I found a Delco AM tube radio for my 38 and it's worked OK for a couple of years but stopped working this summer. I only turned it on rarely since all that broadcasts on AM now are talk shows and the occasional moldy oldy country station plus everything under the sun interferes with the reception. Also it's like turning the heater on during the summer. I've been considering converting it to a solid state 6v FM radio, keeping the original radio control head but I'm uncomfortable with gutting an original piece. I know I can't be the only one who's faced this dilemma. What have others done? Ideas?

Save your money! I had it done on my 60 radio never really worked well to say the least I was never happy
John

purchase a portable???

Tiny this guy makes a unit that just hooks up to your radio head so no gutting of the radio box he is located near me up here in Mpls. I had him rebuild my old radio and did a great job but it is still just am.

http://www.turnswitch.com/radio1.htm

Thanks Tim, I'll check him out.

I sent the guy an e-mail and got an estimate on the cost. OMG!!! I guess he wants me to pay for his next Porsche. I think I'll go to plan B (as soon as I come up with one )

Yes I did too it was like 6 hundred smackers way to much for me also!

Since my 37 p/u has been converted to 12 volts I put a modern radio in the glove box,I was going to get a old radio converted but I heard they dont sound that great and at 400 and up plus I work for a shop that sells radios and get them for cost there is no sense in paying the big money for the conversions. On the cars I dont want to cut the dash I mount the radio under the seat and use a marine remote to control it and will mount the remote on a factory radio block off plate.

How about trying a RediRad?

You can check out RediRad on the post right above this one. He even has a site for a demo.

Neat idea but it won't work on my car. I googled redirad and watched the video posted on the HAMB site. The redirad site seems to be down. The antenna lead isn't compatible with my radio. The antenna lead on my radio uses a connection similar to the GM twist lock connector. In fact I had to install the male end of the GM connector to the antenna coax so it would connect to my radio. It's a DELCO radio.

Tiny there is an adapter you can get to hook up the newer style antenna to the twist lock type that is what I have and also have the REDIRAD and it works great! I got it from that same guy I posted earlier in this thread. Give em a call or drop him an email and see if he still has some left or contact Ray the radio man maybe he has one or find a local radio shop to put in the modern type plug in your radio.

Here Tiny try again.

http://www.rediscoveradio.com/videos.html

Tim, I listened to the demo. I didn't hear mentioned whether it picks up FM or not. Do you know if it does and what the cost of a unit is. Thanks, Charlie

No it does not pick up FM it's just a jack to plug in an Ipod mp3 player a portable cd player and if you had a portable FM radio you could hook that up I happen to have a ZUNE brand mp3
player that also has a FM radio. You just plug it in and tune your original radio to around 1000 on your dial and it plays through your radio. As far as cost I think I payed like 129.00 for my 6 volt one. Just send Matt an email he can tell you more details he's a pretty decent guy to work with.

Tell him Tim From Minnesota with the 37 Chev sent ya.

The RediRad is just a converter/adaptor that allows you to play almost any of the modern formats thru your AM input on your stock AM radio. You still have the ability to receive AM broadcasts thru your antenna when the RediRad is not broadcasting from some other media. The unit is small; it tucks under the dash and takes up hardly any space as are all of the things that can be plugged into it. It’s already been posted that to have FM capability you have to have an FM radio hooked into it. A portable FM is doesn’t do very well so you would need one installed some where in the vehicle and feed by a decent antenna. RediRad is ideal for playing recorded media, i.e., iPod, MP3 etc. or for satellite radio which are small and don’t need the long antenna.
As far as antenna connections go, there are adaptors for just about any combination you can come up with. Any radio installation shop will have them.
Got my 6v unit in my 1950 stock truck which I mostly use with an iPod. For FM and CD’s I have a Sony under dash Plug-in unit with its own speakers hidden behind the lower door panels. When I don’t want the Sony to show I just slide it out, pull the 12v power plug and stock antenna which I share via a ‘Y’ connector with the original Stock 6v AM radio and tuck the cables up under the dash.
A lot of trouble to go thru unless you’re the type that likes to be entertained like I am.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The Microsoft Zune player I have which also has an FM radio built in works great! As it uses the input cable as the antenna and the Redirad has a pretty long input cable so I have no problems at all works great and it is very small.