My first computer was a Sinclair ZX81. By the time I’d added a ram pack, printer, external keyboard and Maplin I/O module it was time for my first case-mod. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), no picture survives of the modified ‘computer’.

My second ‘mod’ was to a Tandy TRS-80 model I,  The case itself was only sprayed white (I hated the silver) ,  but the machine was heavily modified, quadrupling the speed and RAM (it was still a slug) the modified case belonged to an add on expansion chassis, carrying a range of home-brewed cards for I/O and even an interface to a Commodore 1541 disk drive!

BBC Luggable B  - 1987

The first really useful computer I owned, and my first real case-mod, was a BBC Model B. It was used as a development platform for several 6502 based microprocessor projects, the largest of which was a twenty-four track tape recorder.  I wanted an easily  portable machine so, inspired by the Compaq PC’s that appeared at about this time,  in the summer of 1987 I attacked the Beeb and transformed it into a luggable.

Clips on the side of the case secure the key board for transport.

I removed the top of the case and made a new steel top shell to fit in its place. Into the shell, I mounted a mono-chrome ITC video monitor and two 5 1/4” floppy disk drives. A 4” mains powered kept it cool inside the case

The keyboard section of the original top was cut away  (the spare plastic put to use as a fascia) and a new steel ‘L’ section, holding the keyboard, was made to fit the section.

The Unitrack 24 four track tape recorder. The beeb was used to develop its machine control.

Simple bent wire stands helps to prop the keyboard and monitor up to a useable angle.

Extra Sideways roms are provided by a Solidisk 4Mhz adapter board (that never worked at 4Mhz!) The small board in the network socket is a homebrew RTC

Two homebrew butterfly clips hold the top case at the front, while the standard fixing is used at the back.

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