[Hallicrafters] SX-16 info needed

[howard holden]

Tried to post this earlier but it has not surfaced yet. 

Just acquired a reasonably nice SX-16 which has been stored in a very hospitable home environment for many years, and looking for info on restoration. 

Besides the usual first time power-up precautions including new electrolytics and variac control, anything specific to this RX I should look out for or do? 

Some issues I can see about which I am not clear thus far are: 

What is the usual method of hooking up a non-original speaker. It appears that I could hook up a standard audio output transformer primary of sufficient power rating to the 5000 ohm terminals on back.

The dial needs to be restrung. The manual I downloaded from BAMA for the SX-17 shows no dial cord info. It looks to be rather straightforward. Any issues here?

The lettering on the front panel, while all intact, is kind of darkened, whether by age or by sunlight. Is there any particular cleaner preferred or special care to be taken to avoid further fading when I clean the panel? What about cleaning the bandspread "glass"? 

There are some very small chips in the paint of the front panel, mainly around the outer edge. What kind of paint would make a decent touch-up? I'm thinking a semigloss or flat black paint applied with a Q-tip. 

The 6J7 BFO tube apparently was originally the glass version, and had a shield. The current tube in this one is a metal version, and the tube shield is gone. Is this an issue, or does the metal tube shell provide adequate shielding?

The phasing crystal is MIA. Does anyone perhaps have one floating around? (A long shot I know!)

What style screws were used to hold the case onto the front panel, and were finishing washers used there?

Thanks,

Howie WB2AWQ