Zenith project
 

Brought this back from my mother-in-law's in th U.P.,...eh. Anybody familiar with this model? hope to have it restored by spring:

Documents found inside cabnet:

Instructions:

Whoa, nice radio!
Zenith 5808 console, 1940 model.
Does it still work? Except for the veneer on the left side it looks freakin nice. Almost matches your speakers and your roll cab. I especially like those SW radios.
md

There should be a different model number stamped on the top back side of the cabinet, it would read something like 8-S-250. The more tubes it has, the more valuable it is.

I would be surprised if that set wasn't worth $300-$400 in a heartbeat :)

Hi Kam and MD,

Other than the chassis model #5808, The only other # appears to be a serial #, S632720, on a metal tag attached to the chassis. It contains seven tubes.

Originally this sat in the house, and, was in perfect condition until a family member decided to move it out to the shed:uzi: ...not good. I persuaded my mother-in-law to allow me to bring it here and restore it, although, she insists it belongs to the family member who stuck it in the shed:( .

JT

Chassis image:

Zenith stamped the model number on the back of the cabinet. Looks like it says 8S463. Time to consult the Zenith Oracle: http://www.oldradios.com/reference/zenith.htm

And the Zenith Oracle says that chassis 5808 was used in the 1940 model 8S463 - sounds conclusive to me!

Schematic is in the 1940 Beitmans which you can download here:
http://www.eskimo.com/~p0lez1/beitman/beitmanhome.htm

ADD A FUSE to this radio! You can hide an inline fuseholder under the chassis. The 6X5 rectifier tube is prone to shorting, which tends to make toast out of the power transformer... needless to say, not the easiest part to find replacements for...

Good eyes, Tom, I didn't notice that number!

Thanks, for your help, and the on-line sites:) ,

JT

JonTee,

Very nice radio. I bought one similar at a radio fest a couple of years ago and on the spot parted it out with another customer. he took the guts and I took the cabinet. Mine was not in nice shape like yours. I thought it would make a neat 'fake' pre-war TV. Here is mine with an actual prewar 5BP4 CRT placed behind the dial glass which is just the right size.
I would use an early postwar electrostatic TV chassis like a 19A11 Admiral or the 7VT5R Motorola I have to make it actually work.

Good luck on your restoration!

Rob