The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench Task Force 1956 General Radio and Speaker questions

The major restoration of my inherited 1956 from Uncle Frank is finally complete and after being born, dying and resurrected in LA; at 60 years of age as arrived to me in PA! After driving it a couple times, I now understand what my father meant when he would say of a poor performing car, "this thing drives like a truck". The word tractor was the first thing that popped into my head.

Finally seeing it, I am looking at the little details and one is the radio. It has an old radio in it but it appears to be a "newer" AM, perhaps from about 1959, with the Civil Defense emblem and no Bowtie. It had a pair of cheap 70's / 80's speakers in the kick panels, that are now gone and plates over the holes. Everything so far has been original so I am looking to do the same with the radio.

Was the one and only correct radio the model 987187? Was the one and only speaker option the above mirror mono speaker?

IF so, then is there a new speaker available that would fit into the speaker box that would not require the large center hole to be cutout for the magnet of a original speaker? Can wires be run along and under the windshield gasket to avoid cutting?

Any assistance / suggestions with this project are greatly welcomed. Joe

That number is listed as the correct Chev truck radio for 1955 to 59. I did some checking and LMC lists an original style speaker and also the housing as parts that they carry. I don't know how the speaker wires are installed so maybe someone else could help you with that.

Very timely question as I have a new speaker for my 55.2
Measuring this morning the new basic monoral replacement protrudes into the header panel by 7/8 in. and requires a 2 1/4 inch hole to clear the new magnet. The original used two holes and trim out the triangles left between. The original speaker had one side of the coil grounded to the body with a screw hiding under the speaker cover. The other wire was the feed from the radio and it was a single wire fed in through the header hole, down the inside of the "A" post and over to the radio laying just above the glovebox cardboard. The radio has a single terminal plug. (think of a RCA jack without the ground shield) I hope that helps Joe, I have a copy of the original GM 4 page installation instructions that I could fax to you if that would help. It came with my new replacement speaker,(from the Filling Station) so you might get one as well from your supply house.
Howie. Ham call sign VE6GT

find the TF radio install instructions here - the speaker wire goes up the pass side pillar, if you don't want to make the large hole for the magnet you could space the box out an inch, but you'd still need a small hole to fish the wire thru - or you could try running the wire under the windshield rubber but it'd prolly be frustrating .... complete TF radio repair manual here

Bill

My parts truck had an OEM radio and speaker in it. They were apparently installed at the dealer as the speaker wire was run under the rubber instead of thru the A pillar. These old radios can be converted to AM/FM and a jack for plugging in a MP3 player. Best part of that is, no change to the external look of it, except the jack.

Thanks all. Been away from here due to my day job but the info is very helpful! Joe

Joe, any update on your radio?