[FStephenMasek]

I am aware of a collector with superior painting skills who is in fact producing "faux" cabinets, for others and himself, but swears he would never mis-represent them as being originals. However once out of his hands and into another's, there's no longer any control on the radio's fate. But only time will tell . . .

That is a key point - someone who owns a radio is certainly free to do what they want for their own enjoyment, but even then, they should clearly and permanently mark it, as they still have a moral responsibility to future buyers and sellers of that radio. Think about it - what if you bought what you thought was an original 513, 514, or 515, then discovered that it was a re-painted 511? What if the seller also believed it was real?

As I stated above, if someone re-paints a less-expensive model as a more-expensive model and then sells it as an original of the more expensive model, they have commited a crime, and I hope they are caught.