One of the best qualities of Mac computers is their longevity. It is not at all uncommon for us to encounter computers that are 5-7 years old with only minor, easily fixed issues. A common issue with older Macs is simply cosmetic damage. Especially on the old plastic MacBooks, cracks and breaks in the case are commonplace, as are broken hinges on the display.
These cracking issues were so commonplace when Apple made the computers that they had a repair extension program that allowed the top case and screen bezel to be replaced free of charge. That program has long been ended, but it was a great way of getting the machine to look like new again. As with most repair extensions, the manufacturing defect that caused the cracking was not addressed, so the new topcases and bezels exhibited the same behavior after a time.
We are always on the look out for good quality parts that can be refurbished and breath new life into an old computer, and that includes quality topcasses, lower cases, and displays. This MacBook came to us internally fine, fully functioning logic board, all USB ports working, all cables good. What it did have was a chunk out of the lower case and a broken display hinge.
We were able to replace the bottom case of this MacBook with one that looked brand new. We did a complete component transfer, moving all of the good parts out of the bad case and into their new home. We kept the original display but replaced the broken hinge. We cleaned up the Keyboard, and this MacBook, a five year old model, looked almost new by the time we were done.
If you have a computer that needs repair, we can help! Even if your computer is fully functional, but has some cosmetic issues (or a bad hinge like this one), feel free to contact us with the computer’s serial number and a description of the issue. We will let you know what options we have to get your Mac back up to 100% or as close as makes sense financially.
