You never know what you'll find in an old Plymouth...

[BobT-47P15]

I was over at Galena, KS (which is about 5 miles W of Joplin) Sat.

Decided to look up an old salvage place I hadn't been to for a few

years.....wondered if it was even still there.

It's a little outside town down a dirt road. The owner has all sorts of

things there, along with some cars and trucks. As I approached the

place, there were some old cars sitting out by the road. One was this

P15 coupe.....minus it's frame, and pretty rusty. In looking at it, I

discovered a pair of n o s tail light replacement lenses lying in the trunk.

And, in the dash, there was an original cigar lighter.

The owner didn't want to sell certain parts off the car, trying to leave

them for a buyer. So, I made him an offer on the lenses and lighter--

which he sold to me. Been kinda looking for a lighter.....not crucial as

I have something else in the hole where it goes in the dash. But, the

lighters seem to bring pretty high money on ebay.

The coupe is for sale, but didn't get a price. Would take a lot of work

to bring it back.....would need to be put on some type frame. He once

had it on a Cadillac chassis. So, the trip was definitely worthwhile.

[steveplym]

I'd like to have one of those lighters too Bob. I need to put one in the car since I converted it to 12 volt, it will make it handy to charge my cell phone, etc. I don't really want to put one in with a different knob though. I think it would deter the looks of the dash.

Nice find though Bob. That car looks like there isn't much left of the floorboards and rockers.

[David Maxwell]

They're not cheap, but as Bob mentioned, neither are the old used ones.

[Young Ed]

I bought a whole parts car to get my lighter knob. Well not really but I did end up getting one from my first parts car. Went in my pocket as soon as I saw it.

[BobT-47P15]

Actually, if you look around at older aftermarket lighters, you can probbly

find one with a white or tan plastic knob, a style that would at least blend

in with the original knobs. Would be a different shape, but maintain the

overall style. That's what I used til I took it out and replaced it with a

P15 starter button, which I use to operate the oogah horn. Keeping it as

a spare or to use in another car, like the coupe.

Apparently the coupe never had a lighter, nor a clock.

[Young Ed]

Bob apparently it also had an aftermarket radio too.

[BobT-47P15]

True. And the traditional missing wiper knob replaced by a substitute.

That's why I thought I was really lucky to find a good looking radio at the

Nashville swap (good face, has all knobs) for $20. Don't care if it works,

just want it to look good. I can replace the wiper knob with a NOS 47

Chevy wiper knob I have. Used it on the convert for a while....kinda fits in.

[Young Ed]

Um Bob is it still NOS if you used in on the convert?

[Norm's Coupe]

Bob,

The radio in you coupe looks backwards. The buttons are on the wrong side of the face. Here's what the radio should look like.

[BobT-47P15]

Ed, I guess i could call that wiper knob "SUOS" - slightly used old stock.

Or "NNOS" - nearly new old stock.

Guess that radio is dyslexic. It's a Motorola.

[steveplym]

I've got one of those Motorola radios and I have a chrysler radio. They are different like Norm mentioned. I've always wanted to put one in the car, but they are so heavy and bulky didn't see the need just for looks. I think it does make a neat addition to the dash.

[Frank Elder]

Steve, so just put in the faceplate and knobs.

[steveplym]

I didn't know I would come apart that way. Seems like I looked into doing that once and couldn't get the front face plate off. I'll have to check again.

[Norm's Coupe]

I've got one of those Motorola radios and I have a chrysler radio. They are different like Norm mentioned. I've always wanted to put one in the car, but they are so heavy and bulky didn't see the need just for looks. I think it does make a neat addition to the dash.

So don't put the radio in the car. But...if you like the looks do what I did. Find a remote radio head and use it without the radio. I found a nice NOS remote radio head and took my radio out. Or........remove the head from a radio and just install the head. If you want it to light up, just install a light in the head. I rigged mine with an LED bulb to act as a turn signal indicator. That first picture I posted was of the actual radio in my coupe. This one is of just the radio head.

[randroid]

Gents,

I have two radios for Pigiron, one with chrome buttons and one with plastic. I looked at removing just the faceplate and knobs and came to the realization that doing so would trash the radio mechanism because of where I would need to cut it. I'll still eventually do it but there is such a cry for these things on the forum that I'll wait and maybe it will be the last thing I do.

I figure I could adapt the buttons to, if nothing else, drop a nice new AM\FM\ CD player from a hidden position behind the dash, and maybe even wire on-off\volume into it, but I'll have to have a butt-load of other things to not do to the car before I get to that.

I'll probably use the face with the chrome buttons, and if anybody here would like the remnants from it plus the entire other radio for shipping, they're yours. Neither one has been tested but it would give somebody a place to start. Let me know if you're interested.

-Randy

[bigred48]

I have a faceplate that does not have any of the radio stuff attached it is in pretty good shape, but the knobs are a little loose they are the chrome knobs, if your interested we could trade? I will be home from school in about two weeks and could take some pictures for you to see if my faceplate is in good enough condition. let me know

Andy

[Captain Neon]

Since we are talking radios, I thought that I'd mention that I installed my AM/FM/aux converted 802 today and it works better than I dreamed. My wife is so happy now that the radio that I had setting in an ammo can on the floor is now out of the way. Now my P15 looks less ghetto!

http://www.turnswitch.com

[BobT-47P15]

Steve, the radios are kinda heavy.

As you probably know, their weight is supported when in the car, by

the "L" shaped bracket shown with these radios. It first attaches to

the brace for the cowl vent.....then to the back end of the radio.

I presume everyone knows what Normscoupe is talking about - as some

aftermarket radios were a two piece affair, with a control head that fit

the dash, and then attached via cable to a box on the inner firewall that

actually contained the works of the radio. Therefore, the head is a small

item designed to fit in the dash.....may not look exactly like the face of

the original radio, but in the neighborhood. Most onlookers would not

know the difference anyway.

I like Norm's idea of using the radio as an indicator for the turn signals,

by installing a bulb in it.

[Norm's Coupe]

If you want to use a radio head from an original radio like BobT pictured, you can get the head off the radio. You only need the face, buttons and knobs and the housing they fit into. Then make a cover for the back of the housing. Of course, the buttons would need to be glued into the holes to hold those in place. Other than that, it can be done because I looked at mine prior to finding the remote radio head. As far as mounting just the head, you do not have to make any special brackets to hold it in place. Since the head by itself is so light, all you need to hold it tight where it belongs is the radio knobs. That's all that's holding my remote head in the dash, just the knobs. But........as BobT pointed out, if you have the whole radio you do need that bracket on the back to also hold up the entire radio.

Actually, if you don't care if the radio works or not, you can just put the whole thing in there, without messing around removing the head. The only reason I did mine the way I did was because it gave me a lot more room to work under the dash when needed. Turning the head into a signal indicator didn't happen until about a year later, when I finally thought about it. Prior to that, I didn't even have a light in the remote head.

Anyone thinking about using just the head though, should make sure the radio doesn't work first. Would be a shame to pull the head off a working radio, just to use the head. Even though my original radio doesn't play, I was going to pick up a junk radio to use the head only, prior to finding that remote head. Since my original radio still looks nice, I didn't want to destroy it. It's now safe in a drawer, along with the original speaker, where it will stay until I no longer have the car.

[DonaldSmith]

A few years ago, I separated the faceplate from my radio when I was playing with a new dashboard. before installing the new dashboard in the car. I cut a few wires from the faceplate casting to the radio chassis. The faceplate looked sweet in the disembodied dash.

Later I regretted separating the faceplate when I went to repair the radio, but I was able to re-connect the wires. The coax wire to the volume control was tricky.

I had the radio almost woriking, but something was shorted out. The short was where I had splliced the coax cable. I removed the short, and the radio blared to life.

[Young Ed]

Since we are talking radios, I thought that I'd mention that I installed my AM/FM/aux converted 802 today and it works better than I dreamed. My wife is so happy now that the radio that I had setting in an ammo can on the floor is now out of the way. Now my P15 looks less ghetto!http://www.turnswitch.com

Did you buy a speaker from them too? Im currently looking for one.

[radioguy7]

I collect and restore antique radios, they need to be saved and restored and used how they were meant to be. If you don't like AM then buy an FM converter and hide it in your glove box. Nothing like cruising down the road and listening to tunes from your old radio. I found an original radio and speaker for my 1959 Gmc truck, had it restored and installed it. On Saturday nights there is a NY station that plays oldies and comes in pretty good. If I want to listen to FM I just open the glove box and turn on the FM converter. it really adds another dimension to driving these old cars and trucks, takes me back in time. Not to mention that a working radio will add value to your car.

If anyone would like to have their radio restored I know of a few people who will do it for you and update the electronics so it will stay playing for years to come.

[gnordlie]

David, who is Kevin and does he make repo knobs like in the picture?

[steveplym]

Thanks for the info on the radio faceplates guys. Bigred I may take you up on that offer, let me know. I like others hated to cut up a radio that may still work.

I've got several 802's I bought from a guy a few years ago. Just sitting in my garage. If anyone is interested in one let me know. I'm not sure how much it would cost to ship one, but I can find out.

[Captain Neon]

Did you buy a speaker from them too? Im currently looking for one.

I did not buy a speaker. When I first installed my stock (aka. heavy) 802 radio in '91, I bought a a 6.5" speaker and built a wooden bracket to fit the stock 8" opening. I also bought a vintage rear speaker that I bolted to the package shelf and wired into the standard mono fitting.

Now that I have stereo outputs, I have my front speaker wired to the right side and the rear speaker wired to the left side. My current plan is to wire both front doors to the left output and both rear doors to the right output once I get new upholstery.