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Rebuilding a PowerBook 165c
Posted by: tendim on 2009-06-15 19:26:48
I've got a PowerBook 165c that, except for the case, functions reasonably well. I purchased a battery for it a few years ago and it gets about an hour on a full charge, and is a great bridge machine between my desktop (G5) and my Macintosh Plus. 😀

But, the case is crap. I literally screwed it back together with some nuts and bolts (It's official network name being Frankenstein), and the back door is missing.

I'd like to see if I could restore this unit to its former glory. Did the 165c share a case design with any other PowerBooks? Or am I stuck only buying 165c parts?

Thanks,

-xd
Posted by: JRL on 2009-06-15 19:34:01
AFAIK besides the screen (of course) and the screen frame, most of the parts (port door, keyboard, trackball, palmrest) are standard with every 100 series PowerBook except the PowerBook 100.
Posted by: LCGuy on 2009-06-15 23:26:00
As JRL said, the keyboard, trackball and port door can be sourced from any PowerBook 140, 145, 145B, 150, 160, 165, 165c, 170, 180 or 180c, as can the bottom case, the part that the mobo and drives are screwed to. However, the top case (the bit with the palmrests, that the keyboard, trackpad, interconnect board, inverter board and display is screwed to) can only be sourced from a PowerBook 165, 165c, 180 or 180c, as they have the internal microphone that other models do not have.
Posted by: tendim on 2009-06-16 09:16:23
What about the top half of the clamshell, where the screen is mounted?
Posted by: LCGuy on 2009-06-16 17:52:08
If you mean the display frame, I'm fairly sure that they can be freely swapped with other 1xx PBs that have a display of a bigger size - just keep in mind that some of the internal metal will be showing, making it look ugly. The back panel of the display must come from another 165c.
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