I’m often asked what exactly I do when I refurbish a computer—whether it’s for an existing client (which accounts for most of my work) or for a system I list here. Believe it or not, I typically spend close to 10 hours restoring a single machine. Below, I’ve outlined each step of my process before a computer is resold. I’ve also included photos so you can see these steps firsthand. Before shipping, I send the buyer a video showing the computer fully working.
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Dismantle the computer down to bare metal — The pan is inspected for rust, confirmed clean, and then thoroughly cleaned along with the case.
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Replace case feet if needed — New feet are installed on the bottom of the pan when required.
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Deep clean the case — The case receives a full scrub to remove marks, scuffs, and marker stains. If the case is heavily yellowed, I retrobright it using UV light or outdoor sunlight (my preferred UV source).
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Keyboard restoration — Every keycap is removed and soaked in a cleaning solution. While the keys are soaking, any bad key switches are replaced and the keyboard itself is cleaned. You wouldn’t believe the YUCK that lives under keycaps—and you’ll be glad I did the dirty work. Once everything is clean, the keyboard is fully reassembled.
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RAM, ROM, and logic chip verification — All RAM and ROM are tested, and any bad chips are replaced. Logic chips are also verified—because too many people buy an Apple only to discover it doesn’t actually work. Any failed chips are replaced with period-correct originals.
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Enhanced upgrades (when applicable) — If a system is being upgraded from unenhanced to enhanced, the proper ROMs are burned and installed along with a new 65C02 processor. I also add the Enhanced Badge :)
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Apple IIc / IIc+ ROM upgrades — For IIc and IIc+ systems, buyers can opt for a ROM 4x or 5x upgrade at no additional cost.
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Motherboard cleaning — The motherboard is thoroughly cleaned so it looks as close to new as possible.
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Power supply service — The power supply is removed and tested. RIFA capacitors are replaced, or customers can opt for a complete internal rebuild. I confirm voltages for the for +/- 5 Volts & 12 Volts
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Expansion and upgrade boards — Customer-requested boards are installed (Super Serial, A2PICO, HDMI, CP/M, and more).
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Drive service — Each drive is fully disassembled and cleaned. Read/write heads are cleaned, and drives are calibrated to 300 RPM if needed.
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Final assembly and presentation — Once everything is clean and fully functional, the system is reassembled, given a final cleaning, photographed, and either shipped to the buyer or listed here.
Want your own machine built? Just ask!
