AM to FM Radio Conversions

[345 DeSoto]

Has anyone had their Stock AM radios converted to FM...so they look original? If so, how did they work, and who did it?

[Skip Lackie]

I had a couple of car radios converted about 15-20 years ago when the conversion kits first came out. They worked, after a fashion, but badly drifted off the station and had lousy sensitivity. It is my understanding that the units on the market today are much better. There was no modification to the exterior of the radio. You turn the radio on, and it's on AM. Quickly turn it off and on again, and it's on FM. You have to visualize the FM dial.

Hemmings has ads for a number of firms who do these conversions, and maybe our own Radio Roy does it, too.

[345 DeSoto]

Radio roy !!!!!

[DougHolverson]

Maybe you could try an authentic Day Two with one of those little under the dash FM converters that J.C. Whitney, K-mart, and Radio Shack use to sell back in the '60s-'70s?

[sweetolbob]

Radio roy !!!!!

Forum name. Use the advanced search function in the upper right corner and type in radio roy in the members slot. You can them PM him. Bob

[packard352]

Make life easier for yourself and just contact RediRad Radio - installation is simple, you don't have gut or tinker with your original radio. What's even better is you can download any number of apps for your smartphone and listen to global radio in FM!

https://rediscoveradio.com

[TWChamp]

Make life easier for yourself and just contact RediRad Radio - installation is simple, you don't have gut or tinker with your original radio. What's even better is you can download any number of apps for your smartphone and listen to global radio in FM!
https://rediscoveradio.com

I agree and I don't like to mess up original parts either. I would just install a small hidden radio or listen to the original radio. Actually I quit turning on my radio even in my modern car. There just isn't any good music or anything worth listening to. Silence is golden.

[wlfrench]

I have the 4 tube radio in my 62 GT. The one with no push buttons for the stations. It sorta kinda worked before I took it apart and cleaned all the contacts, put it back together and reinstalled it. Now it doesn't work at all. I looked up the tubes and to replace all 4 would cost over $100 and I don't even know if that would fix it. Ya can't go to the local drug store and check the tubes on the tube testers that they used to have anymore. I would love to get it working and just just add a modern system in the glove box.

[TWChamp]

Someone near you must have a tube tester. I found mine at a flea market about 15 years ago.

[DougHolverson]

This sorts of reminds me of around 1990 when scalpers were going around to long running TV repair shops and buying up tubes by the dusty service box (and sometimes Sam's Photofacts). So whatever happened to those guys and their stash of tubes?

[556063]

I have purchased and installed one of the old FM Converters of the 70's in all my 12V vehicles. Haven't tried to look for one on eBay or elsewhere for a while. Seemed like the most logical option to keep a dash bone stock, and keep the ability to quickly remove when needed. I would imagine you can still get one. They plug into the antenna jack on the stock AM unit and put the signal out at about 1400 kHz on the AM Band. Not HiFi by any stretch. But serviceable.

[bezhawk]

Have the original converted to modern guts. You get AM/FM Stereo, and even USB input. All looking stock, no tubes to worry about. No 5 minutes to warm up.

[jclary]

In my retired '60 Lark III, there is the original AM radio, and an FM converter in the glove compartment. Installed under the dash, in the driver's side corner, is a small vintage compact 23 channel CB radio. Under the hood is a speaker for the PA function of the CB (Just for mischief). For the radio functions, AM/FM & CB, they all run off a single combination antennae with a signal splitter.

About two years ago, I fired the little Lark up and drove it out into the sunshine for the first time in about 18 years. I was surprised to find that all those radio do dads still worked.

[rodnutrandy]

I still have one, I never seem to get rid of anything , still have 2 under dash 8 tracks

[tim333]

I listen to Pandora on a Bluetooth wireless speaker. No muss, no fuss and I choose my own artists and music genre