The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench radio rebuild/replace

i have the original radio in my 54 3100 and and want to change to with modern guts. i know there are a number of places that do it. any recommendations or opinions. ron

I talked with a radio guy a while back. They can rebuild the radio back to factory specs, with original style parts for authenticity. They can also tweak that same radio for better sound and reception. He told me they can also use newer style transistors in the radio for better reception, faster warmup and better sound.

I think I would purchase a modern stereo radio that fits in the dash that has AM/FM and maybe a CD player. You can find them in the truck vendors like LMC.

They actually make a new radio that looks exactly the same when installed, but is a modern AM/FM with line inputs. I believe they have been out for about a year. You could sell your real one to finance the purchase of the modern version.

Momgo's garage list one on his site. my question is, is it exchange or outright purchase? ron

The modern "reproduction" radio as sold by Mongo\'s Garage and others (on eBay, for example) is a modern radio that looks and mounts like the original. It is not a conversion or update of an original core radio. It is 12v but there are 6v to 12v converters (for positive and negative 6v trucks). I believe it has the tuner and volume knobs opposite of the original locations [I just checked Mongo's and he says there are in the original locations - they eBay ones are opposite sides].

At one time i had an address of a co. that takes your old one and updates it but my computer crashed and i lost it. i hope to find it again. thanks for the response. Ron

I just purchased a repro radio from Classic Industries. It fits well although not as perfectly as OEM. It matches the original opening but there are two small control pushbuttons on either side of the Bowtie emblem. It has a classic look when it is turned off, but is bright green when it is 'on' to overcome the OEM graphics on the dial. It is a clever way to look stock, but still display the bands and such. I drilled a hole in the side of the glovebox to run my I-pod cable. The sound is very good and it precluded a CD changer or wasting the entire glove box for tunes. If you are looking for tunes it is a nice way to go. It is not OEM though if authenticity is your priority.

Keep em' rollin'

Panhead60

This is only my personal felling and I’m not faulting anyone for what they want to do with their property but I’m a believer in preservation. Rather than modifying your original radio I would buy one of the reproductions and preserve the original one. The mere fact that they are bringing such a high premium is a clear indication of how rare they are getting. Once you modify it ya taint never gonna be able to put it back the way it was. Of course as more of them are destroyed that just bumps up the value of those of them that are left.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I agree with ya Denny. Personally,I'd prefer just a good,stock radio for my trucks. And if I can find somebody who can take my '57's radio and rebuild it to stock conditon that's what I plan to do. So far I've gotten no help in finding that person. I know SOMEBODY can do it...
Speed

This the same???
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/304390#Post304390
Denny G

I agree with your sentiments Denny and went the preservation route myself. Interestingly, I'm not so sure I would do it again though. One reason is the time and expense in procuring and restoring the radio, of course, but the other reason is far simpler. Even though my mostly stock '41 cab has been insulated, the engine noise and wind noise pretty much drowns out any sound coming from the single speaker mounted internally in the under dash mounted radio. Perhaps as things cool down and I drive with the windows closed I'll be able to hear the dang thing.

I suppose if I did install a newer radio and piped it up the hear while driving it would sound like one of those high powered low frequency boom machines we all detest so much.

A radio in a '41 farm or utility truck was more than likely a rare thing in it's time, so I guess I can take some solace in the fact that I am preserving a piece of history.

Don

I agree with your sentiments Denny and went the preservation route myself. Interestingly, I'm not so sure I would do it again though. One reason is the time and expense in procuring and restoring the radio, of course, but the other reason is far simpler. Even though my mostly stock '41 cab has been insulated, the engine noise and wind noise pretty much drowns out any sound coming from the single speaker mounted internally in the under dash mounted radio. Perhaps as things cool down and I drive with the windows closed I'll be able to hear the dang thing.

I suppose if I did install a newer radio and piped it up the hear while driving it would sound like one of those high powered low frequency boom machines we all detest so much.

A radio in a '41 farm or utility truck was more than likely a rare thing in it's time, so I guess I can take some solace in the fact that I am preserving a piece of history.

Don

All analog radio broadcast is due to end in 2012,,I think a digital upgrade is all I would purchase.

Hmm, I guess I won't have to be too concerned about the wind and engine noise drowning out the AM then.

Don

Yes, but also like analog TV broadcasts due to die in 2009, with our old AM radios we'll be able to use a small converter box to remodulate the signals to AM.

Remember the old aftermarket FM converters?

Justin, do you have any more information on those "small converter boxes," or is this wishfull thinking?????
Denny G

I've not officially heard of anything like this, but I know this will exist for TV sets simply because of the huge ration of analog sets still in use.

I already know of radio guys building other types of AM modulators for things like Xm radio, Sirius, etc, and since this circuit is relatively simple to build I'm certain that converters will be available.

There will most definitely be converters for FM available, so imagine having two converters to make your AM radio work! Digital to FM, FM to AM!