Christian can borrow so he can plug it in and see if it Works?

Terry

andre_janew

All he has to do is hide the modular jack inside the phone so he can use a cord with a modular plug on each end.  That way he can find out if it works without notching it.

WEBellSystemChristian

#11
Thanks everyone! It turned out better than I expected!!

Quote from: AE_Collector on November 26, 2016, 12:29:43 PM
Has anyone got a Notching Tool that Christian can borrow so he can plug it in and see if it Works?

;D

Sad thing is; I have a 1956 Red that's perfect, except someone notched the rear mousehole! If I ever get a trashed red Tenite housing, I'll cut the rear mousehole out of the trashed housing and patch it in the notch.
Christian Petterson

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

AE40FAN

You were able to clean the phone with Denatured alcohol and it didn't damage/dull the finish?  Did it remove scratches?

WEBellSystemChristian

#13
Quote from: AE40FAN on November 29, 2016, 03:44:48 PM
You were able to clean the phone with Denatured alcohol and it didn't damage/dull the finish?  Did it remove scratches?
I am going to try making a topic about Denatured Alcohol in the next few days.

The point to Denatured Alcohol is that it does technically damage the finish, but in a very controlled and useful way, just like sandpaper. What it does is it very lightly melts the surface, filling in any scratches or shallow imperfections, and when you polish with Novus or Meguiar's, it leaves a near-perfect glossy surface. It essentially works like a chemical sandpaper, but it costs less, and only removes flawed plastic and melts/polishes the rest.

For example, it works very well to remove the scratched plastic in the cradle area from the handset. After buffing that with Denatured Alcohol for a few seconds and polishing, it looks like new.

The entire phone was covered in scratches, but from normal wear. Typically, I would use 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper to get rid of those scratches, and it would have taken me a few hours of bending over a sink wetsanding to get decent results. But within an hour, I just buffed the whole housing and handset with DA, and to get rid of the texturized finish (looks like I had used 2000 grit), I just polish.

Pictures are worth 1000 words, so I will take pictures explaining the process in a separate thread when things at school die down in a few days.
Christian Petterson

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