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How common were AM/FM radios?

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.
Very true. It was an AM world in 1964. I have only seen pics of one. This was from a 64 for sale. 1964 Plymouth Fury 426 Wedge - Fort Pitt Classic Cars

 
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I encountered only two Mopars back in the day (for me, the late 1960s) that had an AM/FM. The first was my dad's 1967 Valiant. The radio was installed by the dealer. The other was in the dealer's personal 1969 Plymouth GTX, which was an all out luxury machine with every available factory option except a vinyl top. Years later I bought a near clone to that car, a heavily optioned '69 that had been special ordered by an affluent, middle aged buyer. It was also equipped with an AM/FM. Note that it also had the bumper guards and light package. The 300F in the photo had an AM.

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"Note that the radio bezel is not only specific to Plymouth, but also to the AM/FM radio, in that the controls were offset"

I agree with this. A lot of the time the bezel cost more than the radio does. I have seen guys cheat and put in a Chrysler AM/FM and change the bezel if they are lucky enough to find one.
 
Years ago, I parted out a very rusty 1966 Chrysler 300. It had an AM/FM radio, with the under the rear seat reverberator with rear speaker fader switch. I adapted the angled clear plastic lens from my 1967 Coronet radio to it and installed it in my R/T, along with the reverberator. I do not believe AM/FM was an option on 1967 Coronets.
 
CNN yikes!:eek:
I was responding to the OP saying he didn’t like a certain kind of talk radio. So I mentioned the opposite. Btw... I don’t have cable or Sirius, but I do listen to local AM here in Philly.
 
Years ago, I parted out a very rusty 1966 Chrysler 300. It had an AM/FM radio, with the under the rear seat reverberator with rear speaker fader switch. I adapted the angled clear plastic lens from my 1967 Coronet radio to it and installed it in my R/T, along with the reverberator. I do not believe AM/FM was an option on 1967 Coronets.
AM/FM radios were available on 67 Coronets, and Satellites, but you might have had to buy them over the counter. Will have to check my books and notes.
I have a Satellite am/fm in the Charger, mainly to use when travelling to get local information from radio stations. There are so few AM stations left. I have a 65 am/fm shows all bodies I think. Have a C body thumb wheel , and I think a 66 C body am/fm.
Don’t even know if we had 3 FM stations in the Province in 1966.
 
I remember you could hear top 40 and rock and roll in general on AM well into the late 1970's where I grew up.

After 1980 most of the RnR except for oldies went to FM exclusively.
 
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I was responding to the OP saying he didn’t like a certain kind of talk radio. So I mentioned the opposite. Btw... I don’t have cable or Sirius, but I do listen to local AM here in Philly.
1210 WPHT! I miss it. Down here we have 96.3 WGSV, they carry Bongino.
 
I have an old Audiovox FM converter in my 67 GTX since AM is such a wasteland anymore. You can still find them on eBay and I will probably get one for my 66. I had FM tuners in the 8 track I mounted in my 64 Sport Fury back around 1970. You usually had to switch it to mono as on stereo the range was very limited.

I would say FM tuners in factory radios in the 60s were pretty rare. However AM/FM was the only radio you could get in the Corvette after some time in 1963. It was either that or do without altogether.
 
I went to the Hamtramck site. As far as Dodge goes, no AM/FM radio listed for 63 but one listed for 64. May be Chrysler had on available earlier buy I didn't see any info for those models.

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IIRC it was in the mid seventies in our area when FM was finally available. Everyone was in a rush to get a converter. Joe's the Motorist was the first place I bought mine. Audiovox was one that I remember along with the Sparkomatic which was cheeper but worked.
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Back in the day I had a 64 Polara 500 convertible with a factory installed am/fm radio. It was from California and had power windows. I should have never sold that car.
 
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.
Not exactly because that but close. Many reasons why AM and FM get those distances diferences, like the ammount of info handled and how is trasmited ( amplitude vs frequency ). Amplitude modulation is able to beat geography accidents and keep alive longer into the distance while frequency modulation is really sensible to the enviroment obstacles.

Band asigned for each one is also something to be considered, where something similar it happens to the sound, lower frequencies are able to surround obstacles and highers not due it's directionality, well, AM band is a lower frequency than FM. Is not an straight comparison because audio waves are not exactly the same than electromagnetic waves on the magnitude they react into the atmosphere by their owm nature, but really really similar on how they work.

It happens the same with WIFI between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands about the distance and the frequency being transmitted and their ability to beat the enviroment using the same power
 
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I dont need no radio. When there 2 carter AFBs in front and dual exhaust out back

The cars Ive had in the past the oem radios sucked anyway

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Very true. It was an AM world in 1964. I have only seen pics of one. This was from a 64 for sale. 1964 Plymouth Fury 426 Wedge - Fort Pitt Classic Cars


Hey Fratzog, Thanks for posting the "WABC"radio clip. Was born and raised in Bronx and for 10 or so minutes I was 16 years old again. Probably heard those clippings when they were 1st aired. WABC was one of several very popular stations along with 1010 WINS which had Murray the K.
 
Hey Fratzog, Thanks for posting the "WABC"radio clip. Was born and raised in Bronx and for 10 or so minutes I was 16 years old again. Probably heard those clippings when they were 1st aired. WABC was one of several very popular stations along with 1010 WINS which had Murray the K.
I love listening to the old airchecks. Top 40 is gone, never to return. The NYC blackout happened when Dan Ingram was on the air. Another classic I'm glad didnt get trashed.

 
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. :lol:
That’s what I do. Just sometimes don’t feel like dealing with it. Figured that I have the AM/FM so I’d put it in.
 
"Note that the radio bezel is not only specific to Plymouth, but also to the AM/FM radio, in that the controls were offset"

I agree with this. A lot of the time the bezel cost more than the radio does. I have seen guys cheat and put in a Chrysler AM/FM and change the bezel if they are lucky enough to find one.
In this case I have the radio and no bezel, however I have a good 3d printer and Solidworks, plus a few extra AM bezels. With a little work It’ll look legit.
 
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