Thanks for your remarks.
"Rick" here, no need for the "Mr. Wilson."
The amp you mention uses a pair of Eimac 8875's no longer obtainable new. They were designed in the FCC mandated One Kilowatt input days so with care could reliably deliver 500 to 600 watts CW somewhat continuously and 1000 to 1300 watts PEP SSB intermittently depending on plate voltage and linear amplifier efficiency. These tubes have very low grid dissipation so that has to be watched like a hawk along with suitable overcurrent shutdowns.
With 1600 volts on loaded plates I get about 1.1 kw pep.
If I were to duplicate it today, I'd use a single 3cx800a7 and expect 750 to 1200 watts intermittent SSB out. You would need a blower instead of a fan.
Price? Well, after installing the GM3SEK triode control board, vacuum QSK, etc., (not shown in pix) I'm not sure it would be cost effective to build one like it today. I also, back in '82, used combination roller and fixed pi-net output inductors, not practical in a new Pi-L design unless you would want to build expensively. The band switch should be beefed up too.
A lot of design and thought went into ganging the pi-net input circuits with the output band switch.
These days one would probably go with circuit-board mounted DC switched relays for input pi-net circuits, each band.
Without a well stocked junk box and a lot of scrounging of quality parts from ham fests over the years, you might want to find an older amp and fix it up, put in new electrolytics, tubes, etc. There's a ton of stuff on the web about retro fitting older amps to new specs.
A lot of thought and metal work goes into a cabinet if you don't buy one commercially finished. You still have to provide tube sub chassis, interior dividers and shielding. You have to decide on which panels to have captive nuts so that they can be removed for servicing and easy modifications. Captive nuts behind the fan and back panel for example so I can get to the T/R relay and inside the input /tube socket sub chassis.
My cabinet was built from a scrap state road sign and 1/2 inch angle aluminum stock. The aluminum sheet was cut on a commercial knife. The square counter holes on the front panel were done with
a milling machine at work, etc. All this takes time and resources that you
need to count on.
Costs of all parts would probably approach $2k. Here's probably the closest commercial equivalent built with cheaper (non-mil. surplus) parts but with integrated power supply.
http://www.ameritron.com/Product.php?productid=AL-800Build up your own front panel, different paint scheme and with custom printed meter panels , save the old ones, find some military knobs like mine and few would know the difference.
