Simple C-64 Keyboard Repair Ideas 
      by John McBride, Vice-President 
 
    There are quite a few Commodore owners out there with older models wishing they could have gotten the 64-C, with it's more comfortable (and prettier)  wedge shape. And there are those of us with keyboards that are beginning to stick. Both problems can be fixed with minimal cash for parts and a little bit of free time. A year or so ago, I bought the "Slimline case" sold by Tenex Computer Express (1-800-PROMPT-1, item 80637, $19.95 ).
   
The ads promised I could move the guts from my old C-64 to the new case in
fifteen minutes with nothing more than a screwdriver and the ability to follow simple instructions. It took closer to twenty-five minutes (I was being extra careful), but the ad was actually true! The biggest problem I had was making sure all the switches and ports were going to line up correctly. My particular computer had a sheetmetal RF shield covering the motherboard, which prevented me from closing the new case. I imagine the technicians at Commodore will cringe, but I merely discarded the shield and no more problem. In fact, despite Commodore's warnings, I have never had a single problem with radio interference. The procedure amounted to removing a couple of screws,
unplugging the keyboard and power light cables from the motherboard, removing
a couple more screws (do not remove the tiny screws from the keyboard), moving the CPU and keyboard to their new homes, and replacing the cables and screws (new screws are supplied, just in case). End of job.  
   
An experienced technician can replace the individual keyswitches on a
C-64's keyboard, but the rest of us can solve the sticky key problem by pretty much following the same instructions as above. You can buy replacement
keyboards from a few mail order houses or find someone with a dead C-64 or
VIC-20 in need of a few dollars. The keyboard, including function keys, is a
single component held by a few screws. The Grapevine Group (1-800-292-7445)
advertises replacement C-64 keyboards for $39.95. Computer Shoppe of Alabama
(1-205-739-0040) and American Design Components (1-800-534-0809) are other
possible sources, but no prices appear in print. For those of you that are
curious, Radio Shack might still have replacement keyboards for the Plus/4 and C-16, but I have not verified it. These keyboards will not work in a C-64. SX64 owners can get replacement keyboards with the cable from The Grapevine Group for $49.95.