Hey guys, I'm just trying to get some questions answered before I forget them again. Anyways, last year I got the am/fm radio trim off ebay and am trying to figure out how to fasten the radio to both the panel & the car. When I bought the car it did not have a factory radio in it, but some $20 pos with no brackets at all. I got a 77 Pinto & am trying to get my am/fm 8 track radio to stay in the dash.
I found a pic of my car when I had a different radio in it, with the radio trim I'm referring to. If anyone has any info on what I need to do to mount the radio in my car I would greatly appreciate it.
Okay. If you look up towards the ceiling at the bracket, there are two screw holes right above the volume and tuner knobs, they use coarse self threading screws.
There are two more identical holes on the bottom of the trim on the bottom of the bezel face, right in front of the center console.
Last but not least, there should be a bracket on the radio or a bracket left in the car that is connected to the inside of the dash. There is a mounting hole on the radio that screws to this bracket and holes it still. It should be located dead center on the rear of the AM/FM radio. If you do not have the bracket, you could manufacture something out of a small section of sheet metal or go hunting around at salvage yards.
Quote from: dave1987 on January 02, 2008, 02:11:13 PM
...There are two more identical holes on the bottom of the trim on the bottom of the bezel face, right in front of the center console...
You might have to remove the console to get to them.
Bill
So the trim doesn't need to bolt to the radio? It has never been fastened in there properly so I'll fabricate some type of bracket for the rear of the radio since I can't seem to find any old Fords in the junkyards.
The radio is mounted to the bezel by the radio control shafts (volume and tuning knobs). If you pull the chrome knobs off, you will see a small nut that goes around the base of the shaft. This is what holes the radio to the bezel. After removing these you can take the radio off the bezel. Deep sockets work best for getting to the nuts but sometimes they are still to shallow. Otherwise use a set of long needle nose pliers.
What if the shafts are too short for the radio trim? The Ford radio I have fits the trim, but the shafts don't stick out enough to thread nuts on. I'll try to get a pic of what I'm trying to refer to.
Is the face of the radio flat against the inside of the bezel? If not and the knobs don't reach, there should be a spacer (small piece of aluminum tubing) between the radio and the bezel which you could trim shorter, or maybe even go without it.
Yep, it sure was. I took a couple pics of the trim around the radio.
I did remove the small piece of aluminum & it made no difference to it.
You COULD open the hole so the face-plate of the radio comes through the panel. You can use extra washers and nuts to get the best spacing.
Keep in mind that if your radio panel is plastic, DON'T over tighten the nuts.
Bill
IIRC ford had some countersunk nuts to attach the radio. In your situation, I'm not too sure what to do, other than try to find these.
Hmmm.... I'll see where I might be able to find some countersunk nuts for the radio. Do you know if they might still be available through ford or if they're obsolete?
Since Ford went to the single din in about '85 I kinda doubt they still MFG the parts. If you have an OLD Ford dealer nearby, they MIGHT have them as NOS.
hmmm... looks like I might just be keeping an eye out for them at the junkyard. It's been a few days since I gone to the junkyard so they might have some older Fords in there.
You could try Ace Hardware, they always have odds and ends like that.
Is that 8track out of a Pinto? or just a Ford?
Not all Ford radios are the same. I found this out the hard way when I went looking for repair parts for the AM pushbutton in my 69 F100. I tried using a volume knob out of a radio from an Econoline van of the same vintage. Wouldn't you know it, the knobs are SHORTER by about an inch! So now I have a couple older E series radios sitting in my dad's shed in AZ and can't use 'em. I know there are a few Econophiles in here, they would get dibs, but the radios are lost in dusty bliss for now.
I couldn't really tell you what it came out of since I got it at the Ford swap meet at the Ohio Expo Center November 06. The knobs were fine, it's the shafts that are too short for me to bolt the radio to the front trim plate. Do the shafts actually come in differnt lengths?
There are at least 2 different radio mounting bezels.
1 for radio w/tape player and a diffferent one for without tape.
It looks like the picture on this threat is a non tape bezel.
You have 2 options, cut the center hole larger or get a bezel for a am/fm/tape radio.
How can I tell the difference on the bezels? When I got it I ws under the impression it was for use with fm tape.
There are a total of 5 different radio bezels from 71-80.
Are there any numbers on the bezel?
If so I will try to help you.
From left to right as they appear on the backside:
D6EF 18A02 BWA CAV. 1
The big spaces I put in were present in between the numbers on the back of the bezel.
Thanks for any help you're able to give.
I thought that Aeronutronics made the radios for the late 70's model Pinto. I was pretty stoked to see you found the seldom seen AM/FM 8 track but then I saw it was the Philco version. With that said the manufacturers difference tween the two might be why yours don't fit. I will have to keep that in mind as I am still looking for one with a working 8 track.
Steve
I would think that is the correct one because the part number for am/fm/tape bezel is D6FZ18842B although there are not enough numbers to cross to a part# just going by the D6 B.
Perhaps the radio is a different year are there any labels on the radio with numbers?
There is an Aeronutronic Ford sticker with a model number. It is
6L-D5SA-19A168-AD. There's also a Philco-Ford Corporation inspection sticker on it, but the only numbers I see on it are patent numbers.
As I understand it, the Philco brand was used from 68 till the early to mid 70's. My 73 sport accent parts car came with a mint Philco AM-FM stereo from the factory. I have seen the same radio go for big bucks on Ebay. I have never seen a Philco Radio like yours though, nice find. The ones I have seen were Aeronutronic Ford. I pulled a few AM-FM 8-tracks out of some full size Lincolns and Galaxies but I have not paid much mind to the shaft lengths. I sold my last one early last summer so I am not able to measure it for you. Just for grins, please post the shaft length of your radio.
The part that shows to the tip is about 2 3/16" long.
Thanks for the compliments on the radio. Not too bad for $10, and it even works.
I tried to do this swap a couple of years ago and gave up. The AM-FM 8 track i had came out of a 78 t-bird. My Cruising wagon came with the factory AM (only) 8 Track. Aside from the shaft length issue, the radio with FM too is too deep I believe. If you look at the sales brochure in 1978, the radio options that they list are AM, AM-FM Stereo, and AM-8 Track. Like I said, I gave up on it, which is a shame cuz I have a big collection of 8 Track tapes, and several players. I'm going by memory here, but there was something in the way behind the radio.
Well, I didn't have any problems with depth. The radio was sitting in the dash before, I just don't have a way to fasten it to the dash, or to the radio bezel.
D5SA-19A168-AD appears to be a t-bird radio. I was looking at the Ford parts catalog and looks like Pinto had radios that were unique to Pinto only. But all the other Fords interchange between each other. So according to that looks like we have special cars.
Interesting. I'd hate to trim teh bezel, but it looks like that's what I'm gonna have to do. I doubt I'm gonna be able to find an am/fm 8 track made for a Pinto
Matt, I have a copy of the 77 sales brochure and in that is a pic of the radio. Aeronutronics is actually silkscreened on the dial.
So you are right. I have the same brochure so I was able to look at it. Only thing I can think of is that the 77 Pinto did not have an am fm 8 track as an option, but only the am fm radio or an am 8 track.
Dunno, still looking at my options before I cut up the radio trim panel.
I ended up trimming the opening. It didn't turn out too bad. I'm gonna give the radio trim a fresh coat of semi gloss black then bolt it back in the car.
Thanks for the help guys.
For my stock radio I used some matte clear coat in light coats and it turned out great. How bright does semi-gloss make the paint?
It actually looks similar. I've done the ash tray already so I'll get a pic posted of how it turned out in semi gloss black.