Commodore 64c | Restored and Toured | Trash to Treasure (3/3) 

I think the space bar was definitely smiling. The C64 looks like new. Great work and a great pleasure being a part of this video series. Thanks again and enjoy the C64! :)

great video Neil - its important (imo) to share both the successes and failures of retrobrighting experiments. great stuff!

I love that tiny SD card drive.

Now I want a 64C! I stole parts out of my 64 15 years ago to fix a customer's machine - now I doubt it works. Time to get it out of storage and fix it! Thanks for the motivation!

Uk viewer here love,love love your channel..you are the Indiana Jones of the classic computer world..finding old relics and making sure they are preserved fror all to see...

Slightly strange comment, but you have one of the most pleasant-to-listen-to voices on RU-vid! It really adds to the videos.

Thanks, Neil you made me feel all fuzzy remembering my C128 and the hours of fun and enjoyment without having to spend 60 quid for a game or waiting ages for updates!

A great ending to the trilogy. Thanks very much for uploading this series. I must say that I was eagerly awaiting the third installment over the Christmas holidays. It has inspired me to refurbish my own Commodore 64C this Summer. Summer, because I'm going to need all the sunlight I can get. My keys are a much darker shade of brown than yours ever were. I was most interested in seeing your results with the retro-brighting and was as horrified as you probably were to see what happened to that space bar. That's a clear warning for me as I can't afford to damage my original keys - I've had them almost 30 years. A big thanks to Jan Beta for making a cameo appearance in this one on his selection of games and it was a nice touch to start off with the rendition of Jonathan Dunn's most excellent Robocop theme, the same one Charlie Brooker plagiarised for his one-off, _"How Video Games Changed the World"_. I'm eagerly looking forward to your special on retro-brighting those Amiga keys.

Came over from Dubious Engineering. Subbed. I had a used one of these as my first computer. I was so fascinated, sat in front of it all day, until late at night, when I toppled off my chair, dizzy because I had not eaten or drank anything all day. I had the floppy disk drive. Mailed it all to a friend in South Africa after finally getting a regular computer. Fond memories.

A great series evoking pre amiga ownership. The videos keep getting better and more polished but with a good chilled vibe. The inclusion of Jan Beta made this 10/10 👍👏

Thank you for watching, I've really enjoyed getting the C64c up together and am working through your suggestions to play. Some really great titles suggested! If you're interested in the SD2IEC you can find the developer here sd2iec.de/ and I purchased the version by TFW8B here www.thefuturewas8bit.com - And you can see the Wiki to read what is and isn't supported by the device here www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/sd2iec_(firmware) - Take care! Neil - RMC

A doll-sized "1541"; how cute!

Nice video all about your adventreus with the C64c. Nice to see lots of cool games in the video. The 1541 drive sure is a beast. Here in the UK you had a badge of honour back in the day if you had one. Everyone pretty much woked from tape. It's good that we have many options out there to load games and keep the C64 alive.

What a great project! Way to go RMC! I have never seen that Retr0Brite technique before. It scares me a bit, but also very exciting. I think the space bar was frowning, but hopefully you can turn that frown upside down! You look like Walter White with that setup! ha ha! Looking forward to the A500 Retr0Brite episode. Great work as always! -- AmigaBill

OMG, that SD card reader is adorable!!!! I want one (and an old school C64 to go with it).

I like your taste in music. It gives your channel a kind of 80's/90's vibe which reminds me of my childhood.

When everyone is talking about the games we played on the C64 I don't know why no one ever mentions MY favorite games. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Pool of Radiance and The Hunt for Red October. I played these two games to DEATH and still loved them. Anyone else???

The 1541 was common here in the US. I had/still have it on mine, and only knew one person that had the cassette deck with his. Great series, and I plan to get my C64 back up and going as soon as I get a power saver for it.

Nice choice on the opening background music. Of all the Robocop title remixes, that one is my favorite. The artist did just a superb job remixing!

This was fantastic, thank you for the enjoyable nearly 20 minutes of viewing.

Even the music in your videos is top notch! Amazing stuff

Diggin the 80's AOR tune in the background. I have fond memories seeying a c64 for the first time at my friend's house. He was playing ninja spirits, quite a decent port.

My favorite computer ever, i loved it so much. Played games hours on it, learning basic *pun here* skills of programming and typing with both hands. The Tapedecks where a nightmare i whas so happy with my 1st (white) 5,25 floppy drive, that whas a cheap clone that died every few months and the store keep giving me a replacement every time my father whent back to complain about it. We had a cutter for these floppys, so we could turn it around and use the backside too for storage. The later in i think the final stage of the system i got a 3.5 floppy diskdrive but those floppys where so expensive at the time. C64 i a big part of my teens (i whas around 12/13 when i got it and sold it when i whas around 19) and always a great memory of a no worries time. Thank you so much for making this great video its so good to see that people still care about this system :)

RMC you killed the spacebar luckily there are a few around. It's a great looking machine and now you have the original c64 decal it does make all the difference. A good series of episodes well thought out and excellently executed with the guest appearance from my friend Jan beta. Good work RMC....😁Kim

Sweet baby Jesus that DD is redonkulous. It makes me think of how far technology has come. Even so, as I seem to recall it was massive for the time as well!!

Yea Jan Beta!!! Great cameo! And thanks for allowing us to learn from your mistakes RMC! I was really hoping that retrobrite method would have worked. Ahhh well. Everything else looks fantastic.

I once build and entire 486sx desktop computer into a 1541 case from a broken drive.... Including the powerbrick. These things are enormous!

Wow. Those screen shots of games like Ghostbusters gave me some great memory’s

Loved this video, it was very well done and the C64 looks like its being played for the first time from new.

I also managed to spoil a set of C64 breadbin keys with peroxide. Some got too hot and bleached. This is really bad as the breadbin keys are dark brown. We live and learn. Anyway, thumbs-up for another fine video. And don't think we didn't notice your "other side of the cave" comment ;-)

I suffered the same problem with the space bar-learning the hard way.Good video as always,love it.

I personally did the peroxide cream method you used, but instead of sunshine I used a UV light that I had suspended above it. I left it in the dark without any obstruction of other light sources for 16-32 hours (it can vary on how much yellowing you're removing, it's best to check up every couple of hours). Even reapplied the peroxide cream once or twice more before leaving it under again but it worked extremely well! Didn't do this on computer parts, but I did do it with Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo NES console cases that were both rather yellowed and they turned out well. Hope you found this helpful! Really enjoy the videos!

Brings back memories, My first computers was a used Vic 20, followed by a used (rounded) C64, then a new C64 just like this one, both the Vic 20 and the 1st C64 came with tape drives, the newer C64 had a floppy drive.

Superb video. So well timed because I was thinking of getting a C64. Thanks for letting us know about these cool modern additions, but I did go for a Grey Fast Loader Cartridge to better fit with the colour scheme, rather than a bright green one. Also I replaced the Power Supply with a modern C64 equivalent (protection built-in)...As for favourite games, Dropzone, Monty on the run, International Karate+ and Wizball. Plus modern games like Sam's Journey.

The best DIY content is content that shared the mistakes... No project even is finished without at least 1.

i have a terminator 2 edition C64 sat in my mums loft, must not of been touched in over 20years.......i might go digging

Brilliant as always. The games back then were so simple to understand. Kids today expect too much. (god I sound like my dad)

Great episode! Germany as well had the 1541 as the most common method to handle your files. (And the C64 was really, really popular in Germany.) The datasette remained more of a mystery for me. But I remember someone having one and showing it to me, I was in awe!

awww that SD extension is so adorable! and so is the SD card itself!

I recently had good success with standard 3% peroxide, no further water added, at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours. No key warping at all and definitely brightened all the keys up to a good level. No cover needed. Only a couple of keys have minor yellow left. You do need to monitor temperature and reduce heat accordingly.

"Drop Zone" (Buggy Boy as Jan Beta said) "Gremlins" the text adventure game.. "The Last Ninja" games.. "Uridium" and "Uridium plus".. "Jack the Nipper".. "Aztec Adventure".. I could go on all day with games that you could play on your Commodore 64.. 1000's to choose from (some crap but lots of good ones) I am still exploring the C64 software today, back in the early to mid 80's I must of played about 400+ games that my brother had on tapes in his draw, copies and originals..

Oh yes. the music you chose for this episode was fantastic. Robocop, Last ninja 3 and Great Giana Sisters be great taste. and great restoration too.

What a great restoration and keeping the 8bit dream going. So many great games to choose from you'll have many of great hours of fun playing with your new toy. Not shore if it would help but you can put a couple of sheets of kitchen roll in the bottom of the pan to help keep it from being in contact with the bottom of the pan. Looking forward to your next video in the cave

Ultima IV was the game I played the most on my C64C. Only because you couldn't look up hints online. There was no online. So many good games on the C64. The Summer/Winter/World/California Games (etc.) were always fun. Maniac Mansion is a classic. As Is Zak McKracken. Impossible Mission was great. That scream was something else. Neuromancer was probably one of my all time favourite games. Space Taxi is another classic.

Great vid ! I remember getting one back in the day, my brother had the plus 4,

"Please press banana-key to continue" :D

Wow. I would never had thought Stunt Car Racer would look so good on the C64. Almost as good as the Amiga version I played as a kid.

although the solution may have been at 70-80 deg, the steel pan bottom is in contact with the heating plate underneath and may be way hotter than the liquid. How about putting the solution in a bowl and heating it over a pan of water below.

the little montage at the end was great

Think I have my c64 breadbin somewhere. Not been used for over 20 years. Had a good selection of games too. Your right about the cassettes being more popular over here. Must dig it out and see if it still works. If so I’ll have to try and fix the port 2 issue it had. Wouldn’t turn left on port 2. Think it needs a chip replacing if I remember rightly

I really enjoyed the video the Small Retro "Disk Drive" made me LOL. Awesome content. Thanks.

Charmingly awesome. I'm swimming in the depths of my sweet C64 memories now, inspired by the movie, so please excuse me the lack of words in this opinion. :) BTW. In 1995 a school colleague adviced me to buy a 386 PC. I got a 1541-II and joined the demoscene instead. Disk drive was that much better than a datassette and gave my C64 a completely new life and an unseen level of user-friendliness.

An excellent conclusion to this series. Ah, the trials and tribulations of retrobriting -- and thanks for not shying away from the mistakes; that's how we all learn -- I'm with Jan Beta and say the space bar is smiling. Beach Head was one of my favourites, as well -- I loved that each level was a completely different style of gameplay. Great work again, and I continue to enjoy the new 2018 Cave!

Watching this made me realize how seldom we see Jan Beta's face - usually just hands or an over the shoulder view!

OMG, Pitstop II... we played that so much and the joysticks got a tanking as we tried to turn steep corners, despite knowing it was a digital input.

immersion circulator. Put in a closed loop bath. Strap a lid on it. You could discolour anything that would fit in a bathtub.

Pit stop II:) much luv and my C64 from my childhood.

Looks awesome. I prefer the bread bin version but there is no replacement case so that kind of stinks.

The old case badge still had the factory protective film on it!? How lucky were you? Hard to imagine it's lasted over 20 years. Wow!

That's exactly what I did to my a1200 space bar, but luckily not warped it much as yours! I used a slow cooker from tesco, very cheap and with a lid ;) it,s perfect. Beware though, my brown keys got bleached too, and some of them went a lot lighter than I thought was possible so maybe do the white ones and dark ones separate. I think I may have used too strong a mix of peroxide. Good job on the restoration 👍🏼

maybe make a wooden "jig" a board with bits of wood on it. that leave a space thats right for the space bar. heat the space bar up again. then put it in the wooden jig, till it cools. might go back to the right shape

I always loved how the 1541 had its own CPU...and just as much mempry as the computer itself.

Here in New Zealand the disk drive was quite common, no one I knew with a c64 used their tape drives except to load mag cover game demo tapes XD

That space bar looked like it was belonged to those ergonomic keyboards. Also, I bet that all of the software released on C64, including new ones made by the community after its 10+ years of commercial life would fit on a 2GB SD card uncompressed.

Great job. Looking sweet. I Still have a boxed Terminator 2 edition C64. Never opened. Picked it up for peanuts years ago. Its staying sealed in the box but If I ever have more space, I'd love to get my hands on a breadbin C64.

Man, I love the SID chip in C64C. To me, it sounds so much better than the original C64. Matter of opinion, though.

Awesome video! BEST so far!

Very nice video, your C-64c looks brand new :) I had tape drive with my C-64c but it actually was a 3rd party "clone". Just tried to google pics of it but couldn't find any just like my tape drive was.

Great stuff. I totally want to pick up one and restore it for nostalgia.

The games I played the most back then were Paradroid, Last Ninja games, silent service and Mission Impossible.

Such awesome memories. Thanks!

4:56 - Ah man, that is brutal but you live and you learn. Have you considering using a mixture of black light and/or halogen light for retrobriting as both sources emit good and safe levels of stable UV light, compared to the anaemic levels of sun on our island, but halogen light offers heat that is also central to the process too, so maybe a small 800w heater with the temperature/distance monitored could work. Another great vid.

Jan did an amazing video on restoring the PSU's. I haven't tried it yet but it surely sounds like a better idea to me than 30 - 40 dollars on a new psu or saver.

4:28 remember to always wear suit and tie during retrobrighting operations

I just paint on the solution, wrap it in clingfilm to stop it from drying out too much and then leave it on a window ledge for a week, works even in the U.K. weather...

Racing Destruction Set

Nice! The white 1541 diskdrive was not styled after the C64C, but the VIC20. It was released way before the C64, actually.

i have seen people use a plastic tub and an aquarium heater to do this, even heard of people using a sauna.

Another great video. By the way did anyone notice that the word physical was misspelled in the manual? Lol... Buggy Boy was a fantastic game. I spent many summer nights playing it and also playing Emlyn Hughes International Soccer. Thanks for the video!

Just a couple of interesting trivia bits regarding the C64. You mentioned that compact data cassettes and ROM cartridges where the more popular method of loading/saving software/files in the U.K. Vs the 5 1/2 floppy drive that dominated the home computer market much sooner in the U.S.. My understanding is that this was due to high import taxes in the U.K. Vs the U.S. such that once the cost of making the floppy drives came down in general, home computer users the U.S. was quicker to switch to them whereas import taxes made cassettes and cartridges the significantly cheaper option in the U.K. For all except for business computer users willing and able to effort the higher cost. Another interesting fact about the Commodore 5141 5 1/2 floppy driver (for the C64) was that the designed it to be compatible with the Vic 20’s 5140 floppy drive for backwards compatibility but due to a bug in the 6522 VIA chip in the 5141 drive, the drive did not work as it should. Given how late in the development process the bug was discovered, rather then replace all the VIA chips in already produced drives to address this flaw, they simply wrote a quick software patch which worked around the hardware bug. The problem was the rushed patch has the unfortunate effect of significantly decreasing the read/write speed of the drive compared with similar floppy drives for other systems such as the Apple II. Had they not insisted on backwards compatibility with the 5140, this would not have been a problem. Fortunately for C64 users, because this problem could be addressed via a software patch, third party developers come up with software quick-loaders that significantly speed up the drive. So I strongly recommend any newly acquired C64 5141 floppy drive owners to seek out a quick-loader for the drive.

Quick note about the evaporation problem. I think that Peroxide has a higher boiling point than water. So it could be possible that you were boiling off the water and leaving more peroxide heavy solution. Then you would add more peroxide and water solution. So over time it's possible you ended up with a higher concentration of peroxide than you were planning on. I am not 100% sure this is the case, just thought of it when watching. A lid would fix it, as you stated. But I thought it might be interesting to keep in mind for future projects.

Loving the background music to this piece! Ocean Robocop remix? Keep up the excellent work!

So that's where my toothbrush went...

The 8 bit guy did a test on whitening and best ways. Always worth a look

Sous Vide. Get one of those heaters in a sizeable pan and set it to a slightly-above-warm temperature (~55ºC) for a good few hours. Someone suggested that for David Murray's 8-bit Guy channel.

Funny! I'm playing the Apple version of Ultima II as I watched you start up Aklabeth. :D (I just finished Ultima I over the weekend)

Small world! Beachhead was the first game I saw on a C-64. The first game I bought with my own allowance was Raid on Bungling Bay. :) Why I didn't buy Beachhead was an oddity. :)

Gotta play Maniac Mansion. It was developed for the C-64 originally, and to me, it's still the best version, even with all the later upgrades. You should also try out Monty on the Run, if for nothing else to hear that stunning soundtrack.

The 1541 really was a ridiculously large disk drive even back then - but then it also is not only a disk drive, it contains a whole separate computer. I remember that back then I had a disk copy program for two 1541 (drive 8 and 9) which loaded itself into the RAM of the floppy drives, and after that you could disconnect the drives from the C64 (so you could play games on it while copying) and the drives could copy disks on their own (i.e. they recognized when you inserted a source and target floppy and started the copy process automatically).

Maybe if you straight that spacebar with clamps while you heat it carefully with a heating gun... ¿? Excellent videos. I enjoy them a lot.

I had only few cassettes that dad got me back then, if I remember correctly chess, galaga, commando and into the eagles nest were the games that loaded without resetting tape deck head. So that were the games that I actually played. And I can't remember to actually play any other. Just week ago I got myself c64c, since original one is somewhere lost in a relatives arrick. It really brings back memories, c64 lasted me all the way until we got w95 machine in '96 I think that it was k5, but we later upgraded to P-mmx and w98. So I generally just skipped all dos and w311 era...

Great video Mr RMC.

Love your videos... Very satisfying, Thanks! :-) Greetings from Germany!

Thanks for the memories.

10: 30 Hey, it's Jeroen Tel!

Great job! That space bar had to die in the name of science! :o)

I had the cassette drive with my original case Commodore 64 in the United States. It was sooooo slow.

I think you should consider using ESD protection at your work station. I never thought much about static damage until I actually ran RAM testing tools and found lots of bit errors. It’s just not worth the possibility of introducing random and invisible failure modes to equipment you’re trying to preserve

Fantastic Work! The amazing C64 deserve! Awesome video, keep going with the good workk! ;)

sink with cold water and a few sprays of bleach cleaner shined up two dingy apple keyboards. 20m and it's back together.