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I'm looking at these radios that look identical to the original factory radio but has todays tech built into it. Anybody bought one and how do you like it?
Another vote for Mike Hagan. I had him convert the original radio for my 67 Delta. Absolutely phenomenal job. The face plate looks brand new. The internals are updated and also have an AUX input for MP3s and a USB connector. Bluetooth was an option that I did not get (I wouldn't use it). In my case there was no "new" option, but I'd want to actually hold one of these if I were considering buying one. Are the pushbuttons plastic or metal like the originals? Same for the face plate. The picture looks SIMILAR, but not identical to OEM. Converting an original leaves no questions.
I put one in my ‘72 about 6 months ago, looks very original ..... the Bluetooth pairs easily with my phone, I am running it through a pre-amp to power my speakers, absolutely no distortion. It picks up radio stations through my windshield antenna like my new Cadillac.
The price on the stereo you linked seems high. You can get your original converted for less than that apparently. Here are some other threads on aftermarket tunes for your classic Olds.
I bought the new one and love it. The one thing I liked was the size of the unit, which is significantly smaller than the factory. Lots easier and lighter to install. Sound is great, long distance reception is great, bluetooth works perfectly. I'm really happy with it - and if you wait long enough or track down as many dealers as you can that sell it, you can find one on sale...
I just on a waiting list. Lead time is 8 weeks. That'll put me sometime in the April time frame. I'm perfectly ok with that.
Originally Posted by BSiegPaint
I bought the new one and love it. The one thing I liked was the size of the unit, which is significantly smaller than the factory. Lots easier and lighter to install. Sound is great, long distance reception is great, bluetooth works perfectly. I'm really happy with it - and if you wait long enough or track down as many dealers as you can that sell it, you can find one on sale...
I have one as well, bought it a little over a year ago for $505 shipped. Even then was a 6-week wait on it, apparently they're built to order. Mine powers 2 Infinity 6.5" front kick panel speakers, no additional amp. Well balanced sound and plenty of power to drive the speakers cleanly.
I have these speakers ordered for my car. Hopefully they work well with the stereo. A pair of Kicker 6x9's for the rear and a 4x10 for the center of the dash and has two voice coils which allows you to hook up both front channels to it. I don't want to go with speakers in the kick panels as I'm trying to maintain a stock look.
Not sure how its going to sound but I hope it works. Since this stereo has a sub woofer output I was thinking about hooking up a small sub that fits under the seat. I wondered if anyone has done this with this stereo. I want to use an all in one powered sub like the one in the link below. Any thoughts on these choices would be greatly appreciated.
The front speaker looks like the mount brackets are offset. Make sure the speaker is mounted so it is as far forward (toward the windshield) as possible. The one I installed hit the center dash a/c duct. Took it out and plan to try again soon now that the seat is out. This is no fun to install. I took out the glove box, center a/c duct from the dash pad and some other ductwork.
Thanks for posting these pics Dave!
I did notice there's a difference in the *****. The centers on the ones of the reproduction radio are smooth while the centers on the original are turned or brushed. I wonder if the original ***** would fit on the new radio?? I see a couple other things that are different but I don't mind that.
Originally Posted by Dave26
I put one in my ‘72 about 6 months ago, looks very original ..... the Bluetooth pairs easily with my phone, I am running it through a pre-amp to power my speakers, absolutely no distortion. It picks up radio stations through my windshield antenna like my new Cadillac.
Thanks for posting these pics Dave!
I did notice there's a difference in the *****. The centers on the ones of the reproduction radio are smooth while the centers on the original are turned or brushed. I wonder if the original ***** would fit on the new radio?? I see a couple other things that are different but I don't mind that.
You piqued my curiosity, I just tried the original *****, they fit.....however, the shafts on the new radio are shorter, they don’t slide on as far as I think they should. Also, as you might guess, the originals are much heavier.
The supplier has quite a selection of new radios for other models besides Olds, as well as speakers, a little pricey, but if you want the "look" . Overall they seem very nice.
I went in a little different direction.... I mounted an Alpine MRV-F307 in the trunk. It was a little more work on the installation, it sounds great, lots of power to the speakers.
If I can hear the radio clearly, that's good enough for me. That said, I ran a retro-sound Hermosa with hands free Bluetooth in my '70 Chevy. A pair of Alpine 5.25 Coax in the center dash and two Alpine 6x9 Coax in the rear deck. Rear speakers amped on an old school Duo-B Alpine mounted under passenger seat. Works much better than I need and looks correct for a Chevy.
For my '68 442, there is no aftermarket radio that looks the part. I've inquired with a few vendors to see if they can make the original act like the Hermosa BT. Apparently, they can and it will run about $600. Might go ahead and do it since my factory AM is in-op.
FWIW, never buy anything with the Custom AutoSound name on it. Speaking from experience....
Last edited by bry593; February 26th, 2019 at 10:28 AM.
Thanks for help here. Was goingvto search on different radio options and thread was right there. Just ordered one from Mike Hagan. Appreciate the testimonials.
I bought the new one and love it. The one thing I liked was the size of the unit, which is significantly smaller than the factory. Lots easier and lighter to install. Sound is great, long distance reception is great, bluetooth works perfectly. I'm really happy with it - and if you wait long enough or track down as many dealers as you can that sell it, you can find one on sale...
Bob, was searching information on radio replacement. What did you install and how is it working. Thinking of going RettroSound radio for my 66 Cutlass.
Bob, was searching information on radio replacement. What did you install and how is it working. Thinking of going RettroSound radio for my 66 Cutlass.
Bob, was searching information on radio replacement. What did you install and how is it working. Thinking of going RettroSound radio for my 66 Cutlass.
Wayne Medina, Ohio
Wayne, I got the 851201BT from Antique Automobile Radio. It looks absolutely stock, and does a lot of things - bluetooth, so I can answer the phone, stream audio, etc. It has a ton of preset sound parameters for the type of music I want to hear (like a built in graphic equalizer), it's easy to adjust and work. But it does have some weird electronic glitches that could be improved. I can show you any time if you want to meet up. I attached an amp to it and it sounds a little shrill. The only visual difference is the ***** - factory are turned in the center and these are shiny. I'll take a couple pics and post them up here.
Last edited by BSiegPaint; May 26th, 2019 at 09:21 AM.
@70s geek do you have xp with alpine stereos? Would you recommend them?
Sorry for being off topic.
I'm looking for a good stereo and my vote will be on the Alpine.
Now I was trying to gather as much info as possible but most review blogs are junk.
I mean they are hyping and when I've checked out some actual customer reviews the
difference is huge.
Along with my journey in review land I came across a different site. It seems to be the real deal. I mean it harshly criticizes the flaws that each brand has. This has put me on the fence.For example there's a review about Alpine ILX-w650 radio. I was eyeing this headunit.
How bad is that slow startup? Does it take 20s to boot up? What about the value for the money?
I generally like Alpine head units (and their speakers) - their mid and higher-end units are generally well configured for features, power, display layout and sound quality. Crutchfield.com is one of the better sources for comparison - not so much for product reviews as for overall product availability and details provided for them. Also, they in most cases provide install accessories free with a product purchase - i.e. harness connectors, mounting adapters, etc. which in some cases can save you a bunch of extra cash.
January 29th, 2018, 08:34 AM
