Macintosh Plus... or is it?

[funkytoad]

Hey Everyone,

I've been an on and off poster and a frequent lurker since 2005.

I've got a bit of an odd conquest. I won an eBay auction from the local Goodwill. I am going to use the eBay images for this post. The auction was for a Macintosh Plus, as is clearly visible in this photo: 

But things get a bit more strange if you look at the whole setup.

The model number is M0001 (which is the model number for the original Macintosh 128k) rather than the M0001A for the Macintosh Plus. The serial number comes back to the following:

Your Macintosh 128 (M0001), with serial number F41542LM0001, was the 4712d manufactured during the 15th week of 1984 in Fremont, CA.

The keyboard is a M0110 (the keyboard for the Macintosh 128).

And the auction came with both a manual for the Macintosh Plus and the original Mac. So what do you folks think is going on here? Did somebody do some weird upgrade? Did they merge the rear of a Plus and the front of a 128? I own two actual Macintosh Pluses, and am pretty familiar with the compact macs, but I've never seen this before.

 

[Themk]

I do believe an upgrade for the 128K and 512K was to swap in a Plus logic board and rear bucket, while keeping the front of the 128K

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

Standard Apple upgrade. I want to say it cost $999? Anyway, my personal Plus was a 512k that was upgraded, it likewise has the original front with a new bucket.

 

[mactjaap]

Cool device!

Well upgrading is of all times. I own a Lisa upgraded to a 128k!

 

[jack]

Looks like my Mac Plus. I've got a 128K upgraded to a Plus, with all the original 128K accessories. It's a pretty zippy 128K looking machine with 4MB of RAM.

I do believe this upgrade was quite common.

 

[unity]

Yes it is a Plus. It was a 128k, it no longer is.

 

[funkytoad]

Thanks for all of the information, everyone. I am pretty happy with it. It's a nice machine. It will get a place of honor in my home. I usually like to keep a compact Mac or two out on my desk. Traditionally, I always have kept one of my Classic II's out. I keep them loaded up with games, but as of a few months ago, they had both succumb to leaky capacitors. I guess I have my next project.