1955 Radio

[bayo-wolf]

I just purchased a 1955 T-bird that is mostly restored, but not quite finished. The last owner sent the radio off to be rebuilt, the company went under and the radio is gone. Anyway I need a new one. My car is working on 12 volts now. I have found a 57 town and country radio. Does anyone know if this will fit in the dash hole without modification? Or does anyone know of a 55 radio for sale?

[George]

Hill's Thunderbird Center, in Ohio, carries all sorts of parts for '55 to '57 so is a good source for all your needs. You should call them for a catalog at 740-949-2217.They do carry radios in the $250. range.

Sorry, I don't know if that '57 will fit

Finally, you say it's now a 12Volt system, so be careful on any '55 electrical purchase you make because all stock '55 will be 6 volt.
Good luck

[johndickred]

I have a 55 radio. When I purchased my car the previous owner had a new system installed. I am not sure if it works but I would be happy to sell it. I am not sure if this would work with your 12 volt system without a voltage convertor of some sort.

John D

[55birdy]

57 Radio is a no-go, 54 Ford car & 55 Tbird will fit your dash, the 12 volts wont work though.

[vintage750]

"voltage converters" are widely available that convert 12 V to 6 V for older accessories, gauges and so on.

You may already have one for your gauges as they would have been 6 volt.

These are cheap so if you find an original radio, you can get it to work despite the 12 v alternator you now have.

John

[Gary Tayman]

Regarding 1955 radios, I've seen a handful of these that are really 54 Ford radios. Obviously you're not the first one to run into this.

The 54 Ford radios came in two flavors, the 6 tube and the deluxe 8 tube. The 6 tube set has 5 black pushbuttons -- will fit in the dash of a T-Bird but doesn't look correct. The 8 tube has 6 chrome pushbuttons, the first being the off switch. These look nearly ideltical once installed in the dash. I believe the antenna connector is in a funny place, but it can be finagled.

The 12 volts is a problem if the radio is to be kept original. There are inverters available that convert 6 volts to 12, but not the other way around. The "old" way to do this was with a whopper resistor on the firewall, that cut the voltage down. But they use a lot of energy, and get very hot. That radio draws about 8 amperes!

There are dealers (not me) who offer 12 volt conversions of these radios. There are other options but, being a dealer I'll take it no further here. If interested contact me directly.


There are other options, but being a dealer I'll take it no further here. If interested, contact me directly.

[George]

Gary: Just curious. I have what appears to be an after market radio, FADO, that was in my 1941 Ford Woodie wagon....Ever hear of these? Any market for them?