costpenn

Having to make a couple of major decisions on the upcoming resto of a very original survivor type 70 W-30:

1) Add gauges? It just seems so wrong without them.
2) Add AM/FM and rear speaker? So tired of the crappy AM front speaker only sound on my other two cars.

Will adding these two options generally help or hurt the car's future value? Of course I would do it correctly, and this car is documented as a W car by the broadcast card, but there is no original window sticker for it.

Opinions please - thanks.

66400

Radio options were offered as a dealer installed accessory so no harm there.

RallyPac factory installed so???????????


Henry

69ishHoliday

If I had your car I would add the tic toc tach and keep the clock or blank that it replaced. Ford Ranger's and Dodge Caravan's have tachometers, so should a "W-30".

stevengerard

I could see you going either way, the tic toc tach is a cool option and many have been put in cars that didn't come with them, its your car but I also don't think it detracts from the car not to have it. Same with the radio but my pion is I hardly listen to the radio so it doesn't matter to me. I'd say it certainly wouldn't take away any value if you installed both.

Octania

Generally, the more factory special stuff you have, the better.

Rocketbrian

Totally agree. It just doesn't seem right not to have them. I'm not in the W30 class, but I loaded my SX up with factory options when I restored it and I have picked my options for my 442 I am currently restoring. I have the GM of Canada letter of authenticity which spells out all the options it came with and I am still going to add the items I would have ordered if I had had the chance. (within reason). It makes for a much more interesting and enjoyable car. So go for it.
In my area, there are no AM stations left, so an AM radio is useless. I have a Ford Ranger also, and a tach isn't needed for that 4.0l boat anchor. A W30 certainly needs one.

tbirdman

I'm just thankful I now have a car with a heater, radio and trunk

rcorrigan5

My '68 4-4-2 convertible just had the AM-front speaker radio, idiot lights and the blank pod. I found a nice AM-FM radio with the rear speaker and put it in. Didn't have to cut any metal or anything - easy to convert back to window sticker/build sheet stock if I need to.

Same with the gauges and T-T-Tach. Pretty easy to change out (kinda tight behind the dash but it is doable), which I did, without cutting a wire - also easy to change back to build sheet stock if necessary.

On the "stretching it" side, my car originally came with white stripe tires and wire wheel covers, which I have, but in radial tires. I also have an extra set of SSI wheels with red stripe radial tires - the look I like best on my car - but SSIs would have only been available as a dealer change-out when my car was built.

So, essentially, I've changed some things out. But, everything I did I can change back to build sheet stock if I ever wanted to, because I didn't cut any wires or metal in adding these options.

Randy C.

Koda

My two cents, on my nothing special 67 442, I've been collecting all the stock options I can because I enjoy that stuff. But, I have no build sheet, and other than cheating with 68 and newer disc brakes over the 67 style, and rear defrost when the cowl tag says none there, it won't be very detectable.

For your car, I would add bolt on factory options as you see fit, making sure to not do anything irreversible or damaging to the car. Keep all removed parts. No one I know would be upset with an upgrade installed in the car and the parts removed coming with as part of the sale as long as the seller was up front about it and the car was not damaged during the change-out.

Do not put a non-stock radio in it, though. Factory Olds AM-FM stereo would be just fine. Consider 8 track, but, you may have to drill dash for that, so that would be a no-go in my opinion, if so.

oldcutlass

Imho, if your going for originality, then leave it the way it was born. The rarity of not having a bunch of options may be a perk. The radio could be a dealer option so I could go either way.

dc2x4drvr

X2,
I think someone builds a stock AM radio that plays FM stereo.

hookem horns

I'm normally a "make it how you want it" type but I would really try to keep this car original. Rally pack and factory am/fm are totally ok unless trying to be correct to an original window sticker options list. If not ready to bite the bullet on both, make sure anything aftermarket on guages or radio is totally reversable.

tbirdman

I had this company do it on my 64 T-Bird convertible. Not cheap at ~400 but decent job and keeps the AM radio looking stock. Only complaint was volume was loud enough although that was with the top down and driving.

Funkwagon455

Joe, I think you may be getting the carriage in front of the horse on this one. If you are truly wanting to ultimately sell the car, whether restored or not then your cost is the bottom line. A gauge installation and FM radio will tack a minimum of $1000 to your bill. Nobody with any knowledge, expertise and most importantly the funding for that car is going to opt out of it because it lacks those options. Should you decide to restore it, your restoration cost is still a very large unknown. Anybody (including future caretakers) can add those cool options at their own additional expense. HOWEVER!!! If your real intention is to keep the car, and you want the options for yourself then the answer is crystal clear.

Chris J

my .02 is and what I have done with my car is if it was available on the car its OK, I want my interior to look stock. For the radio I left the stock AM radio in the dash I put a quality sound system in the trunk that is controlled by a wireless remote. I mounted two speakers in the stock holes in the package tray and covered them with a stock package tray cover with built in speaker grills. In the front I removed the stock seaker and replaced it with two quality speakers, I had to make a bracket but no big deal. You need to have a tach, if my car had not come with one I would have defiantly put in the tic toc tach in but again keep the interior appearance totally stock.

jensenracing77

I am in the exact same shoes you are. My W-30 had the lights and a clock. They are in very nice condition and the original clock still works. I will install the rally pack in my car but will keep the original parts. I will NOT drill the hole in the firewall for the tach wire. This way I can go back to original if I want to. My car is an AM 8 track car so I already had the rear speaker. I am adding the AM/FM but will also keep my original radio. Both of these are easy to change back so I would do what you want. Just keep the original parts if you change them.

jstrits

My car was ordered specifically without, why? because the original owner knew he was putting a stewart warner tach on the dash from the get go.my car still has the bracket impression on the dash pad. It has the fuel guage and blank guage. I have window sticker and order form so I like it as born. In the end its your car but a purist would understand if you left it out. I like to think they were all ordered for a reason. Mine was to save money here to put it there. trophies3.jpg

knighthawk

I put the gages in my '69. the tach is cool, really good for tuning the motor, but behind the wheel , driving, you can't read it ! I think next time I would just add the tach to steering column, like the old days !