Electrical: 1963 GT Hawk Radio Installation

[Geohawk63]

I'm not sure if this belongs in "Tech Talk: Electrical" or not but here goes.
I just had my Delco all fancied up with an FM and USB port and am now ready to install it.
Questions questions..

Should the speaker be 8 Ohms or 10?
Should the power wire have an in-line fuse? What size?
Does anyone have one of those 3-terminal plugs that goes into the back of the radio?
Anything else I need to know?

[StudeRich]

The Speakers were 10 OHM, not 4 or 4/8. Do not run it without a good Ground on Radio and Antenna and Antenna Installed.
Yes there is always an in Line Fuse, very low AMPs for Transister Radios, AGW 2 1/2 is listed for '62 to '66 Models in the Shop Manual.

The 3 Wire Speaker and Power Wire Connector is a Standard Delco part also used on other Makes.

The Rebuilder should have or be able to answer these questions, especially if it is Now Electrically DIFFERENT than Stock.

[bezhawk]

If you had the modern guts installed, they take 4 ohm speakers. If it is just a FM converter add on to the original circuit, it takes a 10 ohm speaker.
You do not want higher ohms with the modern circuitry. For original 10 ohm speakers, you can't beat Turnswitch.com. For later 4 ohm speakers, I like JBL, or Polk Audio. Quality speakers make a difference. If you had it upgraded, then the only wire you will use to the three prong connector would be the power wire. (the green wire). It should already be fused.

[Geohawk63]

If you had the modern guts installed, they take 4 ohm speakers. If it is just a FM converter add on to the original circuit, it takes a 10 ohm speaker.
You do not want higher ohms with the modern circuitry. For original 10 ohm speakers, you can't beat Turnswitch.com. For later 4 ohm speakers, I like JBL, or Polk Audio. Quality speakers make a difference. If you had it upgraded, then the only wire you will use to the three prong connector would be the power wire. (the green wire). It should already be fused.

It's just an FM board added on. There's a black wire hanging around back there - not green, but it looks likes it's a power wire going back to the ignition switch area.

[RadioRoy]

Whomever did the work should have given you some instructions.

Did you have someone add the FM board for you, or did you buy the radio from someone else who had the work done and then lost the instructions?

[RadioRoy]

If you had the modern guts installed, they take 4 ohm speakers..........
You do not want higher ohms with the modern circuitry.

Not quite accurate.

If modern guts are installed, you can use speakers with almost any impedance, although you do not want to use more than two speakers of 2 ohm impedance.

It sounds like the OP just had the FM tuner board installed, so if that is the case, he needs a 10 ohm speaker as everyone has said.

[Geohawk63]

Whomever did the work should have given you some instructions.

Did you have someone add the board for you, or did you buy the radio from someone else who had the work done and then lost the instructions?

I had someone add the board for me. It's an FMC-2 board from Aurora Design.
He doesn't do installations.
At the back of the radio are three terminals. Outside one is power, middle is ground and inside one is speaker wire, correct?
On my other radio I took apart, it looks like it's already grounded to the frame of the radio by an extension of metal.
I'm missing the 3-wire connector that goes into the back of the radio but I'm assuming I can just use connectors there.
The front speaker is 4x8 and back is 5x7. Is that correct?
Any help much appreciated.

[Geohawk63]

Not quite accurate.

If modern guts are installed, you can use speakers with almost any impedance, although you do not want to use more than two speakers of 2 ohm impedance.

It sounds like the OP just had the FM tuner board installed, so if that is the case, he needs a 10 ohm speaker as everyone has said.

Yes, just the FMC-2 board installed.

[RadioRoy]

Outside one is power, middle is ground and inside one is speaker wire, correct?
.................................. I'm assuming I can just use connectors there.

.

The three connections are labelled. Double check them as I think you may have them mixed up, or it could be a communication problem. It depends on what you mean by middle and inside.

The one closest to the volume control side of the radio is 12 volts.
The center one of the three is speaker hot.
The one opposite side from 12 volts is ground.

We MAY be saying the same thing, but the speaker connection is in between 12 volts and ground. It is not on either end of the three.

As you look at the back of the radio,
the right one is 12 volts
the center one is speaker
the left one is ground

Was there a radio in the car already? Wasn't the connector still there?

[Geohawk63]

The three connections are labelled. Double check them as I think you may have them mixed up, or it could be a communication problem. It depends on what you mean by middle and inside.

The one closest to the volume control side of the radio is 12 volts.
The center one of the three is speaker hot.
The one opposite side from 12 volts is ground.

We MAY be saying the same thing, but the speaker connection is in between 12 volts and ground. It is not on either end of the three.

As you look at the back of the radio,
the right one is 12 volts
the center one is speaker
the left one is ground

Was there a radio in the car already? Wasn't the connector still there?

Ya no connector. That would have been in a perfect world lol.
And I was wrong and you are correct:
As you look at the back of the radio:
the right one is 12 volts
the center one is speaker
the left one is ground
And if you look at the picture, you can see that the ground connection is already grounded by a piece of metal extension soldered onto the frame of the radio, so nothing to do there, correct?
Thanks for you help!