I saw this in the Vintage Pics thread. Does anyone out there have one? I'd love to see some pics! How much do these go for nowadays, anyway? Here's the link this came from: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/new-fm-auto-radio/ ~Jason
Hey, Jason...All I got is under the dash 8-track, which I'm going to put in the shop truck....that underdash raido would be a cool addition.....
Here's a link with more info on the FM-900: http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=199648 ~Jason
Hell yeah, it would! I remember seeing FM converters in high school, but not "period" ones... this period, anyway. ~Jason
From the 1959 Motorola Annual Report (the PDF is an actual scan): http://www.motorolasolutions.com/we...History/_docs/1959_Motorola_Annual_Report.pdf Motorola Car Radios Motorola maintained its leadership in the branded car radio business with sales setting a new record. These are car radios sold through distributor-dealer outlets to individual car owners. In December, Motorola revealed the FM-900 and has become the first major American company to mass produce an FM car radio. With the ever-increasing popularity of home FM and the large number of cars today in which the FM-900 can be installed, Motorola's FM car radio should add substantially to the success of the Motorola brand car radio business.
Here are some others I found here: http://www.somerset.net/arm/fm_only_forsale.html Antique FM Car Radios Heathkit CR1000a SOLD [1973] stereo under-dash automobile radio. Granco ARC-60 SOLD [1961] Under dash car radio converter. 5 tubes. (pics/video above) Motorola FM900 SOLD [1960] under dash hybrid car radio. 7 tubes, 3 transistors Heathkit GR41 [1962] transistor under-dash automobile radio. Has separate power amplifier unit. Three available. $25 each Voxson (Italian ) Tanga [1973] FM removable car radio with matching AM plug-in radio. Very classic, very rare, tiny car radios. Have the car mount and the even more rare base mount for home. Car radios are all tested and working. . Andy [email protected]
I remember one like that Granco, only it was about the size of a 4X5 card - I would see one pop up at K-Mart every so often for $50. I wanted it real bad, but every time I came back with money they were gone!
I've had 2 FM-900's but I've never had the separate power supply unit that they need to operate. I've seen several head units sell but never one with the power supply to run it and I doubt you'd be able to make it work without it, those always seem to be missing. My guess is people see the head unit under the dash, assume that's all there is too it, and grab it without ever checking for the other component. I have a pretty big collection of FM adaptors/modulators but all of mine are solid-state. They're great for keeping dashboards uncut and keeping original, functional AM indash radios intact. There's not much that looks shittier than a big ol' honkin DIN sized CD player hacked into the nice old dash of a nice old car.
My first car ('72 Dodge Dart) had one similar to the Granco unit above, in it. That was the only radio. I think is was an Audiovox one. Yeah, I know, the car isn't within the HAMB parameters, but I still wish I could get that car again. I would love to find out what the 318 w/factory 3-on-the-floor got for mileage.
I had one of those Motorola FM converters from the early 60s,I gave it away to the guy who drove a long distance to pick up the 40 plus old car radios my dad had that I got tired or tripping over. I had nothing 12 volts with only a AM radio to put it in and there was a couple radios I wish I kept now,a few years ago I picked up a Pioneer supertuner FM 8 track to put in my 65 country squire which was the radio I was looking at to put in my 65 galaxie back in 78 but did not have the money so it got a much cheaper Audiovox FM convertor.
When I bought my first FM convertor and reverberator I couldn't wait to take some girl out on a date to impress her with them. The reverb had that "twang" that sounded like a spring when you turned it on. Those were high tech in those days. Don
I think I may have picked the oddest item to hoard. I grab them whenever I see them. Haven't seen the Heathkit ones before, but they were a very high quality brand name (in my experience) and I bet that was a solid piece of electronics in it's day. Some of the ones I've seen had a built-in 8-track or cassette player.
I had one of these Realistic FM convertors in my '66 Fairlane. Worked a treat with mono sound and fitted snugly between bottom of dash rail and top of floor console. Out of sight, out of mind.
The last one I had was in a '72 Lemans that I sold about 12 years ago. It fit perfectly into the space for the ashtray.... no brackets or screws needed, it just edged in there nice and snug. It went with the car when I sold it. I do still have the FM/8-track under dash unit that I used to have in my '66 Tempest, but that was a separate radio rather than a converter.
Had one I swapped in and out of all the 50's ford's my brother and I had in highschool. Best item ever. It kept from butchering the dash.....
It was a spring. I had a reverb and 4 track that I got for 5 bucks when I was in high school. they moved from car to car and 4 track tapes were cheap ( used) because everyone had to have an 8 track. U used to leave the reverb on without a tape playing, it sounded really cool when you went across railroad tracks (if you were in the proper state of mind). I had an FM converter also, but it used the amp etc from my AM radio.
I've got one. Paid $5 for it a few years back. Installed it in my pickup last summer. Can't hear it when the engine is running.
I've even heard of a 6V one once, but I've personally never had one. I like the ashtray mount idea, I bet you could put it behind the dash and control it with a cigarette lighter knob if you didn't want to see it at all, for stealthiness.
This is my unit, it was missing the power supply unit as Squablow stated about these, but I fabricated one that produces the needed 108 Volts DC.
COOL! I installed one of these units in my 348 1960 impala and it cost me $16 from a guy in auto shop that couldn't get it to work in his 1957 chevy. It had no instructions and i happened to remove the cover and their they were: put the AM radio on 1600 and it worked great! That was 1978 and i was the official "stereo dude" in auto shop then!
I had one in my 57 Chev in 62, loved it. My model must have been different as there was no separate power supply. I had a reverb also, these were big advancements for listening. I replaced the units with a GM am/fm radio later that had same dimensions for hole in the dash.
Still have one of these oldies, but it only has two knobs and is a Motorola IIRC. Needs some work as it is intermittent. Might be nice to put in one of my 12v cars.
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