Radio help

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Caberocks

Caberocks

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Raleigh, NC
Let me start off by saying I appreciate all the help here, it's invaluable to a guy like me. I've been asking interior questions because I plan on replacing the instrument cluster, center console, radio and heater controls, dash pad, wiper linkage and defrost vents in my 73 Dart Swinger. I figure it would be stupid not to try and do it all at one time when its completely apart. So now a few radio questions for you guys who have been there before.
I bought a refurbished chrysler am/fm radio from Wards Classic Car Radio, nice guy, decent price. The previous owner cut a freakng hole in the center console and installed a crappy stereo. I have never installed a car radio myself, so.....what are the red and orange wires going into the plastic plug? And what are the green and black wires for? Also on the side of the radio, is the nut there for securing the radio? And what it the small round hole? Thanks in advance for helping me on my journey!

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Black & green=speaker
Red=switched 12V
Orange=dash lights

The stud is for a support bracket, the hole next to it is where the antenna plugs in.
 
Thanks Oaktree! I'm thinking since there's an aftermarket radio installed now, the plug on the orange and red wire may no longer have something to attach to. I guess you would cut the plug off and splice the wires?
I guess I'll find out when I take out the current radio.
 
Being an older radio, mostly these had only the dash speaker to work with. There are standard colors for wiring, but often on a factory unit the colors are different than what the industry uses. Normally, black is power ground, red is power hot from your ignition switch, and the other two are positive and negative for the speaker. A quick solution might be to ask the folks at Wards, since they rebuilt it. If it's still a mystery, take a 12v power source and hook up the negative to one terminal, starting with the black one. Touch the positive to the other three wires one at a time. When you find the right combination, the radio will power on. That means the two other wires go to the speaker. Mono speakers are less critical than stereo for polarity, but it's nice to get it right if possible.

It does appear the bolt on the side of the radio is to help support the weight. The round hole is where your antenna lead plugs in.

I notice in your photo, it appears there is an additional wire (orange?) curling up over the top of the radio. Is this part of the wiring?

If all this is clear as mud, feel free to PM me, I can walk you through it on the phone.

Zach
 
The orange wire on top is the same one going to the plug with the red one, it just comes out of the top of the radio.
 
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This is what somebody before me did to the dash. I already have the replacement center console too, can't wait to get it back to the way it's supposed to be.

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Do not cut the plug off. Get some spade crimp terminals and plug them into where they go in the plug.
 
:) your welcome. I never butcher original wiring if I don't have to,just see what type you need and crimp them on then they can always be removed and keep the factory plugs in place.
 
Kind of bummed now. The guy at Wards said the radio can only be used with a single speaker 8 ohm. I wish someone made a modern radio that fit the Dodge Dart center console without cutting it.
 
they do am/fm/ipod @ $600 a pop !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there was someone that did retro conversions for the am/fm here at one thread I might be looking him up for thumb wheel upgrade
 
Just put some decent 6x9's in the rear deck and a member here makes a speaker plate that holds two 3" or 4" speakers in place of the single dash speaker.
 
The fact that OEM was a basic AM, 8 ohm, transistor radio is why owners would cut the dash to install a stereo. You could add speakers but... still wont be stereo. Turned up too loud for too long can kill it. 2 X 8 ohm speaker = 4 ohm load.
 
Well, The guy at Wards Vintage radio said he can covert the radio to modern fm 180 watts, 4 speaker, so I will probably go that route to keep the original radio look.
 
How much will that cost? I was considering getting an old radio online and just gutting it myself and adding my own hardware inside it.
 
Too much, this guy wants like 469$ to convert the old radio to a new 160 watt system
 
Caberocks said:
Too much, this guy wants like 469$ to convert the old radio to a new 160 watt system
Click to expand...
Sm electrotech did my 69 barracuda thumbweel. 400 bucks to gut and rebuild, convert to am/ fm, 4 channel output with an iphone jack. Looks like new and sounds killer with jl audio 6x9s in the deck and jl audio 4 inch rounds in the kick panels.
 
Retro sound makes a radio that fits in the factory dash. But stay far away from them they sell chinese junk for a premium price, go ahead ask me how i know. Bought one for my demon 4 years ago and its tore up 3 times. Once they fixed it and then they replaced it, about every 8 months it tears up, contact customer service and they say ohhh its the car, its the wiring blah blah blah. The kicker is last time i had it replaced the tech told me they knew they were having problems with that model.

:icon_fU: Retrosound.

Either do a hidden mount modern $100 alpine unit or have the original motorola unit converted to 4 channel. I have a perfect motorola unit that came out of my demon, i may contact this ward fellow
 
Contacted greg ward at wards radio. Only a one year warranty? Wont get a dime from me. A one year warranty for almost 500 bucks? No bueno.

:wtf:



Think im just gonna get a $100 alpine unit and mount it hidden. I guarantee that alpine unit will out last any of these classic radio manufacturers or these guys who rebuild them
 
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