Beautiful Zenith 9S262 WILL DELIVER/SHIP see video For Sale

Here\'s a really, really pretty example of a nice radio, a Zenith 9S262 motorized tuning shutter dial from 1938. This is a very popular radio and it\'s not hard to see why. This set has been completely restored, inside and out. It has been completely refinished, has new grill cloth and has received a thorough electronic restoration that should last for years. Here\'s a little bit about it:

Cabinet

The cabinet was in rough shape when I got it, but it has been stripped and refinished. The work was done by MM Furniture Restoration in Warren, RI. Dave does amazing work and the finish is just gorgeous. Rich, perfectly smooth and deep. It\'s got about 10 coats of brushed shellac, subtle and appropriate toning. It is tasteful and not overdone, like many refinish jobs. It looks \"right.\" The set also has no veneer chips or loss. It\'s sharp and crisp all around. It retains the Zenith blue finish inside. The grill cloth is correct, and a replacement.

Note: The lighting on my cell phone makes it appear that the vertical slats on the grill are black. They are not; my phone just stinks and darkens them; they\'re a dark walnut color.

Electronics

This set has been completely re-capped, with all paper/wax and electrolytics replaced. Resistors have been checked, any 10 percent or more out of spec were replaced. The five-section candohm was also replaced with 10W resistors all around. A 50W finned resistor was installed on the AC line to drop the incoming voltage to the transformer (though not the motor) to about 110-112VAC. This will help keep the transformer cool and healthy; its an extra safety measure as it is is, because at some point in the past the transformer was swapped out for what appears to be a beefier, better one than the stock Zenith. It runs very cool.

All tubes have been checked, all are good or better. The speaker is original, and the beehive is in good shape. No tears, gouges etc. in the cardboard. The pull is original, and the beehive slides in and out smoothly.

The tuning gear case was taken apart, lubed and the tension spring adjusted. The motor works as it should; it\'s a bit slower in the clockwise direction than counter-clockwise. This is pretty much par for the course on these sets, as in that direction the motor works agains the spring on the tuning gang. The tuning knob turns smoothly and freely. The shutters open and close as they should. The shutter dial paint is good; there are some light marks around the periphery (looks like paint crazing?) but less than is often found on these shutter plates; see photo of chassis from the front, on the bench, for a better view. There\'s a light circular scratch on the lower left quadrant of the dial, where the sweep second pointer rubbed at some point.

The chassis is clean. All knobs are correct; the center motor tuning knob came from another set and has a slightly different tone. But they all look good. None are broken, chipped, repaired etc.

The dial and motor belts are new, and are correct replacements. 

The cord has been replaced, and terminated in a NOS bakelite plug.

Performance

These nine-tube Zeniths sound nice, boomy and have that typical 30s mellow bass tone. Though not as loud as the 12 and above tube Zeniths with push pull outputs, they provide enough sound. This one gets good reception on AM, and the numbers are pretty much dead on. Gets better SW reception at night, as do all shortwave sets. This and all tube sets are susceptible to RF interference, so reception and performance is dependent on having a good long wire antenna and making sure you\'re on an interference-free power circuit. It\'s often good to try a few different outlets to find the one with the least noise.

Getting your radio

I would prefer local pickup, though I can also deliver within 150 miles of zip code 02809 for $1.10 per mile (one way). So if you\'re 300 miles away from me and feel like driving a few hours yourself, we can meet halfway and you can get this a day or two after the sale. I will also ship this radio, though I would rather one of the other two options first, as I don\'t trust third party couriers with these beautiful old electronics. That said, I will do it but it will take some time and won\'t be cheap. I will mail the chassis and speaker separately (probably USPS ground), and will send the chassis via Greyhoud bus lines. You\'ll just have to pick it up at a Greyhound station near you, then reassemble it. I will add $150 to cover shipping. That said, if shipping is less I will refund the difference. If it\'s more, I will cover it. It likely will be less than 150, but I won\'t know until I box the cabinet and bring it to the terminal, and package the chassis and speaker and bring them to the post office.

Best of luck. This is a beautiful, popular set with frankly one of the prettiest and richest refinishes I\'ve ever seen. Not seeing something and want a photo? Just ask, I\'ll send one. And please ask questions if you have any. Note that I am selling this radio locally and reserve the right to end the sale early.

Here\'s a video of the set playing: