ZX81 not in red?

[Whippet]

Warning: Very obscure and probably quite boring question.

I have a couple of ZX81's in my 80's computer collection, but one of them has the ZX81 on the case not in red (as usual) - instead it's just embossed on the case with no colour like the "Sinclair" above it.

Not seen one like this before - anyone know why?

I was thinking maybe one of 4 things:
1. It's a cheap ZX81 kit and the colouring was extra.
2. It's an early production model before they decided to add a bit of colour.
3. It's a late production model and they'd cut the colour out to save money and meet demand (most likely I think).
4. It's a minor manufacturing flaw and they simply missed the red paint out (looks like it was hand painted on most models after all).

[sirmorris]

5. It had rubbed off??



Hello and welcome!

[Whippet]

Nope, not rubbed off no sign of it ever being red. Besides the ZX81 is in mint condition, looks brand new - I got it boxed - looks unused.

[1024MAK]

I very much doubt that the painted part of the case was hand painted.
Most likely that the automated paint machine used to do this task had a problem, maybe it ran out of paint!

The paint is known to come off, I don't have a mint condition Zeddy, but I do have one where there is almost no paint left... To work out that it was painted, you have to look really carefully.

Mark

[Moggy]

Must have bought sold and collected over a hundred or so in the thirty odd years of collecting and most of them had lost their logo paint yet looked immaculate, it's amazing what a can of "Flash dash" silicone spray can do!!

I reckon an angry look is enough to rid a zeddy of its logo paint yet leave the case pristine.