The OTHER Old School Gaming, Part 2

 Back in 2022 I kitbashed an old TRS-80/Tandy Color Computer 2 into a modern PC using a RaspberryPI 4. I had so much fun doing it, I immediately began my ideas for another Kitbash, this time using a TRS-80 Model 4 and trying to build something that would have been like the proposed Tandy Color Computer 4. 

I didn't quite do that, but I used the knowledge from my first Kitbash to build something new. But first I needed to figure out what to do. Well, that's not true, I pretty much knew what I wanted, I just had to do it. First I needed the case. Thankfully eBay comes through.

I scored a TRS-80 Model III case. Just the case, nothing inside. I wanted a Model 4 since they were a little bigger and white. It seemed fitting that a Model 4 case would be the start of my Color Computer 4 project.  But Model 4s were rarer than Model IIIs, but I could fix that.

Case ready to go I needed remove some internal pieces to fit a new keyboard.

Thankfully, I had gotten a Dremel for Christmas. 

Now came the longer part, finding a monitor and keyboard that would fit. I found some custom scientific equipment monitors that were even in HD and had a touch screen, but in the end I found a cheap ass monitor on Amazon.

It didn't look bad, and even had built-in sound.

I played around with a few keyboards, including a cheap one my wife and I found at a second-hand store we were dropping off old toys at. 

Not really liking that one, and it later died on me anyway, I spent some money to get a really nice keyboard. Nicer than the project dictated, but I could also redo the keys to make it look like the old TRS-80 keyboard.

I knew heat was going to be an issue, so I installed some fans. 

They worked out better than expected really!

Now came the time to get everything together. I scored a 5" monitor from my brother and added that to one of the drive bays, my youngest even designed and 3D printed some adapters for it fit in better.

I picked up a power strip with USB ports to power everything inside (thankful for those fans) and started putting it all together.

Tested everything and spent a few hours planning where to put all these cables and unplugging and plugging back in so I was not creating a fire hazard.

Till today.

It looks nice next to my other Kitbash.

The top bay is still empty, but I have a 3D file to print that will turn it into a 3.5 drivebay. The 3D filament currently loaded is glow-in-the-dark, since I am just going to paint it black, it seems like a waste. 

Well.

That was a blast. Now to load some old DOS games on it. That's the external hard drive in the middle. I have another monitor, I should put it up and use it for my Atari 600 and 2600 emulators. 

What should I do next I wonder.