1937 Ford Sedan Delivery Radio

The easiest way to convert a '35-36-37, etc Ford radio to a later style, AM/FM etc. is to use the head in the dash as a remote operator for a modern radio. The modern radio will have to be the type with mechanical knobs in lieu of electronic knobs. The modern radio is mounted up under the dash in a location suitable for the cables to reach from the head to the radio box. Modify the radio shafts so the cables will attach then secure the cables to the radio box.... This might take a little fabrication work.
The old radio head will work just fine to control the new style radio.... I know several guys that have used this procedure to get an affordable radio for their car.
 
blucar said:
The easiest way to convert a '35-36-37, etc Ford radio to a later style, AM/FM etc. is to use the head in the dash as a remote operator for a modern radio. The modern radio will have to be the type with mechanical knobs in lieu of electronic knobs. The modern radio is mounted up under the dash in a location suitable for the cables to reach from the head to the radio box. Modify the radio shafts so the cables will attach then secure the cables to the radio box.... This might take a little fabrication work.
The old radio head will work just fine to control the new style radio.... I know several guys that have used this procedure to get an affordable radio for their car.
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What can you use for antennae? Dennis Carpenter repro or do you need a special antennae for say a mid eighties Ford Am Fm in a 37 Ford. Will engine noise/static be impossible to eliminate? I am interested in doing this with a 37 Ford tuning head and keeping 6 volt positive ground.
 
ruggys37 said:
What kind of radio do you mean
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If you have a 12 volt system any older 12 volt radio with 1 knob for on, off, and volume and one knob for tuning will work. If it has push buttons for tuning also, it will work you just won' be using them. I like the 70s Ford radio's Marv
 
When selecting a radio for the conversion I mentioned in the above, the simple after-market radios of the '60-70 work best. Motorola, etc., made AM/FM radios that would fit in the dash of most cars/trucks. These radios are generally not push button and they have built in speakers. Transistor radios came out in the late '50's which made radios much smaller than the earlier units.
I know a couple of guys that have used AM/FM cassette radios for their conversion, they inserted the cassettes from under the dash.. A little unhandy, but it worked.
The old AM/FM radios will have two shafts, one for off/on-volume, the other station tuning. Since the '35-36-37 Ford radio heads have one cable that is a spade (male) and the other is recessed (female) it does not require a lot of fabrication to attach the cables.
Another neat trick that the RAT Rodders are using is to use an old car/truck hot water heater as a radio housing. When the doors are closed on the heater the radio is out of sight, open the heater doors and Wa-La, there's a AM/FM CD player. Using a wireless remote the radio and CD are very functional... Old heater boxes like the '39-48 Ford, Western Auto, etc., are in high demand by the Rat Rodders.
 
blucar said:
The easiest way to convert a '35-36-37, etc Ford radio to a later style, AM/FM etc. is to use the head in the dash as a remote operator for a modern radio. The modern radio will have to be the type with mechanical knobs in lieu of electronic knobs. The modern radio is mounted up under the dash in a location suitable for the cables to reach from the head to the radio box. Modify the radio shafts so the cables will attach then secure the cables to the radio box.... This might take a little fabrication work.
The old radio head will work just fine to control the new style radio.... I know several guys that have used this procedure to get an affordable radio for their car.
Click to expand...
I think I will follow your advice and try to use a 1985 or 85 Ford Ranger AM/FMradio I have,it is one of the last with on/off and tuning knobs instead of buttons. This is for my 37 Ford that I have no desire to tune in to AM talk radio, I thought the other posting on the ww.turnswitch.com was an interesting website showing the 1935 Ford radio head converted to operate a small black box receiver,that was untill I contacted them. They no longer make a mechanical operated box but have to have your control head to remove cables,changing the channel changer and on /off volume to electric,this all starting at $700.00. Think for that I will stick to my portable boom box.:o
 
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