Is there such a thing as a Model A radio ?

[C26Pinelake]

if so where would they mount and are they costly ?

[skip]

I think the Police had two ways in their 'A's.
But as for a regular tube driven power sucking amplitude Modulated [AM] radio tuned to WLS Chicago with an antenna?...I don't know. Maybe a few years later they came about. Anybody have an old J.C. Whitney Catalog?

skip.

[peters180a/170b]

As far as i know the first FORD radio was in 1932 .Friend had a n.o.s. an installed it in his 1932 Cabriolet. Dial was on steering column, 2 metal boxes under floor 1 with generator other with tubes. Antena was under running board. Wooden box more on pass.side with FORD script cut out .

[pdora]

What about RF from the ignition system?

[marc hildebrant]

With regard to radio's in cars...my 1933 Chev had a radio as an option. They used the chicken wire under the fabric top as an antenna.

I found the wire that ran to the antenna and had an AM/FM in my car. I used the 6 volts and had good performance for the 12 v radio.

Marc

[Kevin in NJ]

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Yes there were 2 radios available by 1931.

Bendix or the predecessor to Bendix made one.

Grigsby Grunow made the model 110. It required cutting two holes in the floor for 2 boxes. One box held the batteries and the other held the radio. There is a control head for the steering column and a wood framed speaker.

At one time I read Ford has looked into offering a radio for the 31 Ford's, but never did. For 1932 Ford had the Grigsby Grunow model 111. It used two boxes in the floor, but had a motor generator to make the high voltage for the tubes.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/grigsby_gr_110.html

My brother and I each have a GG model 110. I am likely to use the control head to control a modern radio one day. The full radio should be considered a correct accessory under the non-Ford accessory rules for judging since it is period correct.

There may have been a third radio available for 31, but it slips my mind.

[Dennis L Oberer]

The noise from the engine area can be modulated a bit. I did it on my AM install on the coupe.

1. Found a NOS resistor that goes into the top of the distributor cap.
2. There are condensors of some sort that go on the generator..but I get NO noise from my alternator.

If the station is clear and local the engine buzz is not there..on distant stations it is.

Mostly I use the radio for when the car is parked and we are having a root beer or a picnic or something.

As I have posted previously; the Silvertone I have installed gets WTMJ all the way from Milwaukee to Green Bay (some 120 miles or so).

The antenna is a Farm/Fleet I mounted on the Rear Driver Side Bumper Clamp so no holes were drilled.

And the radio, if this pic I try to post shows up, does not require any extra holes in the car either. The right side of the bracket is held by one of the gas tank mount bolts. Left side is of the bracket rests on the cowl brace.

The cowl panel then covers the wiring that is behind and I later mounted the switches for the driving lights, spotlight, and defroster fans on the flat part of the bracket. Bracket is aluminum and bent on vise.

Thats my hot water heater fan switch on the upper right. It is illumnated when on.

Dennis L Oberer
Green Bay WI

['59Edsel]

I am a member of a radio forum, and coincidentally, someone just started a similar conversation. http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=141037

[John LaVoy]

There was an article on installing a radio in a Model A in the Ford Dearler & Service Field magazine from 1928.

[A400 Guy]

When I bought my roadster years ago it had a period Zenith radio in it. The "guts" of the radio was installed out of sight between the back of the gas tank and the inside of the firewall utilizing the coil mounting screws (coil was installed using extra long screws). The dial was mounted on the steering column and the antenna was under the running board. Not being a radio buff, I removed the whole system and gave it away. I wish that I had a few pictures of the installation, but I don't.

[john charlton]

Watch Humphrey Bogart in "Dark Passage" 1948 I think.Good shots of radio in de luxe pheaton.

John in rainy evening England.

[Charlie Stephens]

I would look for an era correct radio head at a swap meet and then extend the cables to reach a modern unit hidden somewhere. Either that or carry a battery powered portable radio.

Charlie Stephens

[msmaron]

1932 Parts book shows it at 45.00

[peters180a/170b]

There was Resistor's on every spark plug wire [sliced into wire]. Believe Charlie still has them[never installed them.]. There was a pigtail wire Generator condenser to ground. I 'll try to dig some pictures up.