Has anyone heard of this?
 

Currently, I am up at my log cabin in the woods. Today I had a central a/c guy come over to see about replacing the 23 year old central unit. DAMN... gonna be at least 3 grand! Anyway... on to the subject... As he was looking around at a few of the sets I have up here, he started telling me of an old radio/phonograph at his sister's house that sounds like it's from perhaps 1940. He thinks it's a Zenith. The description he gave me sounded like a typical Zenith console of the time. Here's the interesting part... the phonograph section has a motorized drawer that opens and closes at the touch of a button! He says the motorized drawer still works, but the switch sometimes needs to be worked back and forth to get it going. As far as the radio and phono itself, they do not work. Has anyone here heard of a motorized drawer on a Zenith console?

The guy told me his sister is wanting to get rid of it, but he's been on her to save it cause he doesn't want to see it go in the trash. He told me next time he goes to visit her, he's gonna bring it back in his truck and give it to me to have. After seeing a few of my sets here, he figured it would be in good hands.

I suppose it would be a good idea to hire him out of the stack of bids I got for replacing my central a/c. If this set really is what he described it to be, sounds like it would be quite a find!

New one on me. But I haven't heard of EVERYTHING quite yet. Sounds like a neat playpurty to have-and you'll be rescuing another veteran from the landfill.-Sandy G.

Maybe he just has stacks of different useless "junk", just to help him get bids. If he was going to Kam's he would have a nice set of teak floor boards, just waiting for a boat to go in, Grumpy's he would have an old Ford intake just sitting at his "brothers" house. If he was going to Thor's, he would have a bucket of pink sparkly paint. These are the things contractors do. Anything for a sale. :D

:rofl: Thor has pink sparkly paint??? :rofl:

Z w/motor
 

Charlie,
I think that I have heard of that. I'll ask some knowledgeble guys in our VRPS club.

A suggestion on the cabin a/c unit, especially if you're just there occassionally-check out guaranteed, reconditioned units-usually at a fraction of new costs. Seems like you said it was near Lumberton. I've been there many times & I know it's hot AND humid.

Larry

That sounds like a Zenith Chairside set, I've got one and it's got the motorized drawer that runs the turntable out and in. As far as the electronics mine is identical to my 12H090 console but I don't remember what the model number for the chairside is.

Zenith Chairside with motorized drawer
 

Charlie,
An old friend in the Vintage Radio and Phonograph Society (VRPS) has what appears to be an identical unit, circa 1946. The Zenith chairside model no. is 9HO82R. He said the set had plastic covered wire in the various harnesses that gave him a fit. But, if you get it, it's a great find.

Thanks for the info guys. Don't know whether or not this thing will actually show up at my doorstep or not, but if I end up paying the guy what he wants for the AC job, I sure will persue it!