c64 trouble...

[geoffm3]

http://www.c64-wiki.com/index.php/VC-1541 lists three different models, with 1541 having the original push-down, while 1541c and 1541-II having the PC style mechanism.
http://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/d1541s.html lists same models with 1541c having the original push-down mechanism. So in the US Commodore used whatever parts they had to appease the hungry public. The cost of a disk drive in Europe was too much for a hobbyist back in 1985, so Datasette was the most popular. Most games were released on tape, thus the the Danish C64 tribute band Press Play On Tape.

Could be. I've seen more than one. Here's one listed on eBay right now...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Commodore-1541-F...item439e1f9d62

Here's another...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Commodore-128-64...item439e1bf0c9

[geoffm3]

I was mistaken... it's not a Mitsumi mech... it's a Newtronics one. A quick perusal through eBay turned up at least five of them.

[mark66j]

In addition to the other suggestions, it might also be a bad power supply. In my experience about 50 percent of the original C64 power supplies no longer work correctly, and some of them can completely destroy the machine if used. If you have a voltmeter you can check the voltages on the pins of the power plug without connecting it to the computer. There is supposed to be 5 VDC on two of the pins and 9 VAC across the other two. The best thing (maybe not possible for you) would be to test the computer with a known good C64 power supply.