I found this great Admiral radio in an antique shop for $3. This is the Admiral Y2999 "Avalon" in charcoal gray. This radio also came in dove white, harvest yellow, and turquoise. I'd love to have all four colors. I'm getting more and more interested in the hard plastic radios of the 1950's and early 1960's, and this one is a classic. These are so hard to find in decent condition, usually the cases are scratched and chipped.

This one was in totally disgusting shape, with grime all over the case, and the knobs were almost black with dirt. However, I couldn't see any chips out of the case, and there didn't appear to be any deep scratches. I cleaned the case off with soap and water, then polished it with Novus. It looks great. I soaked the knobs overnight in a solution of water and dish soap, then scrubbed them. They look much better now.

The radio had a loud hum when powered on. The elctrolytics were shot. I pulled the chassis to take a look. This radio, instead of having a boxy metal chassis, has all components mounted on a circuit board, including the large multi-section electrolytic capacitor. I unsoldered it from the board, and decided to do a real "authentic restoration" by hiding the new capacitors inside the old container. Since there's no chassis to hide them under, this will preserve the appearance of the radio. I threw the old multi-section into the toaster oven for a few minutes, which heated the old capacitor. I then pushed the insides out with a screwdriver. Next, I mounted the replacements inside the old carboard container, and re-connected it. It looks totally original, and works fine.

This radio is cute, but not a great performer. It will pull in the two local stations, but that's about it. All in all, a great find for $3. The replacement electrolytics cost more than the radio!