Car radios

[TC Chris]

This post is a "toys" post in part and a "radio" post in part, so I'll put it here and see where our moderators park it. Maybe I'll sat off with pure chat. It seems that I reached the 3/4 century mark on Sunday. It is surprising to be so old and feel so not-old. My brother and sister-in-law drove out for the event from WY (and also to make arrangements for the memorial service for my Mom this summer, a command performance for all the kids and grandkids). We drank vintage Dom Perignon that my sister had carried from France under her airplane seat.

I retrieved the Chevy from the top shop on Monday with its new white top and almost-invisible vinyl rear window. Yeah, I opted for vinyl over glass because it would have the original look, and I'm pretty careful with the top and window. It looks great. Driving home, I turned on the radio. It's the push-button model, all solid-state. I bought it at a car show long ago. The original was the no-pushbutton model that was hybrid--tube RF, transistor output amp. Dad did not believe in push buttons, just like he hated to turn on the windshield wipers, maybe for fear of wearing them out. Or maybe because he never replaced them so they usually smeared the rain water. "Geez, Dad, turn on the wipers so we can see."

It actually works at 61 years old but at higher volumes the sound gets a bit grainy, so it undoubtedly needs new caps. One day I'll put the original back in and revamp the pushbutton model. But first, am I right about caps?

I can get AM stations from around the state. We are spoiled by FM listening, which is mostly an either/or proposition. You can get it or not. AM radio, it fades and returns, you get a big buzz from a power line or an industrial process and the it's audible again. The old days all over again. I have an FM converter that I'll install one of these days. The antenna, the original Chevy telescoping model, stops working when I extend it all the way. I'm guessing the little spring-copper contact devices inside are broken, or maybe they are just corroded and I can fix it by sliding the antenna in and out a bunch of times. Any hints?

Maybe after I get the windshield wipers working again. They are on strike right now. Maybe it's in honor of the original owner. We had to time the trip to miss the rain.. Drops started falling just as I got the car to the garage where it lives for the summer.

Meanwhile, I can put the top down and drive around like a cool guy now. The Chevy makes everybody smile and wave and gibe me thumbs-up, even with the top up.

Chris Campbell

[19&41]

I liked the older car radios. they used to have sensitivity that today's units cannot touch. I always liked to be able to tune in a distant station I liked for it's programming, to listen while driving cross country. Today sensitivity doesn't matter as the programming doesn't exist.

[TC Chris]

I've always loved car radios. The better ones were well designed with RF amps, good sensitivity, and good audio quality and output. And they usually had an edge-lighted dial that glowed at you at night while you drove down the road in the dark. There was a period in my life during school that was extremely stressful and during those years I'd often daydream about driving on down the road in the dark, dial glowing, radio keeping me company, free of the anxieties about exams and grades and career choices. Sometimes now when I'm driving along in the dark I'll remember that this was where I had fantasized about being. "Appreciate the moment, Chris!!"

When my Dad traded in the '60 Plymouth wagon I extracted the radio. It was the premium version with "hi-fi" spelled out on the push buttons, and it has a P-P transistor audio output (tube RF sections). Still have it. It survived a basement flood and came out working. And several Buick tube radios with 6V6 or 12V6 P-P outputs, depending on year; the '57 had a separate power supply chassis. Same with a ca. 1953 Pontiac radio, one with the big 8" bulls-eye speaker with a clock in the middle and the power supply on the back of the speaker assembly. Once I clambered through a stack of old cars headed for the crusher and grabbed a '3 or '38 Chrysler radio. I've got a '38 Buick radio that needs restoration but maybe the car should get restored first!

Chris Campbell

[19&41]

At my first duty post, Ft Riley KS, My platoon sergeant had a '49 Chevrolet that he was fixing up within his means. He rebuilt the engine, put a nice coat of gloss off olive drab paint on it by brush, his wife made up some seat covers for it, then he brought it's radio into the shop, wanting me to look at it. I gave it a cleaning and went to Manhattan and got it a new vibrator. I put a length of wire on the antenna connector and ran it up on 6 volts. all of us were standing around and when it started humming, we all started humming with it, until I tuned in the first station. We then put it in the car, turned it on and adjusted the antenna trim. My platoon sergeant said "It's a real car now!" We nicknamed the ol' heap the war wagon. He still had it when I went back to visit Riley 4 years later after I had moved on to Germany.

[Firedome]

I also like vintage car radios. In my garage I have a 1940s Delco steering column mounted tuner and radio in good shape that came off a '47 Olds parts car for my former '47 Olds 78 coupe (straight 8). I think it's missing the metal radio box cover. Will sell it cheap $50 to anyone who can use it, I once thought I might get another '40s Olds but I'll never need it. Just like this one:
http://www.2040-parts.com/1946-1947-194 ... o-i560632/

[electra225]

Since this is a casual conversation versus a technical one about car radios, this is the place. If it gets technical, it should be moved to "Radios and Tuners".

I have the market cornered on 1953 to 1956 Buick car radios. I personally believe these may be THE best AM receivers every built. Rugged, sensitive, they sound good, they will withstand an atomic blast and keep on working. You can dig one out of a car that has been in a junkyard for 40 years, and, if the vibrator will start, chances are the radio will somewhat work. The speaker cone is the weak link in these radios. Almost all you find have the cone rattling around in the basket. I must have two dozen '54-'55 models. These are the same radio with different knobs, different color pointers and different color dial background. I want to convert one to run on household current.

Dad always ordered "radio and heater' when he ordered his six cylinder, three on the tree, mud tan "Shevallay" Biscayne every year. He always wanted a radio with no push buttons. I thought I had the only dad who did that. My buddy Barry's dad always had the top-line Chevy model with Wonderbar and power windows. He had a '56 Bel-Air four door hardtop, yellow and black.

[William]

I think we are missing the 3/4 mark of your life, Chris. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Bill

[Firedome]

Yes indeed! 3/4 of a Century is nothing to sneeze at... Mazeltov!!

[19&41]

I hadn't considered that the forum doesn't have a holiday and birthday section. They seem to work out well where they are included. One place to look for such announcements.

[William]

I believe when you register to join, and are accepted, you can include your birthday. I think!

Bill

[electra225]

Correct, Bill. If you want recognition of your birthday, you can add that information in your user control panel. Happy Birthday, Chris!

[TC Chris]

I also like vintage car radios. In my garage I have a 1940s Delco steering column mounted tuner and radio in good shape that came off a '47 Olds parts car for my former '47 Olds 78 coupe (straight 8).

There is a '48 Olds coupe in Bay City, where my Chevy lives. I did not pop the hood to see if it's under original power or some substitute. The dash opening for the radio has a modern version in it. Must have a 12V conversion.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

The Olds (and similar Pontiac) 257 flat head straight eight (quite different than Buick's ohv Fireball, the Olds was less powerful but smoother) is one of the smoothest and quietest car engines you will ever come across, the only competitor in that respect was Packard's 9 bearing 356). My Uncle has (well, had, he's the one who died recently, his '39 is still in storage) a '39 Olds L-39 (the big one) and that engine was so smooth you could balance a coin on edge on the head at idle and it would remain upright... he told me this and I didn't believe it, so he showed me. It did.

The column mount Delco radio came on '46 and later GMs, not sure about pre-war models.

[electra225]

I've got a blurb from a lady at Delco Radio that I got in 1993 when our local chapter hosted the National Buick show. She told me that the first Delco radio installed in the instrument panel of a car from the factory was in 1936. There was a member on ARF who maintained that Crosley and some other companies made radios for Delco radio. I don't think that is correct, and he got annoyed and defensive when I asked him to document his position. My documentation is in the mess somewhere and I need to dig it out. Delco made their own speakers and cabinets after the war. It is possible that, up to that time, other companies may have supplied components to Delco Radio. As far as this lady told me, Delco made the entire radio except for the filter caps (Mallory) and the tubes (RCA). The only radio I know of installed as a factory option in a GM car that was not made by Delco Radio was a five-band set made for the 1941 Buicks, perhaps others, made by Zenith.

[walyfd]

I thought Motorola was the first commercial car radio in 1930...

Somewhere I saw a trade magazine ad or something for RCA stating they made and/or designed the Delco Wonderbar technology and supplied the radios. I could be off on that.

I recapped the radio in my '62 and ot sounds great. Vintage AM tone. It'll pick up stations up to about 1000 kc with the bar or foot switch. Can't get it to stop on anything over 1000...

[electra225]

Galvin Mfg, aka Motorola started making car radios in 1930. Delco Radio was formed in 1927. I have never understood why it took from 1927 to 1936 before production of car radios ramped up at Delco Radio. The first year Delco Radio sets were factory installed in the instrument panel of an automobile was 1936. The 1936 and '37 Buick radios were two-piece.

[19&41]

I read in a history of Delco's Kokomo operation that the factory was purchased from Crosley around 1936. That may be behind the confusion that Crosley would have been involved in Delco's manufacturing.

[electra225]

Delco Radio started building speakers in a converted aircraft hanger at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in 1946.

[hermitcrab]

Funny I have a floor model Delco radio from 1936 it must have been around the time they went strictly into car radio?

[electra225]

Delco-branded home radios were not made by Delco Radio Division in Kokomo, In. They were built by outside companies, and we sold thru the United Delco branch of GM. Stewart-Warner built lots of the Delco home radios. It is possible the Crosley radio built some of the home sets, a possible source of confusion that Crosley built car radios for Delco Radio.