There is a small paper sticker on the rear black-painted metal case. The faded number is difficult to read, but I interpret it as "T8015". I have another Packard Bell with a similar sticker that more clearly reads "T9103", and there have been other posts of a Packard Bell whose rear sticker number was "T9102". These keyboards are almost identical; therefore, the numbers are unlikely to be model numbers. They are possibly serial numbers (?).
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The controller numbers include "FDA-102/A" and S+B8924. The first number indicates that the keyboard was made by Forward Electronics. If I am interpreting the second number correctly, the date is the 24th week of 1989.
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Inside the case, there is a sticker that seems to refer to the manufacture of the case rather than the entire keyboard. The company is "Pei Tsuan Ltd." and the date reads "78.8.30". Does anyone know if this date is based on the Gregorian or the Lunar calendar? If the controller date is indeed 1989, it would seem that the case date ought to be much later than 1978.
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Note the screw-mounts inside the case -- they have threaded metal inserts. My later Packard Bell (T9103) has plastic-only screw-mounts, which are much more prone to stripped threads and cracking on disassembly and reassembly.
The plate in this keyboard was one of the cleanest I have ever encountered in a used keyboard of its apparent age. The image below was taken before I did any cleaning at all.
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I would have expected to have found doubleshot keycaps on this board. Instead, they were pad-printed ABS. Most of the caps had intact legends, but some were considerably worn.
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The keycaps and especially the case were unevenly yellowed. I considered doing some variant of retrobrite treatment, but even if I could restore the case to its original color, I prefer a dark case, which usually entails painting. However, I need to do painting in my unheated garage, and lately the temperature here has been -17 F (-27 C), which is much too cold for the paint as well as the painter.
Being impatient, I started searching for other ways to color the case. I tried vinyl wrap, with disastrous results. I was a one-man Laurel and Hardy movie. Another fine mess I'd gotten myself into!
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Then, I stumbled upon something called "Forever Black", a black dye intended for restoring faded tires and bumper guards on cars. An entire kit including cleaner, dye, and foam applicator was available on Amazon for $13.25 shipped, so I decided to give it a try. The applicator included with the dye resulted in some streaking, so I switched to the foam-tipped swab shown in the picture below.
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This worked rather well. After applying four coats with a few minutes' drying between coats, I was satisfied with the result.
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The original LED overlay got damaged, so I replaced it with an overlay from Unicomp. I had to cut the Unicomp overlay to align it with the LEDs in the Packard Bell.
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Inside the keyboard, I added an internal Soarer converter and a panel-mount micro-USB connector. I put rubber spacers on the screw mounts before reattaching the PCB-plate assembly to the case and put 1/8-inch "art foam" between the PCB and the rear metal case.
On the surface, I replaced the yellowed and worn keycaps with alphanumerics and some of the F-keys from a Northgate Omnikey 101, red and black legended keys from Tai-Hao, and blank black modifiers and spacebar from Matias. I lubed the stabilizers and installed new foam pads under the spacebar.
The overall result is a very solid keyboard with a satisfying sound and feel. Time will tell if the automotive dye will work as well as other types of finishes, but it is certainly easier to apply than spray paint, and the job can be done in the house with no need for a paint booth or special ventilation.
