ClassicCar

My '37 Terraplane uses the stock dash tuner, volume control, and dial, but it connected to cables to a modern AM/FM tuner and amp mounted up under the dash. There is a pair of 6x9 speakers hooked up and mounted very high in the kick panels. By simply looking at the dash area and the floorboard, it is impossible to tell there is modern sound coming from that radio. I have a 36" antenna mounted in the roof, behind the headliner on the driver's side. The radio sounds great, and the antenna receives signals without problems.

jjbubaboy,



I had my 36 Terraplane radio repaired by a company that advertised in Hemmings. The bill came to $600 and when it came back it looked just like it did when I sent it. No new wires or tubes, nothing that was agreed upon when I send it to them. They said their work was guaranteed, which also proved to be false. When I called them back and said the radio didn't work , in fact it didn't even turn on, their response was, 'We did the best we could'

I contacted Steve Engel in the HET club, he did a great job on my 51 radio, but he said he didn't work on the older radios. In fact, most of the shops I contacted did not work on anything much older the stepdown era.

What I eventually did was buy another radio and just took the time to fix it myself by swapping parts. It works fine now but would not recommend doing it again. The sound it kind of tinny and it just doesn't measure up to what I though it would.

I like the look of the radio and wanted one just to be original, but would recommend buying a radio for display and hiding another one for listening. I have been thinking of doing that, but cannot find the right set that suits me. I am hoping that time and technology will produce something in the future. I'm like you, I like to have a radio to listen to when driving.

jjbubaboy wrote:

Hey Patrick,

that is a great idea! How did you insulate it and how is it held in place?

Jeff

I wrapped it once in fiberglass and taped it, then stuck it up along the trough that runs over the inside of the door frames. Ran the coaxial cable down the A-pillar. Pretty simple, and completely hidden away. Probably won't see it again in my lifetime. Maybe the guy who restores it again in 2075 will look at that and think "Radio...what were they thinking then???"