Ok I apologize if this is a simply answered question, but I have searched this website for an hour looking for the answer.

My recently purchased 1953 F100 has a strange hole in the dash right next to the glove box. It is about 2.5" in diameter and has a stock silver bezel around it, but nothing mounted in it...I have looked in photos and all of my catalogs and I haven't found a picture of another dash with the strange hole??? Is it for a clock? My truck is a deluxe cab with all the little extras, but from what I have read a clock was not an option in 1953. If this is not easily answered I will post a picture when I get home for review...Thanks for your help in solving my annoying mystery.

 

On the '53-'56 trucks, I believe that's where the radio was.

 

Thank you for solving my mystery sir. That is the only piece my original truck is missing. I guess I will have to try and hunt one of those little radios down...to at least fill my hole in the dash.

 

just a heads up that they are expensive. The original to my truck was lost by the USPS, and luckily the PO put insurance on it. I had to watch ebay for months to finally get one (but I did manage to score a refurbished one). Be prepared to drop a few hundred refurb or not...

 

Wow...i figured as much since i didnt see any on ebay for sale today. I dont even need a working one just something to put in there to look more original.

 

Is there no radio delete plate available for that year?

Here's one for a 55 ford on ebay and looks like the right shape - presumably for a car though...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1955-...item5645efeda4

...and another...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/55-FO...item1c1de917f4

 

I have a hole in my dash also for the radio however it's only about 3/8" I don't think the radio used a hole 2.5".

 

They're still around, but hard to find. I lucked out a couple weeks ago and bought everything - except the antenna - for $70.



BTW, that's not holes in the speaker cover. It's old movie tickets.

 

That's so cool! But, what movies are they?? Or did they even say then. Probably NOT, now that I think about it. Just a stub?

DeJa

 

Thats a pretty cool piece of history. I will have to search the swap meets for the next year and see if i can come across one. Either that or i will have to think of something else to add to thay area of the dash.

 

A clock would look just as cool and be more useful unless you're doing a 100-pt resto

 

Yeah, just generic stubs.

 

You could just weld a patch in the hole too, as that would be period correct as well. I have 3 56's and not one of them had a radio.

 

where does the box go with all the holes on it go in the truck?

 

The box with all of the holes is the power supply. It bolts to the firewall with a single stud that is fixed to the box.
The dial section is the tuning part and it is fixed to the dash with four screws.
2 above and 2 below. There is a harness that connects the two units. The vehicle power is connected to the tuning unit with a built in fuse holder.
The speaker is mounted on the header above the rear view mirror.
The speaker grill has horizontal bars in the 53-55 trucks
No block out plate exists because the dash was only drilled if you were adding the radio.
53-55 radios are marked 3MFT (1953 Motorola Ford Truck) no power marking but they are 6V Pos ground.
1956 radio is almost identical with some exceptions.
The power supply is marked 12V neg ground and the tuning box is marked
6BFT (1956 Bendix Ford Truck). Speaker grill has verticle bars in 56.
The lower mounting holes on the 56 are close together and the upper tabs are
spaced same as 53-55.
The trim ring is VERY hard to find. The 53-55 tuning know differs from the 56 but they will interchange.
Lastly the 56 can be reworked to work in a 53-55. A 53-55 can be re-worked to 12V for the 56.


These radios use paper capacitors that need to be replaced with new style ones.
If this is not done the radio and power supply can be damaged extensively.