This selection of vintage radio sets are for people who want to have a go at a DIY restoration.  We check them all  for obvious faults, and completeness.  A full description is given for each set,  together with a difficulty rating, so you should have a good idea what is required before you purchase an item. Where we have the service data,  it is included with the radio free of charge.   If you would like more details about a set,  then please feel free to telephone or email us.

If there is a radio here that you would like,  but you feel that you would not be able to do some or all of the work required,  a price is quoted for us to do a full guaranteed overhaul.  If there is a specific part of the restoration that you would like us to do such as the electronics side of things this is fine too,  just email or telephone us to discuss your requirements.  We are very flexible and will work to your requirements.

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You should not expect the restoration projects to work correctly as purchased, repairs may be required before it is safe to connect them to the mains supply.

Surely there is room for just one more radio?


Stock last updated on 25/11/11
New items added on 14/11/11

More soon….

1957 Bush BP61  (valve)
Here we have a nice condition Bush attaché case battery valve portable,  well looked after and complete with its original colour printed owners paperwork.    Nothing much to report,  no damage completely original and ready for a quick overhaul.    Bush battery portables seem to be considerably fewer in numbers than the battery makers offerings,  namely Vidor and EverReady.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna -  internal frame type in lid.
Restoration Difficulty  1.5  intermediate.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V LT 
Dimensions  9.5" wide, 8" high, 4" deep  (closed)
Price  £25 (£call overhauled) 
UK Delivery £11  Most of EU £25 GBP  Sold.

1953 Bush BAC31  (Valve)
This is the mains/ battery version of the BAC31  -  it's fitted with the optional Bush type 42 power supply,  which was specially designed to fit in this cabinet.  You should also be able to use the supply to run other dry battery portable radios made in the 1950's should you wish.  All in good order bar the front grille which has a bit of a dent in it.  The Bush badge that sits on the top lid is still intact and if I had remembered to take a picture of the radio with the lid down you would be able to see it! Give it a good clean and a thorough check over and I expect this will go with a minimum of fuss. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna - internal frame type
Dimensions 12" wide, 10" high, 8" deep
Restoration Difficulty  1 -  easy
Price  £30   (£95 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13  Most of EU £28 GBP
Sold.

1939 Ekco PB505 (valve)
Yes it is not an A21 as I thought!  Thanks to Mike I. for spotting my mistake.  All in very good original order bar a little light rust on exposed steel surfaces,  the Bakelite cabinet is excellent.  No damage or scratches to report.  All the pre-set switches feel positive and do not stick,  the mechanism is working fine.  A fairly large radio but easy to work on and should produce some nice warm sound.  It looks like the EBL1 output valve has been replaced with a good one (has a label on it!).  Good back panel included.  This radio needs an oversize box which puts the delivery costs up a bit. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / SW with presets etc
Antenna -  simple wire required. 
Restoration Difficulty  1.5  intermediate. 
Dimensions  15" wide, 19" high, 10" deep
Price  £35  (£245 fully overhauled with new magic eye etc) 
UK Delivery £22  Most of EU £call GBP 

1959 Bush VHF90A (valve)
Yet Another Bush for you to have a go at.  This model is not common and when they do turn up usually the dial is distorted.  Glad to say this one is perfect and has not suffered at all from "droop".  Maybe the bulb burnt out on it early on?   Apart from the wiggly plastic trim around the cloth the rest of the radio is excellent,  original and just the thing for a weekend project.   Being VHF only they are not overly complex and the number of Hunts capacitors for you to snip is reduced quite a bit.   Fit a 7W incandescent sewing machine bulb in place of the 15W type Bush used and it will run happily all day long without melting the tuning dial.  No energy saving lamps please…..
Frequency Coverage :- VHF only
Dimensions 13" wide, 9" high, 7" deep
Antenna -   has internal dipole with a socket.   
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate
Price  £32  (£115 overhauled) UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP
Sold.

1936 Ekco AC77  (valve)
A true classic piece of Bakelite engineering from the Ekco factory.  The good old AC77 is one of the "special" Ekco models which deserve plenty of respect.  This example is good throughout,  the only thing missing is the back cover.  The case is glossy black and it has no cracks,  same goes for the dial.  They often loose the coloured printing but I am pleased to report this one is fine,  despite my poor photograph.  All the trim is present and correct as is the speaker cloth which is acceptable.  It's a little dirty but I suppose after all this time that is to be expected from a light cotton material!   The chassis has not been messed about with and after a session of capacitor reforming I managed to pick up a few stations.   Not well  -   it needs overhauling but that at least proves it is complete. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna - simple wire needed.
Restoration difficulty   -  2 moderate.  You need to be careful!
Dimensions  14" wide 16" high, 9" deep
Price £60  (£220 overhauled) UK Delivery £20 Most of EU £40 GBP

C1965 Nordmende Transita Automatic (transistor)
German is equivalent to well made when talking about transistor machines and this is no exception.   Typical 1960's offering which is built like a Panzer and ready for action.  They used all the same transistors as the UK so expect troubles there however I seem to remember this one fired up last time I put some batteries in it.  Good original condition,  it needs a thorough clean and service.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / VHF and SW
Antenna - ferrite rod with socket + telescopic whip
Dimensions 10.5" wide, 7.5" high, 4.5" deep 
Batteries 5 1.5V C cells
Restoration Difficulty  2 moderate
Price  £15 (£85 overhauled) UK Delivery £11 Most of EU £22 GBP

1960 Bush VHF80C   (Valve)
This little radio is a top class performer considering the size of the cabinet.  The chassis is very well thought out and even though it's an ac/dc design they do not run too hot and produce excellent quality audio on all bands.  It's slim line enough to  fit on a book shelf,  and with you are not likely to need anything other than the internal aerials.  From a restoration point of view they are easy enough to work on,  generally having the usual Hunts "moldseal" capacitor problems.  Make sure the UABC80 / UL84 is up to scratch.   No physical damage,  with a good clean cloth and dial.  Maybe the front panel has been repainted on this example as I am sure they all came in cream.  This one is grey. 
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW / VHF FM
Antenna -  internal aerials for all bands with socket.
Restoration Difficulty  1.5  intermediate
Price  £25  (£115 overhauled) UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP

1961  Bush VHF81   (Valve)
Basically this is the wooden version of the VHF80 you see above and was one the last Bush valve radio models they produced.   The VHF81 carried on well into the mid sixties and is a well thought of model.  Good audio and sensitivity on all bands and it fits on a bookshelf.  The wooden version is slightly longer.  Good original condition,  no damage or scratches. 
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW / VHF FM
Antenna -  internal aerials for all bands with socket.
Restoration Difficulty  1.5  intermediate
Price  £28  (£115 overhauled) UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP
Sorry this one has gone.

1937 Ekco AW87
AW meaning "all wave" I believe this Ekco Bakelite has SW coverage included.   For some reason Ekco thought SW needed special attention and they produced variants on the standard models in the early years.  Well what we have here is a nice complete example of the '87 and is damage free bar one of the knobs which has been repaired.  The chassis has previously been overhauled to some degree and is currently working.  You might want to tidy it up a little however it is pretty good.   
Ekco tuning dials are notorious for their printing falling off but I am pleased to report that has not occurred here.  A perfect dial and the back panel is there too.   Glossy brown Walnut Bakelite with the original speaker cloth.   Ekco built several radios in this cabinet design.

Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / SW
Antenna -  simple wire required. 
Dimensions 13" wide, 18" high, 8" deep
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £65  (£250 overhauled)  UK Delivery £20  Most of EU £42 GBP

1958 Bush VHF90  (Valve)
A shame about the case on this one.   It has rear bottom corner cracks (see photo).  Pity as the rest of it is good and the white ones look the best by far in this style.    It's chassis is clean and tidy and has not been messed with.   Lots of caps to replace on this model to get good performance however once sorted out properly they work very well.  Nice clean audio on VHF FM.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / VHF FM 
Dimensions 12" wide, 9" high, 7" deep
Restoration Difficulty   1.5   -  moderate
Antenna -  internal with sockets
Price  £18   (£125 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP
Sold.

1947 Tesla Talisman 305U (Valve)     
A welcome addition to the project pages I hope  -  here is your chance to get a very early Tesla 305U,  with the original chassis design and rear plate antenna.  Perfect in every way and 100% original.   The very first of the Talisman designs with a Tesla badge on the front.   This model was never exported beyond the iron curtain and if you are interested in midget valve radios you have to have one like this.  Glossy jet black,  supplied as ever with service information. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / SW 
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate.
Antenna - wire antenna required.
Dimensions  10" wide 7" high, 5" deep
Price  £72  (£145 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13  Most of EU £28 GBP
Afraid this one now lives in Holland.  Sold.

1967 Murphy B837  (transistor)
Soft padded Murphy portable with good VHF coverage.  Everything is well spaced out on this model which has survived remarkably well.  It has been looked after well over the years.  No burns etc which can be a problem on the soft finish models.  Electrically its nothing much out of the ordinary,  the welcome thing is unlike Roberts who insisted on using modules for their VHF IF stages this is all open circuit pcb.  So replacing those transistors if needed is a far less troublesome job.   No damage bar the top of the telescopic antenna which is loose. Has Radio Caroline printed on the tuning dial.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / VHF FM
Dimensions 14.5" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod with whip for VHF  External socket fitted.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate.
Batteries single 9V PP9
Price  £15  (£65 overhauled)  UK Delivery £11   Most of EU £22 GBP   

1956 Ekco U245
Electronics wise this model is  very much like a Bush DAC90A,  being a bit later though it has a ferrite rod antenna and later 50's styling.   It's a good all round original example,  complete with plenty of fluff and dust.  No damage. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW 
Antenna - internal ferrite rod with sockets for external aerials.
Restoration Difficulty 1  Easy
Dimensions  13" wide 9" high, 6" deep
Price  £25  (£105 overhauled) UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP

C1936 Blaupunkt 4W67   (valve)  Achtung!
Every update I try to find one special radio to amuse someone with.  Well you would never have guessed this was German would you (he says with a touch of sarcasm)  Big,  black,  and I suspect rather a rare model.  Dating when most of the manufacturers were  producing Volks radios I wonder if this one was intended for upmarket customers?  Not sure,  the pictures certainly give all the details.  It is very well preserved,  in 100% original condition.  No damage or cracks and once polished up that cabinet will gleam.   Chassis looks interesting,  it sort of reminds me of a Philips from the same era.  5 valves,  judging by the inductors and IFT's it has to be a superhet.  If Darth Vader owned a radio,  it would look just like this! 

Update.   Recently upon request I tested this radio,  it is in quite good working condition as is.  Surprising to say the least!  The speaker though is not too good as half the cone is missing :-(  Could be re-coned if you are handy with glue.  Price reduced as we need the space.     
Frequency Coverage :- MW  / LW
Antenna -  wire antenna needed. 
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate
Dimensions 20" wide, 14" high, 10" deep
Price  £105  (£295 overhauled)  UK Delivery £15 Most of EU £45 GBP

1948 Ekco U20
Oh dear.   A poorly Ekco (what another one? I hear you moan), yes we do seem to have a big chunk of Essex offerings this time around.  Well the fault is obvious,  the dial plate paint has flaked away from the aluminium back and collected in a little heap at the bottom of the  cover.  Not much you can do about that, maybe spend a long time on the computer and make a new one?  Or if you are lucky you might come across a scan   -  once stuck onto the plate you would never know.   The chassis is not rusty so I am not sure why the paint has come away like that,  maybe it needed a better primer?  Odd.   The Bakelite case is good,  only other thing is the holy back panel which has deteriorated due to the dropper resistor heat.   I'll replace the missing CL33 valve.
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW  / SW
Antenna -  simple wire needed. 
Restoration Difficulty  2 moderate  -  artistic talent required. 
Dimensions 12" wide, 8" high, 6.5" deep
Price  £18   UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP  Sold.

1954 Ultra R786 Twin  (valve)
Mains battery Ultra twin,  in reasonable shape for restoration.  Oh and yes before someone asks,  the odd ball mains lead is included.    There is a bit of damage on the front panel to report,  a small crack on the bottom corner.  Otherwise all intact internally.   Worth gluing back together.
Antenna - internal frame
Dimensions 12" wide, 8" high, 6" deep   
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Batteries 90V HT 1.5V LT  -  has internal mains power supply.
Price  £15  (£100 overhauled) UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP
Sold.

1937 Marconi MP028220 "Special"
Not sure why the "special" sticker is fitted in this model as it looks very familiar to another Maroniphone of that era.  Whatever  I am sure it will be a good one given the general all round condition of this set.    The cabinet is all most perfect and given the age of the all original finish it's survived very well.   Big and heavy,  solid wood and the usual high spec well designed Marconi / HMV chassis.  Definitely a good one.

Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna -  simple wire required. 
Dimensions 18" wide, 17" high, 10" deep
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £50  (£225 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13  Most of EU £42 GBP

1938 Ekco PB189  (Valve)   
This was another good find from Essex,  a proper heavy duty solid wood Ekco motor tuned receiver.  In many ways 1938 was the pinnacle of radio design and engineering with all manufacturers trying to impress with various new gizmos.  Motor tuning was the flavour of the day and here we have one of the best.  Seven valves, it is all very well preserved and in excellent original order.  The cabinet is particularly good and its original finish has been well looked after.   Very heavy,  no doubt the parcel man will moan about this one!   

Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / SW  with motor tuned presets and scanning
Antenna -  simple wire required. 
Dimensions 23" wide, 15" high, 11" deep
Restoration Difficulty  2 moderate
Price  £138 (£385 overhauled)  UK Delivery £20   Most of EU email for quote
Sorry this is sold.

1936 Ultra 44  (Valve)
This is an interesting superhet wireless.  It has a little pull out tray fitted in the bottom of the cabinet with some station frequency details.  Of course all out of date now but interesting all the same!  Cabinet wise this is well preserved and in good order both inside and out.   Has not been messed about,  a good one for restoration.   

Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna -  simple wire required. 
Dimensions 17" wide, 19" high, 10" deep
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate
Price  £55  (£195 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13   Most of EU £38 GBP

1947 Bush PB12  (valve)
It's a big,  it's wood and it's a Bush !  What's better still is that it's all nice and original.  The veneer is good,  which makes a change as these wooden Bush radios often fall to bits.  The glue (boiled bones I guess) often fails.  None of that here though.  As well as the usual LW and MW you also get a band spread 19M short wave to twiddle,  and a load of presets should you wish to use them.  The Bush logo badge on the top is still in one piece.  Looking at the chassis as you can see it's not been messed with too much bar some capacitor replacements or repairs in the past.  It is the usual late 40's Bush effort.  Good stuff for a winter project,  make some room  - you'll need it ! 
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW /SW 19M
Antenna -  internal frame with sockets
Restoration Difficulty   1  -  easy   (no service info though)
Dimension 21" wide, 18" high, 10" deep.
Price  £30  (£140 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13   Most of EU £45 GBP
Sorry this one has gone too.  Greetings John.

1939 GEC BC4050
Lovely.  It's a large Bakelite offering from GEC,  which just came out at the start of WW2  -  which means production was somewhat limited and there are not many out there in this sort of original condition.  The case is perfect and free from any damage,  as is the dial and other trim.  There is not a great deal for me me to say here,  just have a good look at the pictures and see what you think.  The push buttons are set up as pre-sets or you can do manual tuning by the usual method (knob on the side).  Highly recommended and something a little different.  The chassis runs on octal valves and has a proper ac power supply. 

Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / SW
Antenna -  simple wire required. 
Dimensions 22 wide, 13" high, 9" deep
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £95 (£275 overhauled)  UK Delivery £20  Most of EU £42 GBP
Sold.

1964 Ekco Transistor
Another ekco with cold cathode triodes.  Otherwise known to like minded folk as transistors.  This is a lovely little portable radio,  the grille needs straightening out up front,  other than that it is clean and tidy.   PP7 batteries are still available from Rapid Electronics and Mapin if you have deep pockets.  Otherwise use a cell case and run it from AA's
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Batteries 1 of 9V PP7
Antenna -  ferrite rod
Dimensions 9" wide, 6" high, 3" deep
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £10 (£48 overhauled)  UK Delivery £11 Most of EU £22 GBP

1934/5 Murphy A30   (valve)
Another pretty ancient offering from Murphy,  the A30 as ever is a heavy,  well made wireless.  This one has a few war wounds and bruises but nothing that someone with plenty of soft rags and suitable cabinet remedies couldn't sort out.  The cloth has perished and will need replacing.  Chassis wise all good and intact,  with no signs of messing or bodgery! That of course is the main thing with something like this.  The back panel is included too.   Just in case you are wondering the A30 is a proper superhet and capable of very good performance given the usual capacitor replacement and so on.   Good project. 
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Dimensions 15" wide, 17" high, 10" deep
Antenna -  external wire needed. 
Restoration Difficulty  2 intermediate.
Price  £35   (£225 overhauled / polished)   
UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £42 GBP

1954 Vidor CN429 Lady Margaret  (Valve)
Fake Snake and Mock Croc,  we have two 429's available at the moment.  Both in a good original state in need of cleaning and tlc without any tears or rips in the covering material.  All you need is a power supply or a source of 10 cheap 9V batteries and off you go.  In the near future we may be able to help too with the power supplies for battery valve models.  Prototype PTR unit currently in the development and testing phase!
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 8" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal plate aerial.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £20 each  (£call overhauled)   
UK Delivery £11   Most of EU £20 GBP   

C1959 GEC BC402 (valve) 
No damage bar paint loss to report with this "wide screen" radio.  You'll need little more than a bookshelf to put it on as it's very slim line.  3 separate tuning pointers and scales for each waveband.    Completely original,  in need of a good clean and polish.  One of the better offerings from GEC at that time. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW / VHF FM
Dimensions 20" wide, 8" high, 5" deep
Restoration Difficulty   1.5 intermediate.
Antenna -  internal ferrite with sockets.
Price  £15  (£125 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP

1963 Stella ST205 (transistor)
Another Philips clone with a Stella badge  -  much the same as the earlier model you will find further down this web page.  Well that is bar the AF11X transistors that replaced the three legged variety around this time.  All in good order,  ready for a snip or two.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 10" wide, 7" high, 4" deep
Restoration Difficulty   1 Easy
Batteries  -  2 PP9 9V types.
Antenna -  internal ferrite with sockets.
Price  £10  (£50 overhauled)  UK Delivery £11 Most of EU £20 GBP

1940 GEC BC4040   (valve)
What we have here is another all original 70 year old Bakelite wireless that deserves to be brought back to life.  No damage other than grime and fluff which we'll include free of charge!  The chassis uses standard octal valves and also has some presets which can be set and selected from the piano keys below the tuning dial.  Not a common radio.
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna - simple wire antenna recommended. 
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Dimensions  18" wide 11" high, 8" deep
Price  £50   (£150 overhauled)  UK Delivery £13 Most of EU £28 GBP
Sold.

1937 Philips 727 H/U  (valve)
WOW.  Philips were on strange medicine when they came up with this one.  It only has 3 chassis to contend with and a barrater at 45 deg! Fantastic piece of work and quite a rare model too.   All in excellent order,  the only bit I can see that has been replaced would a smoothing capacitor.  This is normal for all Philips radios as the types used in the 30's were very wet and tended to leak.  The Bakelite case is superb without a mark to be seen and you can see where the ideas came from for the later models such as the 170A.   The tuning wire needs re-stringing.  Supplied with all trim,  back panel and the propriety Philips mains plug.   Go on,  treat yourself.   This will keep you happy for weeks!
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW /SW
Dimensions 19" wide, 13" high, 7" deep
Antenna - simple wire needed.
Restoration Difficulty 2 Advanced.
Price £65 (£300 overhauled)
UK Delivery £13  Most of EU £35 GBP
Sold.  To be overhauled. 

1966 Murphy B815  (transistor)
Larger dual battery offering from the Murphy / Rank factory as it was by this time.  Has the usual AF117 series of transistors in it which will need attention no doubt,  the good news is that they are not located in any modules.  A bit like Hacker,  each one is relatively easy to get at.  Taking the radio to bits is an art,  you have to release various spring clips and the whole thing just drops to pieces.  This one has a little dent in the grille which will straighten pretty well,  other than that nothing else to report. 
Antenna - Internal ferrite rod / whip
Restoration Difficulty  1 Easy
Batteries  -  2 of PP9 9V
Dimensions 11" wide, 7" high, 4" deep
Frequency coverage   -  LW / MW / BS
Price £10 UK Delivery £11   Most of EU £20 GBP   

There is more to follow,  just as soon as we have some more space.
Thanks for visiting and don't forget our repair service can sort out your so called  "working" eBay purchases (you know what I mean!)  as well as all valve and transistor radios, vintage communications receivers and HiFi amplifiers.  We will even take on the dreaded Roberts R707 and R600 models now.   Happy also to tackle some of the classic Pioneer HiFi receivers from the 60's and 70's   -  recently just completed several of those.  They sound great.      All the best,  Richard Booth