I found a company that makes U-bent cases like the MZ, but it was pretty pricey (~$250). I do really like the design, very rigid and easy to work on. Of course, no front panel by that time.I had to replace all the RAM chips in my 64k board and that was all it took to get my MZ up and running again (I later found out that power needs to be applied and removed from those particular chips in a specific order or damage can happen in the long term; looking at Vector's schematics it's not clear if the RAM board actually ensures that is the case). If the IBM PC hadn't put them out of business, I am sure Vector would still be around today selling stuff.
On Friday, July 11, 2014 10:15:55 AM UTC-7, curt mayer wrote:Once upon a bazillion years ago, I worked for a vector dealer, and the MZ was a nice case. solid. I let the smoke out of a ST506 in one of them, back when it cost a kilobuck, real money back then. the optima case is real fiddly, with way too many screws holding it together.
On Saturday, June 7, 2014 5:13:47 PM UTC-7, Andrew Bingham wrote:I was thinking a more "modern" style design like the case on my Vector MZ.
The rack mount cases that are part of Optima's current product line can have the top panel removed... Add a card case and away you go.
They still have the classic grey and blue colors, but basically use a case that they still make so it's not completely "custom".
Andrew
On Saturday, June 7, 2014 5:06:51 PM UTC-7, G. Beat wrote:Grant Stockly contacted Optima (Elma) for duplication of the case in 2006/2007 for his Altair Kit project.
His notes, in developing that kit (photos on link):
http://www.altairkit.com/creation_of_a_kit_story.html Another important part of the Altair Kit is the enclosure! The Altair wouldn't be an Altair without the Optima case!
As many of you know, the Optima case was discontinued around 20 years ago! This is a problem!
I contacted Optima and paid them to reproduce the case for me as a custom part.
So it is in every way an authentic Optima enclosure. Employees who manufactured these cases still work for Optima and remembered a lot of the details about the case and its construction.
The case is made by hand with the assistance of CNC (computer numeric control) machinery.
The paint/color codes used on the cases is identical to the cases sold in 1975.
The front panels are powder coated and then silkscreened with white ink.
The silkscreening method used on these cases is more durable than the method used in 1975.g. beat