'63 Radio Questions
 

I have the following radio (pic) that I've taken out of my '63 F250. I understand it to be original and plan to send it out to have the internals swapped for newer technology.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...42b88c0e3b.jpg


The questions are...

1. Is this a factory installed stereo? And if so...
2. Has anyone tried one of the several companies that profess to swap out internals for newer tech? And lastly...
3. If 'Yes" to #2, which company did you use and how is their returned product?

I've received quotes from ~$300 to over $700 with a wide wide wide range of tech under dash using the original interface (and USB cables, Bluetooth, etc...)

Thx in advance for your insights!

-Thomas

I am pretty sure all radios were installed at the dealership at this time, but it does appear to be very old so I wouldn't be surprised if it's still there. I do not have any personal experience, but I have heard good things from retrosound.

That looks like a base Falcon/Comet radio from the same year.
I'm not sure about '63 truck, but '65 and '66 had a radio that required three round 1/2" holes, NOT a cutout.
If that is true of '63, then that radio may well BE a dealer-install, but I'd doubt it.

Next, that is NOT a 'stereo'.

Cosmo

It's not an original 1961/66 truck radio and it's not stereo. Original radio has the bezel separate from the chassis (see parts catalog pic).

Chassis located behind the dash. There are three small holes in the dash for the chassis radio shafts and dial lamp bulb to poke thru. Bezel located on the outside of the dash.

Ford didn't offer a stereo radio for trucks until 1973.

1961/63 radio has tubes, 1964/66 radio has transistors.

1961/67 Econoline, 1961/69 C series Tilt Cabs, 1966/77 Bronco used the same radios, but the speaker and mounting brackets are different than F100/1100.

I'm not sure what this radio is, but it could be the el cheapo version (no push buttons) from a 1960/63 Falcon/Comet.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...405b2ff988.jpg

I'm not sure exactly what that radio is either, but it's manufacture date can almost definitely be pinned at 1963.

I say that because it broadcasts "All Transistor" on the dial, it really took until '63/'64 for the cost and technology to meet up and most radio manufacturers switched around '63/4/5.

The next give away is the CONELRAD symbols at 640 and 1240. The system was in place from '51-'63 after August 1963 the Emergency Broadcast System went into effect which eliminated the need for the dial call outs for specific station frequencies.

It is not correct for a 61-66 Ford truck, but that isn't to say it wasn't installed by the dealer prior to delivery to the buyer (does that make it original?). There were no factory installed radios all were installed by the dealer.

CONELRAD was kind of an interesting cold war nuclear arms race artifact, the cause being the Godless communists, natch.

Radio stations were used for direction finding by bomber aircraft, so the idea was, to deny convenient Soviet aircraft navigation over American skies, in the event of a nuclear emergency all radio stations would shut down, except stations at 640 and 1240, and then they would broadcast intermittently, for five minutes at a time. As you and your family luxuriated deep in the backyard fallout shelter, could tune in for up to date civil defense info, if the batteries were still good in the radio.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...99081f197c.png

Thx to everybody for replies and insights! They're very much appreciated.

ND, wrt the parts image, yessir, that was my first stop as I figured you'd send me there. However... well, things don't exactly match up with the images in my shop manual.

Neither the radio cutouts (3 holes) nor the dashtop speaker holes align with the images. In fact, there are no dashtop speaker holes whatsoever. Using a tool to see under the dash, it hasn't repaired to remove the holes - or if it has then someone did an absolutely smashing job to include grinding/sanding/painting the under dash to remove any remnants of the previous hole(s). Further, the radio cutout *appears* to be factory as well. I say that because, like the non-existent speaker hole(s), there isn't evidence of modification. (see pics below)

Which leaves me scratching my head and asking the questions asked. :-huh

Question: Would Ford have installed a leftover dash from a prior year; ostensibly to get rid of inventory? And, if so, would that even account for this kind of mis-match? Did previous years have a different radio cutout consistent with the pic below?

Lots-O-Questions...

Btw, 62SY4 and Tedster9, I love the CONELRAD conversation. Really interesting insights. Very cool. :-jammin

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c4f747158f.png

So did Ford typically have a cutout in the dash for a speaker?? Those are defrost vents right? No seeum speaker grille.

More info here.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ng-grille.html

Thanks! The technology was really cutting edge in those days.

Very interesting!

What I think I understand from that thread - in combination with this one - is that, wrt to a '63 F250...

1. The FACTORY didn't install radios in that YMM,
2. The FACTORY didn't necessarily produce a dash with speaker openings for that YMM. (FACTORY openings weren't standard until 65/66),
3. The DEALER had its own supplier(s) of radios, subsequently...
4. The DEALER was likely the entity to modify dash cutouts for the radio to be installed to include stereo hole(s). Some speakers were pin hole configurations while others 5 "quarter-sized" holes, and
5. The radio I've removed from my dash is VERY LIKELY a DEALER installed option and is - given the CONELRAD markings and the historical timing for that emergency system - VERY LIKELY from '63.

NOTE: Please correct me if I've misunderstood any of the above 5 pts.

New data means considerations, right? What to do now...?

I'm half considering removing the radio faceplate and knobs from the unit itself and re-installing them. Then I'll install a modern system - unseen - behind that facade interfacing it via smartphone technology. That way I get both the 'original' LAF with modern tech. The last consideration would then be... where to place speakers?

A huge "THANK YOU!" to everyone for your comments/insights.

-Thomas

Can you post some pictures of the radio sides and back. All of the Ford radios of the era I have run across have the Ford oval embossed in the case as well as a number stamped like "#xxx".

I ask because looking closer at the faceplate you posted, it appears to be an aftermarket radio. It looks like what would read "F O R D" is actually a series of squares. Much like some knock off ch*vy radios I have seen that have diamonds in place of the bow tie.

I'll take and post pics when I get back over to the shop in the morning.

Hey Kansafornia,
I will take some pics of the radio in my F250.It appears to be the same as in the schematic Bill posted above. My speaker is in the top of the dash however and looks to a nice installation. I also believe there is a script Ford logo on it. Not sure about Ford but you could get a factory installed radio in a Chevy pickup in 1963. Seems like that by '63 the major mfgs should have been installing radios at the factory (but perhaps not).
Might be a day or two before I can get some pics but I will get some up either in this thread or the one I created.

Radios were either factory or dealer installed.

I would assume that more were dealer installed simply because the dealer would make more money on the radio kit plus the installation.

Dealer installed: Feeding the antennas radio lead wire thru the hole in the cowl panel was a real b!tch!