The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench Radio opinion, please...

The radio project has been by far the most time-consuming rabbit hole I've ever seen. Nonetheless I have been thinking of the face plate for a while and I'm considering making an alteration to it. I need your honest opinion. The first image you see below is how it appears when I get it. The second image below is after some more time-consuming work to remove the original look and alter the appearance--I would also remove the lettering for AUX (that's where the on/off button now goes). I'm not using actual GM script because it isn't mine to use but this is pretty close to what was used on some Chevy tailgates. Also, there are multi-colored lights that flash with the beat of the music. I've decided it may be best to disable those so that just the message of what is playing appears...example, FM 88.5, USB, BT, etc. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Jon - I like your altered face plate vs the original. I think it gives it a cleaner, less-modern look that IMO better fits our old trucks. I could do without the multi-color light feature. Is that feature on the radio kit I recently got from you?

Next question of course is, how much "time-consuming work" is involved in the plate alteration and disabling the light feature? I'd be interested in knowing as I would consider getting JonG built kit updated as I haven't yet installed it.

Looks great. What series trucks does that fit? Task Force?

Dan I think the same thing. Less modern is just better for these. Sorry it took me this long to have the idea.

It has been designed to use the same radio piece in all of them and there will be adapter plates for (a) the AD models, (b) the 1954-1955 1st series and (c) the Task Force trucks. The Task Force model will be the radio only as the speaker installation is not something I want to get involved with and there are several options out there already. There is a speaker plate/speakers for the AD and I'm working on a similar thing for the 1954-1955 1st series trucks.

If you've bought one of these before, just send the radio part back to me. I'll convert it/update it and send it back to you. Contact me if you need more information about that. How much time consuming work? Probably about 30 minutes per radio. No really big deal.

Otto - IIRC, Jon has used that in both his offered 1947-53 AD Series and 1955-59 TF Series radios.

I bought one of his AD Kits.

Jon - I really do like the alterations. I'll PM you separately on sending back mine for modification.

It does look better, but given the minimal (if any) hourly rate you are getting for these, I would feel bad asking you to do *more* work.

Yes, I understand and I do appreciate the sentiment and all but please let me remind everyone this isn't being done for profit. As I've explained before, all of these projects have been designed with the hope that break even point will be reached...and in some cases I should add the word eventually. Because with some it has taken a while. Others have just been free (dash decals, etc) and the Carter YF gaskets are one I am happy to do but don't know if it will ever have enough volume to cover the cost. A couple of the projects didn't work and one (the plug and play GPS look-alike speedometer) is still waiting for me to save up some more $$ but it will appear soon. The condenser project has been successful and it is now helping to pay for other work I'm doing. Thanks again for the input...I'll start making the alterations.

Jon, so thankful for my radio. I agree that the alteration is more appealing but I am fine with how it is. You do great work and the bang for your buck is helpfully as rebuilding an old truck gets expensive.

Thanks again!

The refurbished face is much more appealing. Great work Jon.

Thanks, guys! I really appreciate all the input. I am fine with either version, also. I'm just trying for a little different look. None of this will be perfect as I must depend on waterslide decals (which I make) and those will invariably have a visible outer edge. That is the only way to achieve white lettering. You can see my decal sheet and what the unit will look like during operation below.

The other day a member here asked if I had these for the GMC trucks. I didn't but have corrected that now. You can see below. Mounting frames will be the same. I still need to do some speaker mounting work for 1954 and 1955 1st series. Hope to do that soon.

I think (but usually not well) that I know the answer to this question, but ...

The radio kit I received has two female antenna jacks, X and Y in the attached picture. The instructions do not mention two, and I can't find anywhere on the radio board to plug in the jack Y pigtail.

Is jack Y just an appendix? A no longer used organ? Should I just clip the wire so it won't dangle to the wrong place?

More like a design that was changed as time passed. Originally it was what made sense to me and in the first radio you got, that was the scheme. Now I would just not use it and clip the wire so it won't dangle. Sorry for any confusion.

I figured as much Jon. Thanks for the confirmation. Now to the hardware store to try to find some paint that semi-matches my who knows how old, beat up gray/green dash paint.

Good luck finding the paint, Bill.