Prototype NAP 500 case refurbishment

It does. I really like the prototype styling with the plain front panel of the head unit and the Olive PS with just a single power LED. No logos.

A real piece of Naim history that :sunglasses:

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And I was just having fun! (I used to be an expert witness, producing clear, accurate, unambiguous statements of fact and/or expressing my impartial professional interpretation!)

It was developed during the Olive years by Naimā€™s R&D team (Roy, Gary et al.) and during Julianā€™s time at Naim. It was the first of Naimā€™s 500 series and also the first to show the new design direction that Naim would take with the updated Classic range two years later.
Some background here:
https://www.naimaudio.com/connection-magazine/28024/the-history-of-the-500-series

And some more here in Hifi Criticā€™s review of the current NAP500DR:

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Then it never had a coat of primer and the ā€œpatinaā€ is simply a result of it being hefted around on a daily basis. A quick waft over with some satin black from Halfords will return it to original for about a tenner. Go on, make it look nice again and show us the pics. :grinning:

I imagine that, when finishing their top-of-the -line amp, the boys and girls at Salisbury tried a bit harder than a waft of a few coats from an aerosol can from Halfords.

But perhaps Iā€™ve just been suckered in by Salisbury hype!

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Not for a development model Iā€™d guess.

I will happily take it off your hands for a fiver and save you all the hassle of repainting.

Maybe Julian was having a mad half hour. No disrespect meanā€™t by the way :wink:

Indeed. Maybe someone got the lighter fluid out and set fire to it :rofl:

If that was mine i would give it a rub down and re paint with dome satin black car paint.
Remove the screws and mask offer the rear section and for less than a Ā£10 it would be looking nice.
Canā€™t see the point of leaving it like it is as no one really knows what stat it was in all them years ago, but right now it looks as tatty as hell and no 500 desires to look like that, does it.

Refurbished.

ce4fb48fc9fc522c53d67eab6374098b7d04291a_2_666x500 2

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Perhaps youā€™ve missed the fact that itā€™s a prototype and didnā€™t go through the production finishing process?

nice, like it, satin blackā€¦

I realise that it is a prototype, but I donā€™t think that many such valuable prototypes would look as if they had been at the bottom of a bullfight.

Prototypes have a hard life. They are moved around a lot. A hard wearing paint finish is not a priority. They are not intended to look good for a long time. At least one has been refurbed with a rattle can if you refer to Richardā€™s post above and it apparently looked good. I believe thatā€™s the most appropriate treatment for this example.

Take a black magic marker to it and call it good. :smiley:

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Now thatā€™s proper smart. Good job ElMarko. :grinning::+1:

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That reminds me of the car salesman who admonished me for not getting the sunroof option on a BMW M3 I wanted to track (and I never use the sunroof on any of my cars anyway), saying it would affect the resale value later. I had to explain that Iā€™m not getting the car for some unknown personā€™s benefit later on in the carā€™s history. I am getting the car to enjoy for myself now, as I want to configure it.

I say if refinishing it is what you want and makes you happy then go for it.

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Indeed it would - enthusiasts will pay extra for sunroof delete models.

Not exactly the same I know but with antique carriage clocks, as part of servicing them, there was the option to restore the appearance as well. Optically they were not perfect but still in very good condition. We chose not to restore the appearance but just service them to full working order. If the amplifier has been restored to full working order the appearance would be a nice to have?