The Mighty VM-1000

[Moto_TJ]

I'm trying to remember if the old site was running when I picked up my VM-1000 this past spring. It has been a little (and I use the word little pretty loosely, she weighs in at 216 pounds) labor of love since I got it. It came out of a little run down home in south Detroit, I doubt it was its original home, it was not the type of home one would expect to find a top-of-the-line stereo console, but I could be wrong.

The cabinet was pretty disgusting, it had a broken leg, and wasn't really working. One of the first things that I did to it was get some new legs, I just got some gold furniture legs off of Amazon, and they look similar enough to the originals that no will notice. I then went through, rebuilt both amps, the tuner, and the tape deck (my first reel-to-reel). The record changer just needed a new cartridge, the removable cartridge sled on these makes it super simple to do!

A couple months ago, I found a set of spare amps, clock, tuner, and control panel as a lot on eBay, I got everything as my clock is dead, and my tuner has issues on AM in the middle of the band. I had also received a pair of speakers from a friend that are from a VM-580 that are in the same finish as the 1000. I replaced the crappy woofers with a pair of Jensen P12-RL woofers, the same as what's in the 1000. When I put the VM in front of the picture window, I hook them up and it looks pretty awesome, and sounds great! I am debating putting the spare 1000 amps in the extension speakers and using them for other purposes.

2 weeks ago I replaced the Pfanstiehl P-226 Cartridge that I had bought for the replacement and put in a NOS EV-26, I found a seller selling them on ebay and needed a couple for my Magnavox changers that originally had them. It sounds really good with that EV-26 cartridge, and it is era correct.

The lid over the tape deck had issues with the front veneer strip, almost like there was water damage, but the rest of the lid was fine and there were no water spots on the lid. I hate doing woodworking and refinish work, but I made the veneer look better and less noticeable.

There's always something going on with the VM. I tell people its for sale, but my asking price is $2,000 due to not only the time, effort, and money that I have into it, but I also don't need to sell it either.

Here is the link to photos and videos of the unit running: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FHSbgXyfzt2QMsgT7

[William]

The old site was still running, and, you did post when you got the VM1000. I for one, am glad you posted here on this forum as I have wondered what was going on with the 1000. It's good to hear it again, and now being able to hear the tape player working. So, Thank you! For sale, you really want to sell it? Personally, that would be one of the last units I would sell but I have a soft spot for VM.

Thanks for sharing, Trevor.

Bill

[electra225]

Good to see you on the forum again, Trevor! We have missed you !

You did a great job on the cabinet. I'm also glad to hear the EV 26's are usable. I need one for my Imperial. "Mr. VM" will own a VM 1000 one of those some of these days.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Trevor,
Thank you for posting such a nice notebook
on the V-M 1000.
Your efforts are very professional in the
restoration.

I cannot get over how nice and compact the
controls are designed and aesthetically done.

Gary quotes the 1957/58 price as $1025.00.

Your $2000 asking price is really a bargain to
those who are "in the know".

[Moto_TJ]

The old site was still running, and, you did post when you got the VM1000. I for one, am glad you posted here on this forum as I have wondered what was going on with the 1000. It's good to hear it again, and now being able to hear the tape player working. So, Thank you! For sale, you really want to sell it? Personally, that would be one of the last units I would sell but I have a soft spot for VM.

Thanks for sharing, Trevor.

Bill

The tape deck was not cheap to get running again, 3 new belts and a pinch wheel, but the tape heads still work perfectly. I have a few tapes that I also have the records for, and it is interesting to hear the difference between the two medias. The tapes are stereo and from 1957, a year before you could get stereo records, and if you notice the price, $12.95 per tape, when adjusted for inflation, in today's money, that would be around $130. Reel-to-reel was definitely a premium media to get and show off, and why you would need something like a VM 1000 that could do records and tapes.

[Moto_TJ]

Good to see you on the forum again, Trevor! We have missed you !

You did a great job on the cabinet. I'm also glad to hear the EV 26's are usable. I need one for my Imperial. "Mr. VM" will own a VM 1000 one of those some of these days.

I think I wiped the cabinet down 3 times with rags and 409 cleaner, it was pretty gross, but the finish under the grime was still in good shape.

The other thing I have done to it is going over it with Howard's restore-a-finish and 0000 steel wool, finishing off with Howards Bees wax polish. The bees wax gives it a nice long-lasting shine.

[Moto_TJ]

Trevor,
Thank you for posting such a nice notebook
on the V-M 1000.
Your efforts are very professional in the
restoration.

I cannot get over how nice and compact the
controls are designed and aesthetically done.

Gary quotes the 1957/58 price as $1025.00.

Your $2000 asking price is really a bargain to
those who are "in the know".

$1025 in 1958 money is around $10,000 in today's money. Definitely a high-end unit in the day!

The control may look small, but it is about the size of a 12" album cover. The cabinet of the 1000 is deeper than most, so it can throw you off in that aspect.

[Moto_TJ]

I forgot to mention that in my never ending story with the 1000 is that I am looking for better hinge supports. When I got it, it was missing one, one was broken, and the third was fine. I bought 3 new ones at lowes so that they would match, but I have them tightened as much as possible and they will not hold the lids up. They did at first, but they wore out very quickly.

If anyone has any ideas for replacements that will last, I am listening!

[Motorola minion]

These are similar to what Zenith uses
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxserp=0

These are what RCA uses, but you would need to take a section out of those piano hinges https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxserp=0