Younger Blonde - Videokarma.org TV - Video

refill233 · #1 02-23-2009, 05:36 AM

She's almost too young for me,but she sure is pretty. Just bought this Muntz off a lady that had it for 11 years. Glad my brother picked this up for me ( 5th floor). I'm guessing in the mid 50's but i don't know much about the Muntz line. Really could use some help on this. Should have the model number and chassis number very shortly.

Thanks,
Don

kx250rider · #2 02-23-2009, 12:40 PM

Very clean looking! Nice to have the matching stand too. Those are ultra-simple chassis sets. Usually only about 9 tubes, and easy to re-cap. Only down side is that they're so basic that they don't have very good performance, even when all re-capped. They're in Sams, in case you need the schematic. I don't know if Muntz ever published a manual on them.

I had the honor of meeting Earl Muntz at his last store in Van Nuys, CA. He founded the company, and his son took it over for him in the 80s. I even got an autographed photo of "Madman Muntz" !

Charles

refill233 · #3 02-24-2009, 07:17 AM

Thanks Charles for sharing the info. So where were they made? My brother says he can't find that on the set. Also the model number is missing. So far i know the chassis number is 17B6 with a serial number of 302975. Have pics coming on it so it may help. Will post them soon as i get them. Right now its about 250 miles from me so i have to get him to send what i need. He doesn't know anything about them. He may be over looking the model and it may show up in the pics. As far as i can tell the Sams may be a 163 folder 8. I don't have one so i can't tell if thats right or not.

Thanks,
Don

refill233 · #4 03-01-2009, 04:37 AM

Finally got some pics of the set,and also found the Sams, so all i need is to get it home and restored. Will post some pics so you can see the bare basics you need to make a set play. Did somebody say cheap?

Thanks,
Don

Tony V · #5 03-01-2009, 11:45 AM

I always wanted a Muntz. It looks like you found a nice example. Should be an easy fix for you Don! Great find!
-Tony

Old1625 · #6 03-01-2009, 03:39 PM

While Muntz sets may come looking pretty,
Their performance is often a pity.
Earl took to parts-clipping,
To send the price dipping;
They only work well in the city.

Please pardon my recess, but I've dealt with these sets, and others like it.

If they can be made to work well in their old age, and pull in decent reception, it is the (pardon my saying) "zenith" of the TV restorer's art.

Although now this may all be moot, as analog reception for these old sets will soon be strictly through the "out to tv" port of a VCR or DVD player. And the TV DXers are likely going to have to find another pursuit.

I know where there is a Muntz console on which a mechanic friend of mine in Pittsfield, MA did a reasonalbe cabinet resto. He was willing to just load it into my car if I could make use of it. IIRC he said it did something, but he didn't "know enough about that kinda stuff" to give me any definite answers. I said "no thanks" to us plugging the set in to try it out. (20 years ago I would've been on this potential project like a cheap suit! .....and 20 more years and I'd have been glad to plug it into the wall if it were simply a shorted power cord.) This was about 2 years ago. I'll look this up and make a new thread about it if there are that many Muntz-seekers out there...This guy is an auto mechanic, and I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

It's a larger set, with the older format of rectangular tube--in the 21-23" range I would guess. Pretty to look at with the set off anyways....

refill233 · #7 03-02-2009, 05:26 AM

The lady i bought this off had it for eleven years without plugging it up. She used it as a conversion piece. It is all original right down to the "RABBIT EARS". It matches my living room perfect. So i bought it for mostly looks. I saw on the net that he built those sets from 1946-1959,so he had to under cut the others. I also have satellite service and that should help some. I must have the deluxe model,it has 13 tubes,because someone said that they mostly had only about 9 tubes. The fact that most collectors don't bother with these CHEAP sets may one day make them a very rare set,who knows. Want to say thanks for the replys i got on this set because all i knew about them was they were a very cheap made set. Old1625, i would very much like for you to start a new thread about these. I'm sure they are others that would love to read about them also. These old sets are very much a part of our history and if we don't collect and restore them the only way the next generation will see one is a fish tank. Very much a part that we could never replace and would be lost forever.

Thanks Again,
Don