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Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Printable Version

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Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Philco444 - 11-14-2018

I have the opportunity to get a complete working chassis assembly for a Highboy Model 96 including speaker. According to the Radio Museum the Highboy came in various forms such as a Highboy, Lowboy, Table top and it appears this chassis is identical for these models?? Since this chassis doesn't have a cabinet probably near impossible to locate, what more common models would be a proper cabinet for this chassis? The present owner has run out of room and needs to make more room for more "guests" and I'm procrastinating on whether or not to adopt this baby about to be placed in a basket on a doorstep.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - morzh - 11-14-2018

Free? No-brainer.
$20 - still no-brainer, just the speaker is worth more.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Philco444 - 11-14-2018

$50 Canuck beaver pelts worth prob $30US. I will buy some diapers and baby formula, powder, etc.
Any idea what models used this chassis? It comes with the speaker as well and I don't know what size it is but most likely it is a typical Philco speaker with the metal thingy in the middle. Looks heavy and well built anyway. How extinct are these cabinets and what variations can I hope to use as a politically correct home for this chassis?

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - klondike98 - 11-14-2018

There's some info in the Gallery: http://philcoradio.com/gallery2/1930a/#Lowboy_Models_30_41_77_96

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - morzh - 11-14-2018

What models? Model 96.
It might fit (can't be sure but lkely)

511, 30, 40, 4, 76, 7, 86, 531, 551, 65, 87, 95, 96, 296, 111, 112.

All made before 1931, the last two are superhets.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Philco444 - 11-14-2018

Thanks for the replies and I guess for 50 bucks I may as well have more clutter to trip over and perhaps hopefully find a cabinet. The only thing missing from it according to pictures of complete units is that large flat metal shield shielding the row of toobs and "cans" and there are enough of them as well. 425 miles it will be riding in the trunk of my car heading back home when I pick it up. It is winter here now so it will provide me with weight for traction and most likely I will have many high beams being flashed at me with the extra weight. From what I read the speaker is kind of crappy compared to the 112. They say it is a 9 tube but I only see 8 bottles in the pictures of it. Anyway quite expensive back in the day especially 1930! I will be heading to the city where this radio chassis is located and happened to discover it for sale. Also I see a Crosley D-25 in the same area for $200 Canuck as well with no cracks, scratches and working as well. Looks good in the pictures complete with the back cover. It is green and what do these "dashboard sets" usually fetch in good working condition? Other than looking like a green owl perched on a table and much newer than what I usually end up with perhaps this one is also worth "scavenging" as well as I circle overhead looking for vintage carcasses. If I'm heading to a large city I may as well check out what looks interesting for sale.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - morzh - 11-14-2018

I hope you are not going there because of that chassis. As good as it is, by itself it doesn't justify the trip.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Philco444 - 11-16-2018

Nope, I have a scheduled appointment at that location and I looked on the online classifieds on Kijiji to see if there was anything interesting to look into to bring back. On another vintage radio forum this chassis was for sale and since I was going there? Well what the heck, one thing led to another..........A Phool and his $ are soon parted

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Arran - 11-16-2018

Quote "Also I see a Crosley D-25 in the same area for $200 Canuck as well with no cracks, scratches and working as well. Looks good in the pictures complete with the back cover. It is green and what do these "dashboard sets" usually fetch in good working condition? Other than looking like a green owl perched on a table and much newer than what I usually end up with perhaps this one is also worth "scavenging" as well as I circle overhead looking for vintage carcasses."

 $200 is way to much for one of those, in either currency, I take the "working" with a grain of salt, to some people that means  it hums and the tubes light up. If it was electrically overhauled, recapped, re-resistored, silver mica caps replaced in IF cans, then maybe $150 tops, chrome or no chrome it's still a five tube AC/DC set. Back cover intact means nothing, as the loop antenna is attached to the inside of the back, so the radio won't function without it, so the backs usually stay with the set, no matter how ratty it gets.
  As for the Philco 96 chassis, I would not pay $50 for one unless I had a cabinet ready and waiting, the speaker came with it, and the speaker was known to be good. I don't think that there is any version of that model worth more then $125-150 other then the rare Concert Grand version, lowboys being the most common, so you have to keep that in mind before dumping too much money into just a chassis.
Regards
Arran

P.S Why bother with Kijiji? All I've ever run into on there are rejects from craigslist (literally) who think everything they have is gold, or got banned because they violated C.L's terms of use. Their search engine is garbage, and their messaging system is even worse.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - morzh - 11-16-2018

I bought my MC275 Macintosh through Kijiji.
Had to drive to Canada border.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Philco444 - 11-16-2018

A bonus for the Mac was you could purchase it for $0.65-$0.75 on the dollar haha
After I posted about the dashboard I looked on eeevilPay and there is one the same color sitting at about $50 Beaver Skins in great condition so obviously this is a good indicator. Peanut tubes means early 50's and up compared to all of my 40's and older sets with good ol wooden cabinets with the exception of my Philco "black toe" or my Sieg Heil Bakelite "Fanger".
As for the 96 other than functioning very well, complete except for the metal shield covering the back of the chassis, and the speaker still covered in cloth at the back I guess it is a good source of 1930 type toobs, Philco transformers (and my my my there are enough of them on this beast) and most likely is infested with block capacitors as well. Yes the value of the low and highboys is surprisingly low for what these sets are compared to the 2 and 3 dialers needing horns and batteries. At least these are "modern" in comparison.

RE: Philco Highboy 96 Chassis - Philco444 - 11-20-2018

Hi Arran
I just got through looking at Canadian CL, looked throughout Canada and major cities. Obviously not as good as American CL prob due to population etc. and the selection is quite simply limited with few and far between. The menue is very limited and Kijiji you search antique radio this is what you get. I even searched CL in major cities for Samsung Galaxie well forget it. But This is my opinion and if you see a collector or somebody with an item for sale on Kijiggle you can contact and dicker or see what else they have and YES you can send personal email and not get suspended like eBay. Even for the closest city Saskatoon I search Samsung and get an assortment of those who tried and switch back to Apple or cannot afford the higher monthly $ after upgrading. This 5C I have is like a bird flying around in a cage.