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aftermarket radio and speaker installation


bluefoxamazone

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Just some pictures off a goggle search_ _ do not know if this is a help- one pic is Chrysler but appears to be the same- almost?.

 

Where the speaker mounts is not shown. Maybe some has the 1953 Plymouth accessories book that shows some more?

 

DJ

 

 

1953 PLYMOUTH MOPAR 608 RADIO PHOTOFACT eBay.html

1953 CHRYSLER 824 , DODGE 820, & PLYMOUTH 819 RADIO PHOTOFACT eBay.html

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Great info. I think the 608 is the right model to build in my 53 cranbrook. But even If I can find a working one...there Will be nothing to listen to on AM...here in Belgium... So I Will try to install a modern, vintage look radio...which can Play fifties music while cruising down the flemish streets??? just have to Mc Gyver a Nice way without messing up the original dashboard. 

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one of the major problems seem to be that the car is positive ground; All available modern "vintage style" radios are neg grounded. These units can't handle 6V on the housing...

I guess I will end up with a bluetooth module connected to an amplifier and with a remote control so that I can put everything in a plastic box under the front seat....

 

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Get a small (scooter/motorbike) 12V battery and connect the negative of that battery to the frame of the car. Now connect the positive to the supply of your new 12V radio. Your new radio will see 12V negative ground and be happy.

 

Just remember that the new 12V battery will have no charging system, so you will have to take it out every now and then to recharge it, or connect to a cigarette lighter so you can leave it on the vehicle and charge through the lighter socket.

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On 6/21/2018 at 4:37 PM, Wiggo said:

Get a small (scooter/motorbike) 12V battery and connect the negative of that battery to the frame of the car. Now connect the positive to the supply of your new 12V radio. Your new radio will see 12V negative ground and be happy.

 

Just remember that the new 12V battery will have no charging system, so you will have to take it out every now and then to recharge it, or connect to a cigarette lighter so you can leave it on the vehicle and charge through the lighter socket.

mmmm.... might be a good one ... i look into it... thanks for the inspiration on this one... grtz

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  • 4 months later...

I had my original radio rebuilt.  It was costly. Then I see there is no music on am radio.  Then I found the old style FM converter made by audiovox on ebay.  I had to purchase a 6 to 12 volt converter.  Works pretty good.  At least I have FM stations.  I would like to upgrade to a modern radio headset that's Sirius ready.  I have satellite radio in my everyday vehicles.  I love it.  Commercial radio any more is just that, mostly commercials.  I also had to get a new speaker.  Couldn't Find the original size anywhere.  It was 7.5 inches.  I bought a 6 inch speaker from ebay and made it work.

Edited by jgreg53
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4 hours ago, jgreg53 said:

I had my original radio rebuilt.  It was costly. Then I see there is no music on am radio.  Then I found the old style FM converter made by audiovox on ebay.  I had to purchase a 6 to 12 volt converter.  Works pretty good.  At least I have FM stations.  I would like to upgrade to a modern radio headset that's Sirius ready.  I have satellite radio in my everyday vehicles.  I love it.  Commercial radio any more is just that, mostly commercials.  I also had to get a new speaker.  Couldn't Find the original size anywhere.  It was 7.5 inches.  I bought a 6 inch speaker from ebay and made it work.

Click on the Store and the Classified links at the top of each page and see if there are any radio vendors there.

 

If not,go to Hemmings Motor News online,and look there. There are lots of people converting old radios to 12 volt,FM,and even putting USB connection in them for modern music,while leaving the radio looking original. IF you go this route,you MIGHT want to guy your radio before sending it in so you can sell or give the tubes and other parts to restorers on the board.

 

Be VERY specific when you talk with the people who do this because they make them in both 6 and 12 volt,and in both positive and negative ground. IF you decide to go 12 volt,this might be a good time to look at switching your car over to a 12 volt negative ground system. I personally like using 12 volt generators and have had no problems doing so,but most people today seem to like switching to alternators. I don't like alternators because you can't push a car with a dead battery and start it if it has a alternator,but you can if it has a generator.

Plus,a 12 volt generator looks exactly like a 6 volt generator,and IMHO,alternators are ugly enough to be members of the Society of Women gang.

 

Your actual mileage may vary.

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12 volt alternators are made by some companies that look and fit like an original- they are 1 wire hook up.

 

Hide the purchase from anyone watching your expenditures though- - they are pricey!!

 

Look at one company by the name "Powermaster" if I haven't scared you off already!  ?

 

DJ

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   I have a 12 volt backup in my car. I put a dual voice coil speaker in the dash and a $20 receiver/amp under the dash. The unit is remote, USB, Ipod, channel search. Sounds great when the engine isn't running. Yeah, I know about condensers. I won't run resistor plugs or wires. It' on the back burner right now.

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I put the front speakers in the panel by a driver-passengers legs ahead of the door.  Will need the low depth ones.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I use two Sony blue tooth speakers connected to my phone.  I made a bracket out of a bunch of L brackets, nuts, and bolts from the local hardware store and bolted it to the back of where the stock speaker would go in the dash (my car had no stock radio with it).  I then reach behind up underneath the dash grill to turn them on our off.  I charge them by running the charge wires through the glove box and plug them into an extension cord connected to an outlet on the garage wall.  These speakers are high quality and get louder than an stock single speaker AM radio.  Batteries play on full blast for at least 2 hours straight.  This set up allows me to stay on my 6 volt system and access tons of tunes from my phone.

 

Here are the speakers I used. Originally I used one and it worked great but 2 sounds even better.

 

https://www.idepotmall.com/products.php?product=Sony-%2d-XB20-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker-%2d-Blue&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_JqRl5n43gIVgR-tBh2mOwn5EAQYCCABEgKlPPD_BwE

20181022_234455.jpg

Edited by Polsonator2
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Try this - mount it under the dash or in a hatbox on the parcel shelf or rear seat. Sync it with an old or cheap phone that either streams your music or has a lot stored on it.

 

https://www.kmart.com.au/product/portable-bluetooth-speaker---grey/869301

 

It has the tinny AM sound we're all looking for :)

 

Rick

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In my latest acquisition, 1947 Dodge, I went to Walmart and bought a  $20  AM FM  stereo with a plug-in  for mp3 , I believe it's called duel it comes with a little case that goes around it I guess you would call it, I took the radio out of that case mounted the case under the dashboard and then put the radio back into the case very clean neat-looking setup, then I mounted new style Pioneer speakers where the original speaker was, and I mounted a cheap lawn mower battery in the trunk and snuck the wires under the seats and carpet up to the front, works like a charm sounds fantastic, every once in awhile I throw my solar powered trickle charger on the back of the car to the battery. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dual-Electronics-XDM16BT-High-Resolution-LCD-Single-DIN-Car-Stereo-with-Built-In-Bluetooth-USB-MP3-Player/54596679?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228052737583&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=151780577244&wl4=pla-317947371767&wl5=9005385&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=54596679&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuf7fBRD7ARIsACqb8w4ysCOSK6zPEbqLvHYhmleNqWa7nZpsiDSLLO_ey8Z3p3xyB-6jcdEaAi7fEALw_wcB

Edited by thebelvedereman
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  • 2 months later...

I picked up an INLAND  AM transistor radio on ebay for my 39 Plymouth. Model vwx-100 (6v). It has a switchable ground on the back. It measures: 1 3/4 high X 7 wide and 4 deep. However, my original radio is currently out of the car, but looks like it has been repaired with some new capacitors, but the speaker is shot and too difficult to remove, so someone just added speaker outlet wires to it. I'll be testing it when the weather permits me to get back into the garage. I may or may not need the INLAND radio.

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23 hours ago, canadiandeluxe said:

This is just a curious thing as my am radio most likely doesn't work, when you gut it how much room is back there. And I was thinking about putting my stereo stuff under the front seat, Has anyone done that?

 

Use the factory stock radio delete panel like what is available  on E Bay, etc. It'[s a solid sheet of  metal with the factory matching chrome trim on the lower edge.

\

Like this. Put a amp under the front seat. Plenty of room then. It's what I did .

 

DJ

 

 

1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe Radio Grille NOS eBay.html

50 ply. 4 dr. dash woodgrain 008.jpg

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On 2/26/2019 at 6:58 PM, DJ194950 said:

 

Use the factory stock radio delete panel like what is available  on E Bay, etc. It'[s a solid sheet of  metal with the factory matching chrome trim on the lower edge.

\

Like this. Put a amp under the front seat. Plenty of room then. It's what I did .

 

DJ

 

 

1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe Radio Grille NOS eBay.html

50 ply. 4 dr. dash woodgrain 008.jpg

The thing is I kinda wanted to leave the front of my radio as is because I think the panel looks really cool and I don't want an ugly modern stereo right in the middle of my car.

I was thinking just gut the backside of it and I could hide a kicker controlled amp back there or under the seat because its control panel isn't too gaudy. 

 

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17 hours ago, canadiandeluxe said:

he thing is I kinda wanted to leave the front of my radio as is because I think the panel looks really cool and I don't want an ugly modern stereo right in the middle of my car.

 

Not cheap but something more like this/these??    https://www.classiccarstereos.com/secretaudio-sst.html

 

I do understand your point. I already had the delete plate and a nice setup sitting around and $$ were tight. So- - -.

 

DJ

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On 6/15/2018 at 7:08 PM, bluefoxamazone said:

Great info. I think the 608 is the right model to build in my 53 cranbrook. But even If I can find a working one...there Will be nothing to listen to on AM...here in Belgium... So I Will try to install a modern, vintage look radio...which can Play fifties music while cruising down the flemish streets??? just have to Mc Gyver a Nice way without messing up the original dashboard. 

It seems we listen to same kind of music. I posted earlier on this thread a very easy solution. I will explain it again.

 

My radio is different but same principle. AM and even FM is worthless to me so gutted out the radio and got a 6-12v converter and a Bluetooth 50W amp from ebay. Connected all inside radio with power from original radio knob. Amp has a remote controller and microSD card slot. 

I turn on music by turning radio switch. It will play whatever on SD card. If streaming from phone/handsfree  is preferred, remote control is used. Converter is so powerful, 120 W about 20Amp, it also feed several hidden USB outlets and my hitch power outlet.

 

If no radio just built all in a small box and hide under dash.

 

Converter: https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-5V-6V-7V-8V-9V-10V-11V-Step-Up-12V-120W-Car-Power-Boost-Converter-Regulator/252407046369

 

Amplifier: https://www.ebay.com/itm/TPA3116-2X-50W-Bluetooth-Digital-Amplifier-Board-TF-USB-Decoder-Remote-Control/371950902685?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

 

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I wanted to keep the stock look of my radio in my '52 Suburban build, and also have cellphone connectivity. When I did my '40 wagon, I went to Bob's Radio and TV repair in Pismo Beach. Back in the day it was approx $300 to go through my old Mopar 802 and bring it back to life. It still works great, but as others have said, AM is very limited. I bought a RadioRad unit for it last year, and that's quite an improvement, but still a little clunky, and no bluetooth for the phone. After talking to Dan Steele at Bob's (now in Oceano CA), he told me about the next level of music/phone connectivity for our old rides. He takes Aurora Designs products (they are miniaturized, digital AM/FM/Bluetooth/MP3 players) and installs them in old car radios, utilizing all the existing controls, including functionality for a completely stock look, but with modern capabilities and the power to drive 4 speakers.

I had him convert my stock radio to the Aurora system and although I haven't installed it yet, I bench tested it and it works and sounds great! Dan will even give you info on which speakers to use, and where to get the best deal. I'm using the stock single speaker location under the dash radio  for one 6X9 and then 2 back 6X9 speakers for stereo sound. The unit automatically goes to bluetooth when someone calls me, then back to either AM/FM, or my own tunes if I plug in a thumb drive with MP3s on it. I believe this will only work with a 12 volt system, and the price is approx twice what I paid 10 years ago to have him convert my 802.

Another option.

 

Vintage radio conversion to FM/MP3 Player

Bob's Radio and Television Repair

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  • 3 months later...

On the modern radios, the yellow wirw is for memory and the red wire goes to the ignition. I have both of those hooked to a mower battery in the trunk. My p15 is still 6 volt. When i unhook the battery so that the radio isn't on constantly, i loose the memory. Any ideas?

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