Bought a 2105....Happy but,

[7.62]

My guess is it lived in a cabinet in a humid environment. Paid for it and picked it up yesterday with a bit of shock at all the rust. We fully bench tested it and all seems in spec, on the machine it pushed 138-140 watts @ 32 Volts before clipping. All the lights work, switches are positive and meters are good.

But it's not much for looks, I almost asked for my money back on that alone.

Plan is to use it for powering the top end on Infinty QLS-1 speakers. Question I have is this to far gone or can it be restored. If all works as intended is there anyone that does this type of work.

 

[62caddy]

Sorry to hear of your disappointment. Given the visible rust, it's almost a miracle the switches and pots aren't acting up from internal corrosion.

Can it be improved? Well yes but it'll be very labor intensive but then what about the chrome chassis? To my knowledge no replacement chassis is offered for the MC2105, and again, transferring everything over from one chassis to another will be a monumental task. Another MC2105 with excellent cosmetics less the whatever yours can be sold for would be the most economical way of dealing with the situation.

Frankly, I'd just keep it in the cabinet and enjoy it as-is for its functionality on which the cosmetics have no bearing.

 

[7.62]

Yeah a little disappointed but never a bad day when a McIntosh finds a new home . The chrome chassis would definitely need to be rechromed. It'd have to be completely torn down and redone from the ground up, I know we're talking more than it's worth but I'm a sucker......lol.

I was just curious.

I think your right, should just get over it and enjoy what it brings to the table.

 

[damacman]

Yep - slide it into a cabinet and enjoy it for what it is.

 

[62caddy]

Yup, out of sight, out of mind is the best policy here.

Tidy up the front as best you can and you'll soon forget about the rest.

Enjoy.

 

[John James]

You now have a new conversation piece.

Invite your friends over, crank up some tunes, enjoy an adult refreshment or two. When they have been amazed by the sound quality, show them what a trusty, old, workhorse looks like.

They will never believe what they see!

 

[chef free]

140 watts from a 105 watt amp, that McIntosh for you! The surface is not really that bad. Put it in a cabinet and crank up those QLS-1s. As long as all the switches and pots are clean, you can't hear the rust!

P.S. How does the back look?

 

[7.62]

JJ That's the spirit, like the way you think. Chef, the back is pretty bad as well, I'm going to gently clean the rca connects and the speaker terminals although it does have the gold looking banana deals (4). The whole amp has has like a coating of rust, if you look thru the screen the cans are discolored with it and all the panels with the electronics have what I would call more or less a rust dust look. I'm lucky though the front glass is more or less excellent. Just the top corners silver trims are bent back slightly.

 

[damacman]

Keep in mind, that an MC2105 performing to spec will best many current designs from other companies. I had one for a decade that was in worse shape than that when I bought it - last unit I ever bought from FL. I stripped it all down, repainted the xfrmrs and cage, dolled up the chassis, and replaced the faceplate.

 

[quartersaw]

View attachment 874480 View attachment 874479

My guess is it lived in a cabinet in a humid environment. Paid for it and picked it up yesterday with a bit of shock at all the rust. We fully bench tested it and all seems in spec, on the machine it pushed 138-140 watts @ 32 Volts before clipping. All the lights work, switches are positive and meters are good.

But it's not much for looks, I almost asked for my money back on that alone.

Plan is to use it for powering the top end on Infinty QLS-1 speakers. Question I have is this to far gone or can it be restored. If all works as intended is there anyone that does this type of work.

I'm running one of my recapped Mc2100's in the kitchen, and it is butt ugly. Rust everywhere. Paint in poor condition. It sounds wonderful!
Black appliance paint applied over the top end would spruce it up a bunch. That stuff is glossy, and rock hard. A treatment with Naval Jelly to remove the rust beforehand. The chassis rust is what it is..
Once in a while, you'll see those transformer stickers/decals on the 'Bay. With a little bit of elbow grease, there is a lot that can be done with the cosmetics w/o resorting to an extreme expense.

 

[mnmmt]

I would go over the top metal with some automotive polishing compound to knock down the rust, wax it, and then put it in a walnut cabinet.