I am looking for opinions on what to do with this 1949 Wilcox-Gay TV. I got this set in 2004 when it was posted on the antique radio newsgroup. I was told it was a rare set, though I don't think that means anything other than it was from a minor manufacturer and it was a big screen for the time (19AP4 picture tube). The set is mostly made up of Dumont and RCA parts. Very standard split-IF circuitry.
I restored it back then, to a point. It was a basket case barn find so the cabinet got a complete refinish. The rusted chassis got stripped and painted with spraypaint (I toyed with the idea of having it metal plated). Of course a full electrical restoration. The 19AP4 had gone to air, so I sourced a replacement that turned out to be a bit of a dud. I paid too much for the tube, and the emissions were very marginal. On top of that, the neck length appears to be shorter (this was a previous rebuild) and that caused issues with the ion trap and focus assembly. That soured my interest in the set back then. I was able to get a picture on it with a brightner, but emissions are still very low and the contrast is terrible. So I stopped working on it after that.
The set has been sitting in my parent's den for the last 15 years, and they're getting ready to retire to the beach so I need to do something with it. I feel like I've had my fun with it, I'm hoping to sell it on to a collector who wants to finish the remaining details. Anyone have any thoughts on what might it be worth?
The list of things that still need to be done:
1. Needs a full alignment (including tuner, or that could be replaced with a better condition RCA turret tuner)
2. Replacement 19AP4 (at the time a rebuild was a possible option, I found out that's off the table now)
3. FM radio dial glass reproduced (I have images of what the decal should look like)
4. New grille cloth
Attached are some photos (sorry for the low quality, the originals are scans of 4x6 prints), as well as some recent photos. Even have the owner's manual.
Thanks for any suggestions,
-Michael
Chassis before:
After:
