[cctalk] IBM PC versus XT

I apologize for interrupting more reasonable conversations about much more interesting machines, but I would appreciate some assistance. I didn't plan on having any x86 systems here, save for a bench machine to make images using Teledisk and relations. I did acquire a Kaypro 4+88 over time, which has an x86, as part of a larger Kaypro rescue, for which I am grateful to those on list who helped me with repairs and getting boot disks. However, a number of years back, someone offered me a 5150 PC with the (unknown by me until that day) 5161 Expansion Chassis. That seemed unique, and I wanted to mess around with the expansion chassis. Over the years, as part of rescues and helping out the VCF consignment space years ago, a Compaq Portable I and a Portable 386 (with the plasma screen) have ended up here, as well as a recent Panasonic Senior Partner (cool system, IMHO). That said, I am sitting here looking at a pretty clean 5160 XT that has been significantly stripped. No FDD or HDD, no HDD controller, no video card, no KB, fully populated 256kB mobo, but only 1 card installed (AST SixPac).  Unit powers up to long beep and then short ones (video issue, which is understandable). If I rescue a system, no matter what it is, I try to restore to operational condition, with some practicality (using solid state media instead of a HDD, stuff like that). This unit is going to need a lot of work, and I am trying to decide how important it is to have both a 5150 PC and a 5160 XT, since the XT was such a marginal update to the PC (-cassette, bit newer BIOS, 8 slots instead of 5). The PC setup I have already has 11 slots combined, an HDD, and full memory, video, and KB. Still, it is an original IBM PC XT, there's some history there. I'm struggling with how much importance to apply to this "needs a lot of TLC" unit, and I would appreciate constructive points. VCF MW is coming up, and if I want to get this into someone else's hands to restore/enjoy, then would be an ideal time.  If it's important to keep, VCF MW is probably a great place to grab the pieces needed to restore it. Jim -- Jim Brain brain(a)jbrain.com www.jbrain.com