How common were AM/FM radios?

[Nate S]

Swapping in a year-correct AM/FM to the ‘64 Sport Fury and it’s occurring to me that I can’t remember many of these at all. How common were they 1/50?

 

[440 PHIXX]

Buy an AM transmitter. Hook a Bluetooth receiver to it... and stream CNN.

 

[kiwigtx]

No static at all

Steely Dan.......12" single......

 

[RemCharger]

Back to the OP question... how common?
It's a regional thing. We don't see em much in the prairies.

 

[ws23jrt]

I drove many hours a day for work for many years. -And what shortened those long drives was AM radio. (always able to find current live news)
I also listened to Rush Limbaugh in the garage as I was working on my car projects in his (and my)early days.

It seems kinda odd when an old car enthusiast has a problem with a stock radio because of what may come out of it when it is turned on and tuned in.
I have an idea.- Do not turn on that old radio when enjoying the car.

BTW I have a functioning? eight-track player in my 69 Hemi Coronet RT and have yet to try to play an old tape in it.-(AM works just fine 50 years on)

 

[RemCharger]

I drove many hours a day for work for many years. -And what shortened those long drives was AM radio. (always able to find current live news)
I also listened to Rush Limbaugh in the garage as I was working on my car projects in his (and my)early days.

It seems kinda odd when an old car enthusiast has a problem with a stock radio because of what may come out of it when it is turned on and tuned in.
I have an idea.- Do not turn on that old radio when enjoying the car.

BTW I have a functioning? eight-track player in my 69 Hemi Coronet RT and have yet to try to play an old tape in it.-(AM works just fine 50 years on)

Not even deep purple?

 

[ws23jrt]

Not even deep purple?

I am tempted to test my player but don't want to risk damage from an unknown tape quality.- I've not researched this as it is a tiny part of my car project.

 

[toolmanmike]

The FM signals are line of site (don't follow the curvature of the earth and skip off clouds like AM does) and are only good for 35 or so miles. from the transmitter. FM wasn't popular here in the midwest until the late 60's/early 70's.

 

[kiwigtx]

FM wasn't popular here in the midwest until the late 60's/early 70's.

Probably due to the lack of stations and distance between them - too much drop off of signal.

 

[fratzog lover]

I never saw one in person.

 

[kiwigtx]

I am tempted to test my player but don't want to risk damage from an unknown tape quality.- I've not researched this as it is a tiny part of my car project.

I cleaned out the AM/8-Track in my GTX many years ago, and would frequently play the old tapes. I remember the PO had a cassette adaptor for the 8-Track player....but he must have kept that.



I had the output running through some simple jiggery-pokery, then through the amp and out to the speakers.

 

[toolmanmike]

I never saw one in person.

View attachment 1202251

And they were not stereo.

 

[Red63440]

I put about 800 songs on my cell phone and play it through wireless speakers. My car is a radio delete so I don’t have to deal with anything I don’t want to listen to. I thought about just picking up a honey who could sing but then you have to put up with attitude every 25 days or so.

 

[YY1]

I see a LOT more on 74 models than anything earlier.

 

[Hey-O]

FM converters.

 

[Red63440]

I still have a Sparkomatic FM converter. We used to mount them in the glove box adjusted to our favorite station.

 

[Billccm]

Not to highjack the thread, but keep in mind the early Bendix AM FM radios did not perform well on FM. These radios were AM chassis kludge with a FM sub PCB and tuner. Sensitivity was poor and the always ON AFC makes them temperamental to tune.
I recommend keeping the great performing AM radio and adding a Redi Rad for modern connectivity. You don't get stereo with those old AM FM radios anyhow, so just add the Redi Rad and keep it simple.

 

[Billccm]

https://redirad.com/

 

[toolmanmike]

I still have a Sparkomatic FM converter. We used to mount them in the glove box adjusted to our favorite station.

I sold a lot of those at the parts store. My 8 track players had FM in it. Rarely did I use the factory AM radio when you have Doobie Brothers on 8 track! Craig Powerplay rules!

 

[Dave6T4]

I never saw one in person.

View attachment 1202251

That is a pretty rare piece, likely due to the fact that there were not a lot of FM stations to listen to back in 1964. Note that that the radio bezel is not only specific to Plymouth, but also to the AM/FM radio, in that the controls were offset. When I was restoring my '64 Polara 500 convertible, I saw the Dodge version at Carlisle likely 20 years ago. It was $$$ back then. I ultimately cheated and put in an AM/FM. from a Dart that fit my radio opening.