aftermarket radio and speaker installation

[bluefoxamazone]

I hate to re- invent the wheel.

I am looking to buy a modern radio with a vintage look to build into the cranbrook.

When you run into some issues, this is where this forum comes in handy....

Where would be a good place to install the speaker(s) without messing up the originality of the dashboard?

Can the + ground be a problem?

I have a 5 Amp converter from 6 to 12 volt, I guess this will be sufficient for a radio...?

thanks for your toughts.

 

[Merle Coggins]

Most modern auto stereos draw 2-3 amps max., so your 5 amp converter should be sufficient.

[busycoupe]

For my 1948 Dodge I got a modern two cone stereo speaker from Custom Auto Sound and mounted it behind the dash in place of the original speaker. I put the radio in the glove box.

[knuckleharley]

The DE-LUX way to  fly is to get in touch with one of the people who do this commercially,and have them convert your stock radio to modern specs. You can even get USB outlets.

 

The quick way to do the speakers is just use sheet metal screws to bolt them horizontally to the bottom of the dashboard. Short wire runs,and they remain out of sight.

[johnsartain]

The problem with modern radios does have to do with the grounding if your vehicle is positive ground. The choice may be necessary to switch to negative ground, or as busycoupe suggests mounting the radio in the glove box and keeping the radio isolated from the ground. Transistors do have issues with revered polarities letting the magic smoke out. I have to say I like the idea of converting a stock radio to modern specs. Any idea of the cost?

[MackTheFinger]

There are lots of places that do conversions, even 6 volt. Not inexpensive, though. 

 

https://www.vintageautoradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=64

http://www.taymanelectrical.com/stereo.htm

http://www.ricksradioconversions.com

Edited June 11, 2018 by MackTheFinger
content

[thebelvedereman]

 or else you could take the Fairly inexpensive route that I took, I upgraded my speaker in the same location, but used my original 6 volt radio and I bought this handy little Dandy off of eBay, I actually bought it for one of my other cars, but I use it in all my antique cars so I can use their Factory original radios, it's an AM transmitter it works on a 9 volt battery, and all you do is tune in to an unused radio station on your AM radio, and then fine tune the transmitter, you can plug in a CD player an MP3 player or anything else you want and I just throw it in the glove compartment with my MP3 player, that way you have kind of an authentic sound since it is playing through your original radio, and that's what I look for in my music https://m.ebay.com/itm/AM-HOME-STATION-RADIO-TRANSMITTER-FOR-1-MHZ-MEDIUM-WAVE-FOR-YOUR-RADIOS/332122290954?hash=item4d5407fb0a:g:WRgAAOSwfVpYnwIJ

[busycoupe]

1 hour ago, johnsartain said:

The problem with modern radios does have to do with the grounding if your vehicle is positive ground. The choice may be necessary to switch to negative ground, or as busycoupe suggests mounting the radio in the glove box and keeping the radio isolated from the ground. Transistors do have issues with revered polarities letting the magic smoke out. I have to say I like the idea of converting a stock radio to modern specs. Any idea of the cost?

I also thought that the positive ground would be a problem, however, when I got the 6 V positive ground to 12V neg ground converter I discovered that both the converter and my new 12V radio were to be grounded to the car body.  Apparently the converter boosts the voltage to 18 volts so that the new radio “sees” a 12V negative voltage drop to the car body. ... I know, it is weird, but it works!

Dave B.

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, MackTheFinger said:

There are lots of places that do conversions, even 6 volt. Not inexpensive, though. 

 

 

Yeah,"Not inexpensive" is one way of saying it.

[chrysler1941]

Since I don't listen to modern music, radio was not an issue for me.

instead i got a small and cheap Bluetooth amplifier with remote control circuit from ebay and gutted the original tube radio leaving only the on/off switch circuit. I connected the amp so it turns on using the original switch.

The 6/12v converter and amplifier mounted inside the radio.

Now I switch on the original radio and it powers up the amp and automatically streams from my phone. It even has a microSD slot.

I used a new speaker mounted in original place.

Mono is enough for me and plays very loud.

[bluefoxamazone]

11 hours ago, chrysler1941 said:

Since I don't listen to modern music, radio was not an issue for me.

instead i got a small and cheap Bluetooth amplifier with remote control circuit from ebay and gutted the original tube radio leaving only the on/off switch circuit. I connected the amp so it turns on using the original switch.

The 6/12v converter and amplifier mounted inside the radio.

Now I switch on the original radio and it powers up the amp and automatically streams from my phone. It even has a microSD slot.

I used a new speaker mounted in original place.

Mono is enough for me and plays very loud.

seems like a solution I could live with. thanks.

[chrysler1941]

9 hours ago, bluefoxamazone said:

seems like a solution I could live with. thanks.

If you need links for the amp on ebay. let me know

[nonstop]

I ended up with this.....

 

https://redirad.com/

 

simple hook up, plays through mp3 or phone or whatever and keeps stock AM function.

[bluefoxamazone]

thanks for the useful information!! One of the problems is that I don't have an original radio to modify....

I have to figure out where to put the speaker(s) and how to mount an aftermarket radio or BT amplifier in the dash. I don't want to drill holes everywhere....

grtz

[DrDoctor]

 

   A friend of mine had his 6v/pos radio converted to 12v/neg. it was very pricey, and to add insult to his injury, while it works OK, in no way would anyone consider it “user friendly”. His opinion—he’d never do it again. Lesson learned. As an aside—our car is 6v/neg, and the previous owner connected the 6v/pos radio, and instantly ruined it. I’ve got a heavy lump on my garage floor with burnt tubes as a testament to his ignorance. Thx.

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by DrDoctor

[knuckleharley]

2 hours ago, DrDoctor said:

 

   A friend of mine had his 6v/pos radio converted to 12v/neg. it was very pricey, and to add insult to his injury, it while it works OK, in no way would anyone consider it “user friendly”. His opinion—he’d never do it again. Lesson learned. As an aside—our car is 6v/neg, and the previous owner connected the 6v/pos radio, and instantly ruined it. I’ve got a heavy lump on my garage floor with burnt tubes as a testament to his ignorance. Thx.

 

 

Doc,you need to get in touch with

bluefoxamazone

 

above. Sounds to me like your burnt up old radio is exactly what he is looking for to convert to modern.

 

Or as a wise man once said, "For every solution,there is a problem."  Or something like that.

[bluefoxamazone]

1 hour ago, knuckleharley said:

Doc,you need to get in touch with

bluefoxamazone

 

above. Sounds to me like your burnt up old radio is exactly what he is looking for to convert to modern.

 

Or as a wise man once said, "For every solution,there is a problem."  Or something like that.

haha, good idea... I like your thinking!...

[Robin (UK)]

I just got a new speaker mounted behind the grille in the dash of my P15.
Music is provided via bluetooth from my phone, using a piece of kit developed by a guy I know over here in the UK.
They will be available commercially in a few weeks' time.

If you're on facebook, here's a video...

 

 

[DrDoctor]

   He doesn’t drive the car all that often, and uses the radio even less. I just took the faceplate off of our burnt out hulk of a radio, and put that back into the dash. I put a new speaker in place of the rotted original one. The previous owner hacked a couple of speakers in the rear, but they wound up on the trash when I rewired the car. I’m in no hurry to deal with a radio, since we hardly drive the car anymore—not sure if we’ll keep it, or kick it to the curb. . . .

Edited June 14, 2018 by DrDoctor

[bluefoxamazone]

7 hours ago, DrDoctor said:

   He doesn’t drive the car all that often, and uses the radio even less. I just took the faceplate off of the burnt out hulk of a radio, and put that back into the dash. I put a new speaker in place of the rotted original one. The previous owner hacked a couple of speakers in the rear, but they wound up on the trash when I rewired the car. I’m in no hurry to deal with a radio, since we hardly drive the car anymore—not sure if we’ll keep it, or kick it to the curb. . . .

 

nice.... but totally different setup as in my Cranbrook... I would like to see a picture of how the radio setup originally is and where the speaker normally is mounted. I can go on from there to find me a suiting radio and speaker.

[Wiggo]

OK, so here are pics of '51 Cranbrooks with and without a radio...

 

 

 

Looks to be a simple change of centre panel and I believe the speaker was mounted below the radio...

[bluefoxamazone]

mmmm.... thanks.... also nice but my dash in the cranbrook '53 does not look the same... ?

 

[Wiggo]

OK, this is a '52:

 

 

this is a '53 convertible:

 

 

Any help?

[bluefoxamazone]

The 53 looks familiar?I guess the speaker is mounted on the right side of the radio?

 

[Wiggo]

Or above the top of the glovebox. Does it matter, if you can find room?